1951 thru 1954 - Hudson Production Figures

hudsontech
hudsontech Senior Contributor
edited June 2012 in HUDSON
I recently found a technical bulletin, originally published in the Nov/Dec 1981 WTN (TS 81-7) giving a break-down of how many of each model were built by month from 1951 thru 1954. For example, in Sept 1951 a total of 2136 Model 4A Pacemakers were built. Working in conjunction with the 1948-1954 Monthly Model Year Production Data chart in my General Information Handbook to give us the month of production by serial number we can now come up with how many units of a particular model were made; ie 1951 Hornet with a serial number 105600 for example (numbers shown here are for illustration only and do not mean a 1951 Hornet with that number was built) - we know that that model was built in April 1951. Going to bulletin TS 81-7 we find that in April 1951 a total of 4,353 Hornets were built.

Many thanks to Sarah Young (her Hudson Jet web site has an excellent VIN break-down) for coming up with this TS 81-7 bulletin and to Ron Hewett who orginally put together this information from original factory records. Ron also compiled the 1946-1950 monthly production records that were published in an earlier WTN as TS 81-4 (when I put the tech bulletins in the online library I combined the 1950-1954 monthly figures into one bulletin) - unfortunately this 1946-1950 bulletin did not give a monthly model break-down.


Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN
xxxhudsontech09@yahoo.com (Drop the xxx)

Comments

  • 54SuperWasp
    54SuperWasp Expert Adviser
    Thanks Alex for all the good infos you give and all the work you've done to help us with such details. Will be in Gettysburg all week. Wanted you to know just won a credit for a beer! Michel.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Alex-

    Have you posted this 81-7 bulletin in the online Library? Would like to have a copy.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Not yet on-line - will email you a copy.

    Hudsonly
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I was just asking a friend about this. I would like to know how many 1951 Pacemaker coupe Supers were made. How do I find out? And what's a model 4A?
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Model 4A is a 1951 Pacemaker. There were no "Pacemaker Super" models. Just Pacemaker.
    The breakdown I have doesn't give body style, except for Convertibles and Hollywoods. In 1951 there were 34,495 Pacmakers produced - of these 425 were convertibles. However, this figure is approximate as it's really not known how many were actually built, according to the source of this figure.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    Alex: I'd like to have a copy of this list. You can take an extra copy to the National Meet and I could pick it up there from you, or you can email it to me @ hetjbean960@msn.com (drop het)
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I think there were 1951 Pacemaker Supers. Why do you say there were not?
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    Bemt - There were Pacemaker Customs, and Super Customs in 1951. Series 4A were the Pacemakers and Series 5A were Supers.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    To clarify - in 1951, as previous years, there was a Super model, designated 5A. The Super was introduced in 1946 (not to be confused with the Super 6 of previous years) and was discontinued after the 1951 season. It was replaced by the Wasp model 5B in 1952.
    In 1950 there were two Pacemaker models - Model 500 Pacemaker and Model 50A Pacemaker Deluxe.
    You can find a complete 1948-1954 list of models in the 1948-1954 Master Parts Catalog in the online library. (You'll have to access the site thru hetclub.org - my computer is in the repair shop and I'm using a rented one so don't have all my data to hand.}

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    Ok, so in '51 all Pacemakers were Customs. Right? But a "Super Custom" had different stuff than a regular Pacemaker Custom. What stuff was different?
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    To start with some of the trim was different. For example front door trim panel molding is different between 4A and 5A - as is the rear door trim panel molding. Quarter trim panel molding is also different between the two. There are other differences, but I can't come up with them off the top of my head. Someone else should know.

    Basically the Pacemaker was the bottom of the line so wasn't as fancy as 5A Super and other models. Basic, low price, transportation.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • mars55
    mars55 Senior Contributor
    I want add something here. My Master Parts Catalog shows that the Super Six Custom was not a Pacemaker. The Super Six Custom was a Long Wheel Base car (124") like the Hornet. The Pacemaker was a Short Wheel Base car (119"). You could say that the Super Six was a low content version of the Hornet.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    mars55 - yep.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    This is confusing. I have a little book for '51 that reads.

    Pacemaker Custom-Model 4A

    Brougham.............................119"
    4 Door Sedan........................119"
    Business Coupe.....................119"
    Club Coupe...........................119"
    Convertible Brougham...........119"

    Then it goes on, as mentioned, to the 5A that is the 124". Only the 4A is short wheel base.

    So, from the list there was no "up grade" in the Pacemaker? Was there no "Super" Pacemaker in '51? Am I looking at the wrong owner's manual? I can't find a date in it anywhere.

    I've heard people on here mention the Super Custom Pacemaker. I drove my '51 Pacemaker coupe to it's first meet (under it's own power), and had more than one of the more knowledgable guys say "Oh nice, it's a Super!" I even asked, "What makes it a Super?" To which a few details were pointed out, that are appearently standard issue on a Super but not on a regular Pacemaker. I was hoping to find a list of features for the car. But I can't even find record of a Pacemaker Super.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    To repeat a portion of my previous post -
    Model 4A is a 1951 Pacemaker. There were no "Pacemaker Super" models. Just Pacemaker.
    And, yes, the Pacemaker, along with the 5A Super and 6A Commodore, was listed as a Custom - ie, Pacemaker Custom, Super Custom and Commodore Custom.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
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