- Seller: George F
- Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Mileage: 79,832 Shown
- Chassis #: 17830841241150257
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 144.6 cui Inline-6
- Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
Living in Michigan, I’m lucky enough to be within a couple-hours ride to some of the country’s finest car museums, including the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by a square-rigged car they long had on display, the Essex Coach. As a young teenager, I found it a mystery: Why did this innocuous-looking antique deserve a place on the museum floor near a Ford GT40 and Mustang Serial Number 100001? As I soon discovered, the Essex Coach was the first low-priced closed car, one that would soon catch on and render the classic touring car obsolete. At an original price of $1,495, it was “only $300 more than [the] touring model,” according to Motor Age magazine. By 1925, when this Essex was built (according to its 188713 serial number), the price was down to $895, which was actually less than the touring car at the beginning of the model year. This Coach appears to be in solid condition, but it will need some together time with a loving mechanic to get it back on the road where it belongs. It’s being offered now as a Barn Finds Auction.
The first thing you’ll have to do is find the carburetor, but otherwise, the engine looks to be complete. Starting in 1924, the Essex came standard with a six that was actually smaller than the four-cylinder it replaced. It makes sense when looked at retrospectively: Hudson was the parent company of Essex. Hudson is still well-known for its powerful six-cylinder engines, thanks to the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet” of NASCAR and Pixar fame. Still, with a modest 144.6 cubic inches and an estimated 40 horsepower, some must have been disappointed; the old four had 180 cubic inches and 55 horsepower. The new engine, like the old, channeled its power through Hudson’s wet clutch with cork inserts and a three-speed transmission.
It’s tough to gauge the condition of the interior based on the amount of stuff lying inside, but if the driver’s seat is any indication, it’s not bad. I think someone could make a nice driver out of this Essex. Can you imagine spending the weekend at Greenfield Village’s Old Car Festival, driving around the grounds in your Essex Coach, surrounded by other cars from that great era of motoring?
I certainly can. Cars from the 1920s aren’t for everybody, but some are surprisingly affordable and surprisingly usable; the Model A Club of America proves that all year long with their tours and shows, and this Essex is as mighty as a Model A (although parts aren’t nearly as easy to find). It’s a car with a history, and it’s slightly different from what you normally see at your local car shows. If you’re as intrigued by this interesting Essex as I was by the one at Henry Ford Museum, bid now!
My great uncle had a 1926 Essex coach. He always referred to it as his “Woodbox Essex” due to the square shape. Unfortunately, while it was stored an “antique dealer” stole the headlights, radiator and shell, and instrument panel. Someone spotted them at the antique shop but my uncle couldn’t prove they were his and the car was parted out.
Rant here, I really hate it when auction sites hide the reserve price they are trying to achieve you waste your time submitting a bid only to be told reserve not met. Post what you want for it if I think its reasonable I will bid that price and someone can bid against me to drive the price higher.
That’s how all auctions work. It gives the seller a chance to lower their reserve near the end in case bidding doesn’t get as high as they had hoped.