Here's one for all; Why did you choose a Hudson, and what has you so enamored over it?

34Terraplaner

34Terraplaner

I don't know what happened to my text in the original submission, but here it is again.

My wife and I began our relationship with Hudson Terraplanes
at the Sully Plantation car show we visited almost ten years ago in
Centreville, VA. After viewing the large collection of fine Model A’s, we went
down the hill to see the other makes. They all looked nice enough, but when we
saw a blue and white ‘34 Hudson Terraplane convertible coupe our jaws dropped
in unison as we said, “OMG, the classic art deco lines; the starburst-painted
artillery wheels; the sunrise grill! Who made this car and when?” The car
responded to us in a very large voice, “I’m a Terraplane, make me
yours."  Well that was not to
be since the owner didn’t want to part with it, but the car made a lasting
impression on us. 

     Flash
forward to May 2012. The Model A roadster pickup we’d owned since 1997 was
getting a bit boring and more uncomfortable to drive with every passing year. The
‘85 Bimmer M6, though a solid trophy winner and one of the best examples of BMW’s
“ultimate driving machines,” was costing us way too much to maintain and
repair. Remembering Sully, a plan was hatched: Let’s find a Terraplane, sell
the two other cars, and buy the Terraplane! 

     Within a
day, we were pleasantly surprised to find an ad for a ’34 coupe on an obscure
Pennsylvania car club web site. Within two days, and after extensive
discussions with Eric Kirk and the Terraplane’s owner Roy Marks in Dade City,
FL, son of Merritt Marks, founder of the national Hudson-Essex-Terraplane club,
we had mailed a deposit check to Roy and he had called the guy in California
who had been showing some interest in the car to say that it had been sold. Within two
months the Model A had been sold on E-Bay and shipped to its new owner, a
farmer in Sweden who thought it was the perfect partner for his 69 El Camino;
within 3 months the M6 was sold off of Craig’s list to a Porsche guy in DC; and
by the end of August the Terraplane was in our garage after a very smooth haul up
I-95 by Bruce Hall’s Applewood Motor Transport of Inwood, WV, a tune-up by the Anderson's Early American Auto Repair
wizards, advice from Eric Kirk and Paul O’Malley, and a clutch installation in
partnership with Dave Coleman.  Because of its relatively high power-to-weight ratio (80 hp
and 2600 lbs) it’s a great car to drive and when we go cruising we’re reminded
of one of the sales slogans that Hudson used to describe the experience: “On the sea
that's aquaplaning, in the air that's aeroplaning, but on the land, in the
traffic, on the hills, hot diggity dog, THAT'S TERRAPLANING.” 

We also like the fact that it’s a part of automotive history that
many people have heard about but not that many have seen. Coupes
built by Ford, Chevy, Plymouth, Hudson, and other “affordable” auto makers featured
long hoods, classic v-shaped radiator grills, and rounded tail sections that
even today catch the attention of many onlookers at car shows. But for our
money, we believe the Terraplane represents the very best example of that year’s bunch. We are happy to share our knowledge of the history of our Terraplane with fellow antique car enthusiasts.

    Our most enjoyable such opportunity was a return in 2014 to the Sully Plantation show which had stimulated our Hudsonian thoughts a decade ago. Although I had recently undergone a hip replacement and could not yet drive, fellow AACA Shenandoah Region member Rich Largent volunteered to pilot the coupe 50 miles to Sully so that we could enter the show along with his wife's beautiful '56 Ford Victoria. The spectacular spring weather brought out large crowds and the Terraplane caught many an eye that day, including those of the judges, who awarded us a first-in-class (1930 to 39 non-Fords), certainly a poetic moment as the Terraplane marque came full circle at Sully.

        

RL Chilton

Great story, great car!!

34Terraplaner

Thanks RL.  Don't know why the text was so screwy or why I had to submit it twice, but y'all get the picture I'm sure.

JasonNC

I saw my first Hudson parked in some weeds at my father-in-law's house.  I asked him what kind of car that was and he told me it was a 1948 Hudson Super 8.  I immediately fell in love with it.  I begged him for that car for 10 years, but he always turned me down saying he was going to restore it.  It had already sat in his yard for almost 20 years before I saw it.  I finally gave up and started looking for my own car.  I found a 48 Commodore Six in Hemmings and bought it in 2000.  I ended using the rusted out old Super 8 for a parts car.  

PaulButler

@34Terraplaner ; great story indeed but when I just saw the picture it was a case of "a picture tells 1,000 words"

SamJ

My family had a much-used '47 lwb sedan when I was a kid and the marque always intrigued me.

In 1984 Mary Ann and I were in the country looking for a farm auction on some gravel road in Southern Ontario, Canada. We were driving the '55 Chev pickup I'd restored. We passed a farm and an older gentleman was pushing a car out of his driving shed...we stopped, and it turned out to be an all-original 1940 Hudson 2-dr sedan...37,000 miles, even had the original spare in the trunk. We bought it. We brought the car with us when we moved to California in 1987. I did a lot of work on it with a lot of help from Club Members, but kept it as original as possible. Drove it pretty much weekly for 28 years, then sold it to another Club Member. Now I have a '47 Commodore 6 Coupe. No reason, except I always wanted a coupe, I was born in '47, and, of course, Dad had one...