List of month of production by serial number?

Jon B
Jon B Administrator
edited September 2012 in HUDSON
Is there such a thing as a list of Hudson production by serial number? So, if you knew your serial number, you'd know when the car was manufactured? If so, where would one find it?

I know Hudson threw out a lot of this stuff, but a friend has a '53 and needs that information for tax purposes. (Turns out his state is offering a rebate for cars 60 years old and older. If his '53 was manufactured in the fall of '52, he's immediately eligible!)

Comments

  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    What state is that?
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    Jon, I have attached a couple of pages that I think you are looking for here
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Super D: The State of Maryland
    53jetman: That's it! Thanks very much! By the way, what is the source of this information? Was it published by Hudson, or some automotive trade newspaper? And, where did you find it? The WTN (and if so what issue?), or is it somewhere online?
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    Jon - Those are lists of info I've had seemingly forever. Think they probably came from the inserts that editor Art Adams used to include in the middle of the WTN. I had saved them, and then when I got wise to what I could keep on the computer, and scanned them and put them in my "Important Hudson Info" file
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I am a little confused by the numbers. My '50 Pacemaker Deluxe has a SN of 50A54961. But I thought Hudson only made about 22K Deluxe models.

    Is the sequence INCLUSIVE of all models? Meaning that xxx54962 could have been a Super 8?

    How do I look at the numbers to better find the Sister Cars that came of the line?
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    P500 - Yes that is true. The serial numbers were consecutive, meaning 54961 could have been a Pacemaker and 54962 could have been a Super 8 or a Commodore. Although the early production was pretty much 100% Pacemakers
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thank you 53JetMan.

    So backing out from my 54961 by 22K, that ROUGHLY gives the 101-33,000 as regular Pacemakers.

    This fits the production numbers of the Pacemaker - Basic of about 25K units and would puy my Deluxe towards the "Last Out the Door" list.

    Just using round numbers so I can better visualize the data.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    edited September 2012
    Your Pacemaker was built in March 1950 (s/n 44903 thru 57753). There were 39,455 Pacemakers and 22,297 Pacemaker DeLuxe models produced over the production run from Sept. 1949 thru Aug. 1950 out of a total 121,408 cars produced overall with 12,851 units being produced in March 1950.
    This information is available in the online library (URL under my signature) in the General Information Handbook for Hudson Built cars. That can be found in the "Other Hudson - Essex - Terraplane Literature file at the top of the page.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thank you for the expanded detail, Alex. I figured mine was March 1950. So, 62K Pacemakers overall or the 22K Deluxe part of the 40K Pacemakers?

    How do I look at the list and know what model s/n 54960 and 54962 were in the production cycle without having the front half?
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Figures I have are given for each model. I would assume that the serial numbers are assigned to the whole car. The difference between Pacemaker and Pacemaker DeLuxe are in the trim packages - the Pacemaker would be a low end plain Jane; the DeLuxe probably had a fancier interior and some trim, both external and internal, differences. Plus price. For example the Pacemaker Model 500 brougham had a price of $1912, the 50A DeLuxe went for $1928; a 500 sedan had a price tag of $1933, the 50A a price of $2105.
    A word on prices - It is difficult to pin down prices. What I have is the result of a lot of research but there were price changes thru-out model years. I have some Car Distribution
    Department bulletins that give introduction prices. I have a bulletin, DL-1, issued Nov 8 1949 that gives the following prices for the Model 500 - Brougham - $1775, Sedan - $1795, 3-Pass. Coupe - $1675 and Club Coupe - $1795. Prices went up, or down, depending on sales, material availability and so on.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    edited September 2012
    OK. So my Deluxe is one of 22,297 total Deluxes (Brougham & Sedan).

    How do I find what xxx54960 and xxx54962 were on the production line?
    How do I find where my 50A54961 fits in the entire Pacemaker Deluxe sequence?
  • cpr3333
    cpr3333 Expert Adviser
    Pacemaker500, for what it's worth, my Pacemaker Deluxe is number 105446 so they were apparently making them at least into July.

    Alex, really? A $16 difference between the regular and Duluxe Pacemakers? The more I find out about the differences, the more I wonder why they bothered.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    How do I find what xxx54960 and xxx54962 were on the production line?
    How do I find where my 50A54961 fits in the entire Pacemaker Deluxe sequence?

    You don't, and you don't. Specific information like that is long gone, at least as far as anyone knows.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    I suspect that somewhere, somebody has that info - for example I'd love to get my hands on a set of Car Distribution Department Bulletins as those (the few that I have) seem to have a lot of good info in them.
    For example, for 1950 I have the following Car Distribution Dept. Bulletins:
    DL.50-1 - Prices of Car & Options - 500 Series
    DL.50-3 - Weights of Optional Equipment - 500 Series
    DL.50-5 - Car Colors Pacemaker Models
    DL.50-6 - New Prices - Super-Matic Drive, Drive-Master, Overdrive
    DL.50-12 - New Red Body Color
    Maybe I need to invest in a cattle prod - I know somebody has these bulletins, somewhere. Just a matter of prodding them into checking their stashes!!
    cpr3333 - you have to think in terms of 1950 dollars, not 2012. $16 doesn't sound like much today, but back then $16 was a chunk of change for a lot of people. Moreso then than now those extra goodies, plus options, gave a buyer bragging rights among his neighbors.
    Ponder these figures:
    In 1950 a new house cost $8,450.00
    In 1950 the average income per year was $3,210.00
    In 1950 a gallon of gas was 18 cents
    In 1950 the average cost of new car was $1,510.00
    Sort of gives one an idea of what $16 could buy in 1950.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I just looked at Alex's site and the flyers and stuff for 1950. My Pacemaker Deluxe has the O/D option and is one of the two high dollar paint colors (Oriental Green Code P).

    I wonder where that puts "Hannah Hudson, the Detroit Doll" on the "Rarity Meter" ????
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