The Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe is an automobile that was manufactured by
Hudson Motor Car Company of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
, between 1937 and 1942.
Production history
In 1937 (the first year of production), the automobile was known as the Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe. It was one of 17 different models in the Terraplane line (nine in the "Deluxe"/Series 71 line and eight in the "Super Terraplane"/Series 72).
For the 1939 model year, the
Terraplane
The Terraplane was a car brand and model built by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, between 1932 and 1938. In its maiden year, the car was branded as the Essex-Terraplane; in 1934 the car became simply the Terraplane. They were ...
brand was dropped for both trucks and autos, and the vehicle was called the Hudson Utility Coupe for the rest of its production cycle.
[
Even though the manufacturing of civilian automobiles was discontinued from 1942 to 1945 (so all production could be dedicated to the war effort),][ Hudson did not resume making the utility coupe after the war ended.][ it was also different from a regular coupe because it could be used either as a car or a truck.][ The Hudson Utility Coupe had a L-head ]straight-six engine
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bal ...
, rated at 96 horsepower, giving the Hudson Terraplane Utility coupe the most power of its class, for that time. Not only did the utility coupe have power, it also had strength, the complete load capacity being rated for a half ton. The Hudson Utility Coupe had a strong wheelbase platform.
From 1937 to 1939 the Hudson Utility Coupe used radial safety control suspension.
In 1940, Hudson altered the Utility Coupe’s front suspension system from its original safety control system to an independent front suspension.
Features
Mounted inside the vehicle's trunk was a steel box mounted on sliding rails (similar to the pull-out drawers of toolboxes). The steel box had a chain-supported tailgate. Handles were attached to the end of the box, used to slide the box in and out. When the box was being pulled out, there were two points in which it could be extended, making the loading and unloading of cargo easier. The ability to pull the box out is what made the utility coupe capable of being used like a pickup truck. If there was no need for it in its pickup form, the box could be slid into the trunk of the coupe. Once the trunk was closed the Hudson utility coupe looked like a regular car.[
The Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe was a business car, especially for salesman who needed to transport their samples. The design allowed the salesman to carry their products regardless of weather conditions. If they were transporting a product that was long, the salesmen were able to slide the cargo box out and let the tailgate down. They could also detach the trunk door for the larger products, if necessary.][
]
See also
* Hudson Commodore
The Hudson Commodore is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1941 and 1952. During its time in production, the Commodore was the largest and most luxurious Hudson model.
First generation ...
top Hudson car line from same era
* Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
early Hudson car
* Hudson Super Six
The Hudson Super Six Coach is an automobile which was first manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan in 1916. The first model was kept in production until 1928. The nameplate was revived for a rebadged Essex for 1933 (sin ...
specs for the Hudson Super Six
References
External links
Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club
online club & information-source
{{Hudson Motors
Coupés
Utility Coupe
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
1930s cars
1940s cars
Cars introduced in 1937