Briggs bodied HET cars

fastdagmailcom
fastdagmailcom Expert Adviser
edited November 2013 in HUDSON
Hello all, I was wondering if any you have ever found any info on the Hudson(HET) bodies that Briggs made in 1930-31-32-33? Any lists of body number allocation, number of a style built, or anything?
Thanks!
Del

Comments

  • oldhudsons
    oldhudsons Senior Contributor
    Briggs also provided bodies for Hudson in '29, for the roadster, conv. cp., and at least one variation of a sedan.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I have a 29 Hudson Briggs body model R phaeton. I also know of a Briggs Body on a 29 Essex roadster.

    Regards
    Sean
  • oldhudsons
    oldhudsons Senior Contributor
    As I recall the long w.b. '29 Hudson was a model L & there were 2 phaetons built on the 139" w.b., one a "dual cowl" built by Biddle & Smart & accepted by CCCA as a full "classic" American car, and then a phaeton by Briggs which are not.
    Having had both Briggs & B & S bodied '29 Hudsons I know why the Briggs bodied cars are not accepted by CCCA as "classics".
  • paulrhd29nz
    paulrhd29nz Member
    The 5 passanger Phaeton was on a model R chassis
    The 7 passanger Phateton and the Sports Phaeton were on Model L chassis.
  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    My '34 Terraplane Model K convertible coupe is a Briggs-built body. Would be happy to supply the number on the tag to someone wishing to create a Briggs database looking to discover numbering patterns. A '33 Essex-Terraplane 8 conv. coupe I owned years ago was also Briggs.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    The 32-35 Hudson/terraplane conv cp's were factory built cp bodies that were subbed out to Briggs for conversion to conv cps in the states. Outside of the states most conv cps were custom bodied.

    Tom
  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    Agree, Tom, and the completed body no longer carried the "Hudson Built..." tag but rather has a tag on the firewall stating it is Briggs Built indicating Briggs deserved and took credit for the finished product. The jigging fixtures to keep it "square", the quality and placement of the reinforcements, and the finishing of the upper windshield and rear body upper edge and supply and installation of the door glass channels and brass roller glass frames, as well as the upper windshield frame hinge, the creation of the convertible top hardware are all to Briggs' credit. I'm not certain if trimming the top frame was done at Briggs or by Hudson.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    The tag on the firewall of my 33t8 cv/cp project just has a number stamped on it, there is no Briggs markings on the car anywhere. I have looked at several other 30's cv/cp tags and the all look the same. I believe Jim DiGiorgio did some research on these Briggs tags during the resto of his 34H8 CvCp and found that there is no rhyme or reason to their numbering system. Such as some earlier cars having higher numbers than later cars. They may have started from #1 during each years production and the number was just a job # for them to reference to during production.
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Tom or others, is the cutoff year of '35 pretty well authenticated? When I was doing my '36, I got differing views on who did the ragtop conversion.
  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    A thorough history of Briggs:

    http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/b/briggs/briggs.htm

    However even this does not give a definitive "last year" for contract work done for Hudson Motor Car Co.
  • fastdagmailcom
    fastdagmailcom Expert Adviser
    edited November 2013
    Thanks for all the comments, supports my theory that there is no printed info available. I am currently replacing wood in a 1932 H8 Major phaeton with Briggs tag numbered 42-91. We were wondering if there are any more out there? and how this number fits anything known about Briggs production.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    edited November 2013
    There is a Briggs body parts book in the online library - but, it is for 1925. Which, of course, does you no good at all. But it does indicate there are other years out there in the great wilderness of private collections and perhaps one day we shall get our grubby little hands on same and get them online where they belong.
    Todays slogan: BE A HERO - BE THE FIRST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET YOUR HUDSON LITERATUE COLLECTION ONLINE!!!!
    Eternal thanks to those who have already contributed - it is most appreciated, not only by me but by those who can use the material to help restore another Hudson product.
    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
This discussion has been closed.

Categories

In this Discussion