new car buyers

tombia

Being that I was driving when you could buy a new Hudson. I often wonder just how many of the people on this forum would have bought a new Hudson back then?

Glowplug

Cadillac - Oldsmobile - Buick - Hudson in that order, of course that would be if I had the cash and was old enough to drive (got my 1st -1962)

SuperDave

When my father had a 51 Super 6 two door sedan back in 51-52. Hudsons were winning races and we lived in North Carolina. Went to lots of races.. Then he bought a 52 Buick! 
I was crushed. I was not old enough to drive. But being seen in such a slow hunk of lead was embarrassing.  I made up my mind that someday I would have a Hudson. Took longer than I could ever imagine. My first car in 1956 was a 31 Model A ford. My son now has it. We taught his son how to drive in it. We just celebrated my son's 54th birthday.
My first Hudson ended up a 51 Hornet four door. I think it was about 1968/69. Dad came by and saw it. He asked me why i would want "one of those things".(He was a Model A ford guy)  I had just put "Twin H"on it. I tossed him the key and told him to take a drive. He came back about a half hour later. His only comment was "wow, I forgot how great those cars were." It only took a few years and he had a collection of Hudsons (Sold his Model A) and later became pres. of the HET club. I created a monster! LOL
Would I have bought a Hudson when they were new?   You bet.

Geoff

Started working in 1955 on $14 per week.   Could I afford a new Hudson???  Bought  my 1928 Essex in 1956, for $20, and still have it.  

RichardD

If you lived in a small town, you only bought what was sold there, mostly Ford or Chevy. You wouldn't buy a car from 50-100 miles away from a service standpoint.
I have a '53 Hudson and it is about the 4th or 5th I have ever seen, or recall seeing, and I am 80 years old.
I believe it depends on how far away a dealership was if you would have bought one. Or if you lived in the sticks.
I bought mine over 55 years later  because it WASN'T a Ford or Chevy, not because I knew any thing else about them.
SO, answer is 'no'.

Kdancy

Richard raised a good point, local dealership availability. This would have been a factor with all the independent makes. After WW2, GM made a concerted effort to go after all the most successful independent dealers and got a large portion of them including many of the top Studebaker dealers. Having said that, I've always loved Hudsons, especially the stepdowns , and am sure I would have purchased one if I'd had the funds.

RL Chilton

If I knew then what I know now, then most probably, I would have bought Hudson.  But, if I only knew what was available back then . . . hard to say, but again, I probably would as some of my family had Hudsons and ranted and raved about them long after Hudson was gone.  

HansonMotorCo

I agree that as Richard says dealership availability or loyalty made much more of a difference than it does for us today. My uncle stopped selling Hudson in 53 and switched to Pontiac. He told me that he continued to trade with the same people and had many Hudson trades come in even up to 1960. He said he never had trouble selling the Hudsons though. Probably didn't sell them for much.
I own a 1954 Chevrolet that I've had for 42 years now. It's a good car. However compared to driving my everyday driver 54 Hornet I always tell people the Chevy is a toy.
I've owned lots of different cars. I never tire of driving a Hudson.
Yes I would happily order a new one.

Val

Living in a large metropolitan area I would guess that a dealer ship would have been here. In fact I know one was. And as my grandfather owned them and he told me when I was a little kid " Hudson made the best bleep cars on the road and that Ford, Chrysler or GM couldn't hold a candle to them when it came to power and quality" So if we are talking late 1930's and early 1940's yes most certainly I would have bought one new. Post war yes with 55 being the last year I would have.