1950 Hudson Commodore Custom Four Door Sedan Gray SuperDrive WinterGarden041517

Hudson was ahead of its time in many respects. They had adopted a streamlined style that eschewed separate front and rear fender lines and instead adopted slab side styling and a low center of gravity. A perimeter frame and unibody made for probably the safest car of the period. This car is particularly interesting because of its semi-automatic transmission which could be operated in several modes. Once the gearshift lever was placed in a forward speed it need not be touched again...or the car could be shifted manually. Overdrive was added to this particular car, and the resultant called Super-Drive. Some of the mechanism was vacuum actuated, and that didn't help reliability. Here's a resource that covers much of Hudson's development:
ateupwithmotor...
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[@derrickrees8895]

Very nice Hudson , I remember neighbours having a similar Commodore 8 when I was a kid , beautiful interiors and very solidly built..They were different cars . Oddly , the 8 was of smaller capacity than the 6 , but supposedly developed a little more power . Even more oddly , neither 6 nor 8 had high pressure oil lubrication to the crankshaft , like Chev they relied on scoops and troughs on mains and big ends , supplemented by jets from a low pressure oil pump. This seemed to work pretty well for them . as did their Oil Bath Cork Clutch..

[@coolrides]

Hey, Derrick! Yes, you definitely could say that the Hudsons were solidly built. The 6 was a more modern engine than the 8, and the problem remained that Hudson had not developed its own modern overhead valve V8 when just about everybody else was working on that. Money wasted on developing the Hudson Jet spelled the end for Hudson and the lack of meaningful yearly styling change spelled doom for Hudson. Thanks! :) Jack

[@heffoandjuff5903]

I remember seeing these cars when I was a kid. This car is a beautiful example of body styling for the day, but I have to say that I always thought the body's profile in a way resembled that of a garden slug.

[@coolrides]

Hey, guys! The manager of the two local movie theaters was a neighbor, and gave us a ride in one of these....I was impressed! The styling was dramatically different from most postwar cars...but as always, when you decide to go the streamlined route, you run the danger of the car looking a bit unfamiliar and unrecognizable from what came before. That can be good, or that can be bad. Most often it's bad, in my opinion. Thanks! :) Jack

[@gene978]

Jason said what I was about to say. One car I have never seen in person. Is a Hudson. I know they were top shelf in the day and fell behind due to lack of V8 power. But I know the Hudson Hornet was a force in it's own right too. Cool car.

[@coolrides]

Hey, Gene! Yes, Hudson is a good example of why building a car to the strictest requirements is often not enough to save a company. Their post war models were exemplary, but the styling didn't change often enough to keep consumers interested. And, as you mention, the lack of a V8 didn't help. AMC offered one starting in 1955, along with generic Nash styling, but it was too little, too late. Thanks! :) Jack

[@dsteele27]

Beautiful! Hudsons of this time have always been favorites of mine. I remember laughing as a young kid as my dad pointed them out on the road saying, 'there's another one of those bathtubs you like!" It was a running joke with us - i didn't catch on that the '49 Mercury we were in also looked like a bathtub :) Like you, until now (now being a different time for you and me given the youtube lag :) ) i'd never heard of SuperDrive.

[@coolrides]

That reminds me of the old saying..."it's like the pot calling the kettle black"! :D Car companies were busy trying to devise ways to automate gear shifting, or at least make it easier. As I remember, Rambler had a deal where you moved the shift lever and that actuated the clutch via vacuum. Chevy had a design that involved vacuum assist in some way so that the shifter throws were very short. Cord had the "electric hand" that shifted gears via a pre-selector. But nobody could match HydraMatic when introduced in the 1940 Oldsmobile. Thanks! :) Jack

[@dsteele27]

My '54 Nash (which i owned for about 10 months in the early 60s until i realized how bad the rust was on it) had 3 on the tree but it didn't have the vacuum actuated clutch. I never heard of it, even, until now. Do you know what years that was available?

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Hey Jack. Lovely looking Hudson Commodore. I've never seen one in person. :)

[@coolrides]

Hey, Jason! It's sure a well built automobile, very luxurious inside! Thanks! :) Jack

[@jasoncarpp7742]

You're welcome. I've seen pictures of these Hudsons, but I've never seen one in person, nor have I had a chance to ride in one. I'd love to. :)

[@daniellack3559]

Hey Jack... I know Hudson is a legendary name and had many adherents who swore by them, and even though they made some mistakes, (as you clearly point out below), I always like to give credit to the staying power of those brands, who lasted into the 1950's, when it became awfully clear, that GM, Ford, and Chrysler were going to be the major American players going forward...When you think of the literally hundreds of auto entries from the earliest part of the century onward that tried their hand and failed, I think Hudson deserves a tip of the cap, for fighting the good fight right up to its demise!..thanks.

[@coolrides]

Hey, Daniel! What you say is very true...I suppose almost any company is but a few disastrous decisions away from serious economic trouble, including bankruptcy. That sure was true for GM recently..if they had not had bailout money available, they probably would have folded. Today, if bad news goes viral, it can affect stock prices and that too can have a domino effect. The best defense is producing a quality product at a reasonable price, with serious attention to quality and warranty issues. Thanks! :) Jack