Interesting Hudson Clay Model?

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  • ArkieJazz
    ArkieJazz Member
    nhp1127 wrote:
    Anyone know anything about these? Just curious about what it is.



    http://cgi.ebay.com/1939-1940-1941-Hudson-Salesman-Sample-Clay-Design-Car_W0QQitemZ170206572120QQihZ007QQcategoryZ13555QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



    It's a neat model, but he's got the year wrong. It's from 1942.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Somebody (in the Club, I think) was making these models a few years ago, and selling them (unfinished) for maybe $25 or 50. They're cast resin, and I believe were molded from the original plaster styling model (made at Hudson). The buyer would finish them himself.



    It was common for the plaster sedan styling models to do "double duty", showing 2 doors on one side, one on the other. This practice continued right up through 1954. Actually, I'm told that the factory even produced a handful of "3-door" models, full-sized, for testing purposes. Wayne Wehrle, of Pittsburgh, recalls seeing one parked on the street when he was a young man. The daughter of Hudson engeering chief Millard Toncray told me that her father would drive one of these 3-door Step-Downs home for the weekend for testing purposes; the whole family would go out for a spin. His motto was, "if my family isn't safe in a Hudson, I wouldn't want to sell one to the public" (paraphrase).



    You will spot reproductions of these repro Hudsons (of different years) from time to time. Repro's of several Step-Downs were made. It's quite possible that Hudson itself might have made a few copies (of the original styling plaster models) to give to company bigwigs. Years ago, Mr. Toncray's daughter showed me the 1954 Hornet model that her father passed down to her, and obviously that would not have been one of the latter-day resin models like the one now for sale on Ebay. Joe Jacks (of Virginia) owned a 1937 "3-door" when he was alive, though I don't recall whether it was an original plaster one, or a resin knock-off.



    I'm surprised to see that the current Ebay price is in the $400's! I should have bought a few of these unfinished models and stowed them away, like gold bars!



    This just in -- I found an old article I wrote in our chapter newsletter several years ago. At that time S. C. Miller of Troy, Va. was reproducing the 1/8-scale, 2-foot long (3-door) 1942 broughams in resin, for $145. Unfinished. So, they weren't as cheap as I remembered!
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I think the bidders think its from the Hudson styling department. If they believe that gimme a couple of days to start knocking these out at $459 a pop.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    51hornetA wrote:
    I think the bidders think its from the Hudson styling department. If they believe that gimme a couple of days to start knocking these out at $459 a pop.



    Count me in. We could quit our jobs if we found enough takers. :D
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I sold a marron 1940 3 door at auction 2 years ago when I moved for $795.00 in PA. We had a discussion on here about them then. I believe there was a fellow in VA. who made some repro's of the original at one time. Mine may have been one? I had it for 20 years.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    S.C. Miller also made resin 1/25 scale models and I have several of them: '54 Hudson sedan, '49 Hudson convertable, '49 Sedan and a 55 Sedan (all purchased back in the early 1980's). They were all apparently made using Master Caster metal models to produce the resin molds. I built three of them except the '55 which is still unbuilt. They actually look pretty good when completed. The 1/25 scale models had seperate tires and hub caps. Anyway, over 900 bucks for the '42 model on Ebay and it may very well be a reproduction! Ouch!



    Dan
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