Vinyl Roof?

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Did Hudson ever offer a vinyl roof on 52-53 cars? I'm following a lead on a Twin H Hornet and a guy who saw the car thought it had a vinyl roof. I suppose there is a longshot chance it is a convert. I am new to the forum and have always admired Hudsons from watching them in the stock car races to seeing Jack Cliffords 54 at the NHRA Nationals winning his class.

Any feedback appreciated.

Paul

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    As far as I know they didn't offer any 'factory' vinyl roofs, but someone may step in here to correct me. Of course, at any point in its life someone may have applied vinyl, but maybe your friend just saw a two-toned car and assumed that the differently-colored roof was vinyl.
  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    There was one stepdown built from the factory without a rear quarter window and a carson style top - doubtful this is the one, but maybe you'll get lucky :)

    I saw the picture in Butlers book -- which I don't own anymore...
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hi, When I was a teenager in New York City, There was a chauffer-driven step-down that had been modified by Derham of Pennsylvania. The top was not vynal, but a leather padded top, and no quarter windows. It was solid glossy black, with a black top. Lost track of the car about 1967 or so. Had pictures of it, but the were lost in a fire. The lady who owned the car had an apartment in the Waldorf. Hope this is the one! Steve
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    The Durham had a vinyl top. John Segady's old car.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    PIERCEARROW1935 wrote:
    Hi, When I was a teenager in New York City, There was a chauffer-driven step-down that had been modified by Derham of Pennsylvania. The top was not vynal, but a leather padded top, and no quarter windows. It was solid glossy black, with a black top. Lost track of the car about 1967 or so. Had pictures of it, but the were lost in a fire. The lady who owned the car had an apartment in the Waldorf. Hope this is the one! Steve



    As far as I know, there were two (2) step down sedans built by Derham with a padded leather top. Once was for Mrs. Inez Chapin, wife of Hudson's founder and the other was for A.E Barit, president of Hudson Motor Car. Both lived in Detroit but after Mr. Chapin died in the early 30's, Mrs. Chapin could have moved to New York or something along those lines.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Actually Dave , there were three. The Webbers had one made for themselves. They had been very good friends of the Chapins in Michigan. So counting the other two there were three.I think at least two of the three still exist.
  • J Spencer
    J Spencer Expert Adviser
    Bill Colton from Tonawanda (Buffalo) had a 1951 Hornet sedan that he had installed a vinyl roof on and blocked off the rear quarter windows. It was painted black with red flames on the front fenders. Bill passed away a few years ago, had been involved in stock car racing around the New York / Pa. area.



    His son may still have the car, though I don't know.



    Bill aslo set up a meet - back in the mid 90's - at the Lancaster NY speedway where we got to drive our Hudson around the track before the main event







    Hudsonly Jim
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hudzilla wrote:
    Actually Dave , there were three. The Webbers had one made for themselves. They had been very good friends of the Chapins in Michigan. So counting the other two there were three.I think at least two of the three still exist.



    Right. Wasn't the Webber family related to J.L. Hudson?
  • mars55
    mars55 Senior Contributor
    There is a picture of Inez Chapin's car about half way down the page of this web site. The writeup is about 3/4 of the way down the page.



    http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/d/derham/derham.htm
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    The One Hudson With The Black Leather Roof That Belonged To Mrs. Chapins In Now In The Ypsi. Automotive Museum, Run By Jack Miller.
  • PAULARGETYPE
    PAULARGETYPE Senior Contributor
    The Last Time I Was At Jack Millers In Yipsy Mi. There Was A Hudson Derham Limo In The Show Room It Was On Loan From The Ford Musm. And Yes There Were 3 Built
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    It's a bit foggy but I think I recall Roy Chapin mentioning something about that in an interview a long time ago. I think that they were strictly on the department store side of things although at one time one of the Webbers sat on the BOD of Hudson.
  • hdsn49
    hdsn49 Senior Contributor
    From the article about derham coaches



    Undoubtedly the most beautiful of all postwar Hudsons were the three customized sedans built by Derham between 1948 and 1952. The first was built for the widow of Hudson’s founder - Roy Chapin, Sr. Derham transformed a 1948 Commodore Eight into a formal sedan with the addition of a curved-glass divider window and a padded-leather roof with blind quarters and a custom-built oval rear window. The large rear window of the Hudson’s were discarded and replaced by a built-up a wood framework into which Derham set a much smaller rear window more in keeping with formal look of the vehicle. Metal panels where hand fabricated and installed over the wooden rear window insert allowing a smooth transition to which the thickly padded Derham top was attached. A second was built for Hudson’s president A.E. Barit using a 1951 Hornet. It differed from the Chapin car in that it had a flat divider window and was updated in 1952 and 1953 to look like a brand-new Hudson. Barit’s Hornet now resides in the vast collection of the Henry Ford Museum. The third copy was built for a friend and neighbor of the Chapin family named Richard Webber. His car was built using a Brewster Green 1951 Commodore Eight and was built without a divider window.
  • Sarah Young
    Sarah Young Senior Contributor
    Here's a picture of a 1953 Hudson limousine, used by the last president of Hudson. It's located in the Ypsilanti, MI Automotive Heritage Museum.



    http://www.ypsiautoheritage.org/gallery/car5lg.htm
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    It would look equally as good in my garage. :D
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