ATTENTION HUDSON HISTORIANS: (i need some info!)
I'm presenting a slide show for my local AACA on Sunday, entitled "What's A Terraplane?"
I've been writing a history of Terraplane (1932-38) and have some questions. Can anyone help? I would like to be fairly sure of these answers (in the name of accuracy) so if you're not absolutely sure, I'd rather not chance it!
1. Was the 1936 body a one-year? Or had it also been used for the 1935? (I know it was not interchangeable with the 1937)
2. When production of the Terraplane started in July of 1932, was Essex immediately discontinued? Or could one buy an Essex, Terraplane or Hudson concurrently, at one's local Hudson dealer?
3. I'd like to compare 1932 Terraplanes to new Fords and Chevys of the same year. I cannot seem to find torque ratings and power-to-weight ratios. (Is that as simple as dividing the horsepower of the car by its curb weight?) Here is what I have so far; I filled some things in but a (?) means I'm not sure. Maybe you can help!
Terraplane 6 HP to wt. ratio ___________ Engine torque ?
Ford V8 (1932): HP to wt. ratio: .02 BHP / 1 lb (?) -- Engine torque 130 ft lbs. at 1250 RPM
Chevrolet 6: HP to wt. ratio: ___?____ Engine torque: 130 ft. lbs. @ 500 to 2000 RPM
4. Would someone have the 1933 equivalents, but comparing the Terraplane eight to the Ford and Chevy at this time?
Any info will be much appreciated!
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Comments
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Well im not a Guru on all Years of Terraplane, but there is a wealth of interesting Information with pictures online. One fact I read that Amelia Earhartt, the famous aviator, officially commissioned the first Terraplane's because Terra meant earth combined with flying..An appropiate name since they were fast Cars in that period.
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The '36 Hudsons and Terraplanes were a one-year body. They look like the '37s, but were narrower, sitting on what was basically the '35 frame. One thing very impressive about the Hudsons and the Terraplanes was the weight distribution. In my youth I shoe-horned an Eight engine in a '35T, and there was still 150 lbs. more on the rear axle than in front. No wonder the critters handled so well for the era.
Also look at the engine HP vs. displacement. Led the pack for quite a long time.
At the mid '32 intro, "Essex-Terraplane" was carried on the radiator badge; that went 'til mid '33, when the "Essex" was dropped.
Jon, the folks might be interested in the Earhart letter, too.
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1932 and 1933 models were concurrently marketed as Essex, Hudson, and Essex Terraplane. 1932 was the first Essex Terraplane, and a six only, and 1933 there was the Essex Terraplane 6 and the Essex Terraplane 8. Both years also had the Standard Essex and Hudson models, in the case of Hudson both 6 and 8, and these models were a carry over from the earlier technology with chain drive camshaft and updraught carburetor. All Terraplanes had downdraught carby and gear drive cam, with oil pump and distributor driven directly off the camshaft. 1932 and 1933 had unique bodies. 1934 and 1935 had the same basic bodies, but there were differences. 1935 was on-off. 1937 and '38 shared the same basic body, again with details differing.0
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'36 was certainly a one year body style shared between Hudson and Terraplane. No body parts to my knowledge are shared with '35 or '37 whatsoever. The '36 frame had the beginning of the front axle stabilizer so it is not the same as the '35 frame. The '37 front axle was further stabilized so again changed.
The '32 Essex production ceased so the assembly line could be converted to the new construction method of the '32 Essex-Terraplane using unit-body construction. Presumable a dealer could have unsold '32 Essex on his lot when the '32 E-Ts began arriving but you could no longer order a '32 Essex.
The Essex-Terraplane name is on all 1933 E-Ts just as it was in 1932. The Essex name was fully DROPPED for the new 1934 Terraplane models. The heritage of Essex was minimally carried however in the hexagon that carried the "Terraplane" identification in the hood ornament. Also the accessory bumper over rideres and bumper guards have an Essex hex in black, but no wording.
The 1933 Essex-Terraplane 8 had the highest horsepower to weight ratio of any new car in the world it was claimed and I have yet to read any dispute of that but it would be nigh impossible today to research every car built in the world in 1933.
What begins to tell the story is the HillClimb and other records set with Terraplane Six and Eight cylinder cars. See attached.
We've been discussing this earlier on the Facebook page called "Terraplane SEVEN" (there were seven years of Terraplane production). Come visit and look back down the timeline. I can't rewrite it all !!!
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Intended attachment for my above comment.
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Thanks for all your comments, and thank you, Wayne, for the hillclimb / speed records. (I've surfed the net til my eyeballs dropped out, looking for this sort of factual material). I know that many people SAY that Terraplane was more powerful than this car, faster than that, and that Terraplanes won numerous events, but I really want to wow these people with facts, not heresay! So this sort of stuff helps.
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For the power to weight ratio, this is best expressed as pounds per horsepower, so for example 94hp in a 2660lb car = 28.3lbs weight per horsepower = 28.3lbs/hp (2660 divided by 94). The lower the better of course. If you have Butler's book you can work it out, for each year look for the highest horsepower and lowest weight for the particular model. The '32 Ford was a very light car also in fact but I think the Terraplane had a bit more power.
The torque figures will be hard to find, I'd just stick to the rated horsepower across the makes you want to compare.
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Intended attachment for my above comment.
Interesting that on the hillclimbs where both the Six and the Eight registered a time, the Six was hardly any slower on many of them!
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How did the presentation go today?
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Went pretty well, thanks for asking!
I couldn't keep it below 31 minutes, but at least no one fell asleep. Had a bit of trouble focusing the older video projector I was given, (lens mounting pins are broken!) but no one complained. I used the "Impress" free Powerpoint knockoff and was able to import clips from 1930's promo movies, which really kept people awake, especially the one of the stunt man dropping from a biplane onto the roof of a Terraplane! So if any of you are called upon to do a slide presentation, be aware that this newbie was able to figure it out without too much difficulty.
In this AACA Region, Bud Lewis and I are the only Hudson owners! So I think I opened a lot of eyes today, because most of my audience was kind of hazy on the subject of Hudsons and Essexes!
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Jon
Thats Great the Presentation went well overall and perhaps there may be some future Hudson Enthusiast as a result.....
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Jon, don't forget about the dual braking system, started in the 36 models and the first and only true safety system, until AMC & Cadillac in 1962. The 33 Terraplane 8 was 94HP vs Fords 75HP. Terraplane was Dillinger's favorite car. And don't forget Electric Hand semi automatic transmission.0
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And look at HP per cubic inch, in the years before Chrysler, Cadillac et al brought out their modern, high compression OHV V-8s.0
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