1934 Production Numbers

Unknown

Where could I look or does anyone know how many convertible coupes, phaetons, and pickups were produced in 1934? Also were they built at the factory?

hudsontech

Unfortunately Hudson didn't leave many records behind. It is only in recent years that production numbers surfaced for the 1946-1954 period.

About all that is left is the total number shipped, which is 27,130 Hudsons and 56,804 Terraplane passenger cars, along with 1,901 commercial vehicles.

The commercial line consisted of a sedan Delivery, a cab pickup, and a cab chassis (for custom bodies).



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Unknown

Alex,

This is what I was referring to in my step down pickup post. I was once told that we had total numbers, but when a coupe or 4 dr. left the factory it might go straight to dealer or stop by a body company on it's way and become a truck or convertible, so these built numbers are unknown. Not trying to cause a problem, just trying to find these answers. It's like saying there are only 4 left and opps, another one is found in a barn.

Thanks for your answer,

Glen

Aaron D. IL

That's basically true Glen, we can tell total production figures but breakdown by model is sketchy, we can use a few rules of thumb such as saying that they made more sedans than coupes, fewer converibles than coupes and commercial cars and coachbuilt cars are lower production. A few that were one off or very low like the Italia, we know the figures on.

If the factory had internal documents that gave such breakdowns at all they were thrown in a dumpster in 1954 as Hudson moved to Kenosha.

The factory went through a period where they thought if they gave model year data their cars would be considered obsolete by the public sooner or something like that.

The same thing applies when we talk about surviving cars, we can get close approximations and most surviving cars do belong to HET club members I think but there's probably enough that belong to non-members to increase the margin of error on exact numbers of survivors to the point that one rare car may indeed pop up in a barn.

Add to this the fact that the records HET does have on surviving Hudsons are only as good and accurate as the members took care in reporting what cars they had for the roster and the club registries. Incomplete and vague information is common in the roster, and although I cleaned it up as best I could, I can't give dead-on accurate figures about surviving Hudsons.

53jetman

After the early 1930's, I don't beleive Hudson shipped chassis out to body companies to build convertables or trucks - most of these units were built in house, but on special assembly lines within their own facility. The only custom units built in later years were the limozines of 1948, 1951 and 1952. The Jet bodys were built by Murray and shipped over to the Hudson plant for final assembly, and then of course the Italias and the X-161 near the end.



Jerry

53jetman

hudsontech

From 1933 to 1942 Hudson did employ body makers for some of their commercial vehicles:

1933 - Panel Delivery, York-Hoover

1934 - all produced in-house

1935-1937 - Panel Delivery, York-Hoover

1935 - Pickup - Detweiler

1936 - Station Wagon, Baker-Raulang

1937-1939 - Station Wagon, U. S. Body & Forging

1938-1940 - Panel Delivery, Checker Cab

1942 - Station wagon, Cantrell

(The list I have doesn't list the wagon body for 1940 or 1941, tho I suspect those were procduced by Cantrell - if anybody has info, let us know)

This is from a 1933-1947 Commercial Body Spec sheet I have in my handbook. As I recall the info came from the 1930-1939 Hudson Body Parts manual and a 1940's Hudson parts book.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN