1934 Hudson Eight

Description

If you've been-there, done-that with Fords and Chevys, how about something a little bigger and bolder like this 1934 Hudson Eight sedan. Very rare, exceptionally well detailed, beautifully built to be a high-volume driver, and featuring many modern conveniences, it more than lives up to Hudson's reputation for performance and style.

The Hudson Motor Company was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1934, and part of the festivities included an entirely new for '34 line of vehicles that were described in brochures as "Streamlined in Wind Sculptured Steel". There's no arguing that the 1934 Hudson were among the best-looking cars of the period and the restoration on this handsome sedan did nothing to diminish those looks. The slick black paint is a handsome, elegant choice, and the rounded art-deco shape of the sweeping fenders and roof line has never looked better. In 1934, mono-tone paint jobs were the norm and while the paint isn't 1930s lacquer, the modern finish shines very well and the pinstripe that encircles the body does a great job breaking up to the paint with a bit of contrast. Obviously, a ton of time went into the build, and they made sure that all the bodywork was ready for primetime, which means all four suicide doors fit well, the hood is aligned just right, and all the period details were retained. The roof hasn't been chopped, and even the ornate hood ornament is still in place, giving the car a dignified look that fits the period. Lots of bright chrome provides great contrast to the sinister black finish, and even though there are a few signs of use, there's no question that this was a very expensive build a few years ago.

With a 116-inch wheelbase, there's plenty of room inside, where it has been handsomely reupholstered in red cloth. Low-back front buckets from a late-model look great up front and there' still a full-sized back seat with seatbelts, which makes this a family-friendly rod. They skipped any pretense of making it look 100% like a 1934 Hudson inside, but that's OK because the handsome trim work shows well and makes it a very comfortable place to be on a road trip. The original dash was augmented with some very nice accents, including a custom gauge bezel with a full set of cream-faced Classic Instruments gauges, and with the neatly integrated A/C vents and an AM/FM/Cassette stereo head unit underneath, it looks like it has always been this way. Light carpets add a plush feeling that speaks softly of luxury and the tilt column with a leather-wrapped Lecarra 4-spoke steering wheel is a nice touch. And please take a moment to note that this car includes a spacious trunk that's ideal for touring.

This Hudson is a big car and to move this much sheetmetal, you need some juice. The original flathead inline-8 was dumped, obviously, and it now gets motivation from a 350 cubic inch Chevy V8 motor that moves the big sedan without ever seeming to work very hard, and it looks like it was born there. It was clearly detailed to proudly show off with a chrome open-element air cleaner, finned valve covers with custom "Hudson" script, and several polished accessories. An Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and aluminum Edelbrock Performer intake manifold help build power and are easy to tune, while Hooker Supercomp headers deliver a mellow tone via a custom dual exhaust system. It's backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission and a heavy-duty rear end and sway bar out back, so everything is easy to service and virtually bulletproof. The independent front suspension is a Mustang II setup, so it offers power disc brakes and power steering and the stance is exactly right. Old-school chrome wire wheels are fitted with staggered 185/75/14 front and 225/75/15 rear blackwall radials to complete the killer look.

This is a lot of car for a fraction of the build cost, and it runs and drives as great as it looks. Try something different and travel in first class with this lovely '34 Hudson. Call now!