28 Roadster - Biddle and Smart?
Chris commenting on the '28 Roadster:
<< I have not researched the Roadster yet and it did not come up in my
research of Murphy and Biddle. I believe it to have been built by Hudson but
this is a guess. All the other SWB cars for 28 were built by Hudson, and no
body tags showing otherwise have been forthcoming. Don Butler speeks of the
Roadster being built by B&S but I have found his book to be not completly
accurate. >>
This has certainly been the subject of a lot of speculation. Butler says
the body was designed by LeBarron but built by Biddle & Smart. He further
claims that the body is AL panels over a wooden frame. I can say for sure
that the body is steel. Jeff Gould and I have compared the rear sections of
my Roadster with those on his Coupe and found them to be identical.
The firewall and instrument panel are standard Hudson, but the cowl,
doors, windscreen, etc., are all unique to the Roadster, and all are of steel
over wood construction. A few talking points:
1. The '28 Roadster body is steel. Did B & S make ANY steel bodies?
2. This was probably a very low production car. Hudson was geared for
mass production. Would they have bothered with a car that would have been
used as a lure to get business into the showroom, but would still have sold
in very limited numbers? My guess is that Hudson shipped the chassis with
fenders and rear body section to some low production body specialist who
completed the car, a very common industry practice in the twenties.
3. We're all friends here so I'll say it straight out -- Hudson conceived
and built some STODGY body styles. It is almost inconceivable that they
designed the rakish '28 Roadster. Butler claims LeBarron -- does anybody know
the truth of it?
Somebody designed the '28 Roadster and somebody built it. It seems to me
that it was almost certainly not Hudson and possibly not Biddle and Smart.
Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com
NEW email list for Hudson Super Six Cars, 1916-1929!
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/HudsonSuperSix16-29
1926 Hudson Anderson Bodied Coupe
1926 Hudson Parts Car "The Grapes Of Wrath"
1928 Hudson Roadster Project
1929 Hudson Town Sedan
1939 Cadillac Coupe (How'd that get in there?)
Fullerton, California USA
AEROMARK - Need Rubber Stamps or Signs? See:
http://www.aeromark.net
<< I have not researched the Roadster yet and it did not come up in my
research of Murphy and Biddle. I believe it to have been built by Hudson but
this is a guess. All the other SWB cars for 28 were built by Hudson, and no
body tags showing otherwise have been forthcoming. Don Butler speeks of the
Roadster being built by B&S but I have found his book to be not completly
accurate. >>
This has certainly been the subject of a lot of speculation. Butler says
the body was designed by LeBarron but built by Biddle & Smart. He further
claims that the body is AL panels over a wooden frame. I can say for sure
that the body is steel. Jeff Gould and I have compared the rear sections of
my Roadster with those on his Coupe and found them to be identical.
The firewall and instrument panel are standard Hudson, but the cowl,
doors, windscreen, etc., are all unique to the Roadster, and all are of steel
over wood construction. A few talking points:
1. The '28 Roadster body is steel. Did B & S make ANY steel bodies?
2. This was probably a very low production car. Hudson was geared for
mass production. Would they have bothered with a car that would have been
used as a lure to get business into the showroom, but would still have sold
in very limited numbers? My guess is that Hudson shipped the chassis with
fenders and rear body section to some low production body specialist who
completed the car, a very common industry practice in the twenties.
3. We're all friends here so I'll say it straight out -- Hudson conceived
and built some STODGY body styles. It is almost inconceivable that they
designed the rakish '28 Roadster. Butler claims LeBarron -- does anybody know
the truth of it?
Somebody designed the '28 Roadster and somebody built it. It seems to me
that it was almost certainly not Hudson and possibly not Biddle and Smart.
Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com
NEW email list for Hudson Super Six Cars, 1916-1929!
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/HudsonSuperSix16-29
1926 Hudson Anderson Bodied Coupe
1926 Hudson Parts Car "The Grapes Of Wrath"
1928 Hudson Roadster Project
1929 Hudson Town Sedan
1939 Cadillac Coupe (How'd that get in there?)
Fullerton, California USA
AEROMARK - Need Rubber Stamps or Signs? See:
http://www.aeromark.net
0
This discussion has been closed.
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