Since the start of the 1950s, the list of car manufacturers that have disappeared into the dusty pages of history is as long as your arm. Some succumbed to shocking mismanagement, while others fell to economic rationalism. A third group collapsed because although they produced some excellent and often innovative vehicles, they didn’t have the financial capability to compete with the bigger players in the market. That was the case for Hudson, and for many years their cars remained largely ignored in the classic car scene. Times have changed, and there are now people willing to acknowledge their products and make an effort to preserve them for future generations. Such is the case with this 1947 Hudson Super Six. It is an older restoration that has been sitting for a while. The owner has recently dragged it out of hiding to prepare this classic to head to a new home. Located in Mount Airy, Maryland, you will find this gem listed for sale here on eBay. The seller has set their BIN at $12,500, although they may consider offers.
Once the owner dragged this Hudson into the light of day, it revealed itself as a tidy survivor that wears a coat of Royal Red paint. It appears to hold an impressive shine below the dust, although the poor photo quality makes it difficult to spot any flaws or defects in the panels or paint. The seller doesn’t mention any rust problems, and once again, there are none visible in the supplied photos. It isn’t clear when the owner performed his restoration, but the overall impression is that it has survived quite well. For potential buyers, the longer the time frame, the more it could be to their advantage. High-quality restorations can survive for decades without problems, while low-quality ones will reveal issues quickly. That is a question that would be worth asking. The exterior trim looks presentable for a driver-grade car, while I can’t spot any significant flaws with the glass.
Once again, we are let down badly by the photo quality when assessing this Hudson’s interior condition. It appears that the upholstered surfaces, in a combination of striped cloth and vinyl, are in good condition. The same would appear to be true of the headliner. There is no visible wear on the wheel and no signs of physical damage or missing parts on the dash. Beyond that, it is difficult to determine whether the interior has any immediate needs. I can spot the factory clock occupying its rightful place in the dash, but it isn’t easy to see whether it has other luxury touches like a radio or heater.
Lifting the hood of this Hudson reveals a 212ci flathead six-cylinder engine producing 103hp. In this case, that power feeds to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with the optional electric overdrive. The Super Six could never be classed as a high-performance classic, with the journey down the ¼ mile taking 21.3 seconds before the vehicle would wind its way to 78mph. That makes the Hudson more of an open-road cruiser rather than a “point-and-squirt” sports car. The owner indicates that the vehicle has been sitting for several years but that it runs and drives. It isn’t clear whether it is roadworthy, but if not, getting it to that point may not be complicated or expensive.
While Hudson cars generally don’t command high prices in today’s market, their overall value is beginning to creep upward. That is the case with the 1947 Super Six, although it is worth remembering that, in this case, these increases are glacial. However, that is not necessarily bad because it allows them to remain affordable. In contrast, some classics from the same era are beginning to rocket beyond the reach of the average enthusiast. If considered purely on the grounds of investment potential, this Hudson probably doesn’t make sense. If a potential buyer seeks a post-war classic that offers an affordable motoring experience without the worries that a scratch or chip may compromise their investment, this Super Six could be an ideal candidate. There are already fifty-nine people watching the listing, so maybe a few of them feel the same way. It will be interesting to see if the affordable price will tempt one of them to hit the BIN button or whether one of our readers will beat them to the punch.
SWEET MOTHER OF GOD! IT’S A 47 HUDSON! CAN WE PLEASE DISPENSE WITH THE QUARTER MILE STATISTICS?
Thanks.
Thanks! and since the floor has been opened my pet peeve is the ” blank canvas” a 1966 Mustang that needs restored, customized or hot rodded is not a blank canvas. A blank canvas has nothing and can be a painting of flowers or rocks, yes anything even a boat sail but a Mustang cannot be a Bugatti or a Chevette or even a flower so please unless you start with a sheet of cold rolled steel it is not a blank canvas. There I finally said it. Oh ya, Nice Studebaker.
It ain’t a Studebaker.
Wait, are you saying this Hudson cannot be made into a Mustang?
I’m out…
I sense hostility . Who would run this through the quarter ? Let alone time it ? Who cares ? I mostly come here for knowledge . Quarter mile , top speed , torque . Throw in fuel mileage and fluid types ass well . I like information .
Owned a ’40 Super Six and it was my daily driver for a few years. The overdrive make these easier to drive on the freeway. Without it I would not go over 55. Would get between 20 and 25 MPG which surprised the heck out of me. Easy to work on. The positive and negative about an uncommon car like the Hudson is the price of admission is low and parts are not as easy to come by as for a Chevy of the same vintage. That said with some looking and asking around was always able to find what I was looking for. Most likely this car will be known by the HET community. Hudson Essex Terraplane.
Now my pitch about why you should buy this car is simple. The motor is so well placed you can turn the steering wheel with one hand to parallel park. They are very comfortable. My kids rode in them from the time they were in child’s seats to almost teenager. Simple enough so that my kids learned how to work on a car with it. There are some Hudson quirks like the wet clutch and you learn the benefits of those over time. It is a bit narrower than a Camry and the same length so you can park just about anywhere. They are very well built and if you keep ahead of parts breaking will keep you on the road. Only once did mine need a tow. That was due to a 70 year old voltage regulator failing after I flushed the cooling system and got water everywhere.
A friend in college had a ’47. Took me for a cruise on rural 2-lanes to a bar in his small hometown in Central Illinois and we had a great time. Still remember that drive as if it was yesterday. Great ride.
Thanks Al, I got so caught up in my rant I forgot what I had been looking at.
Back in the 80’s a friend of mine lived with his parent’s in a rented house , outback in the barn was a 47 Hudson Super 8 . The owner of the property wanted to sell the Hudson for 500.00 , I thought it was ugly so I passed . A couple of years later I went through that neighborhood to see if it was still there . The whole property had been razed and a new house was there . Don’t know what ever became of that Hudson , I’d like to have it today ( especially for 500.00 ) .
Had a great Uncle who had a 48 Hudson ; ran it into a Chevy causing lots of damage and not a scratch to the Hudson.
Formerly from central Illinois
Sold…
Anybody from Pawnee, Illinois
The engine, transmission, overdrive, and clutch were sweet. They had been
transplanted into my ’39 MGSA (a big car – 119″ wheelbase – 4 seater) since the MG parts (in the late 1940’s) were unobtainium in the US. Now, with the internet, I am pretty sure a match for the original drivetrain would be available. Plenty of things went wrong with the MG, a toy if there ever was one, but the drivetrain was solid and reliable. It had the MG rear axel, which was geared very low, so in 3rd it seemed happy at 45, in overdrive the engine was happy at 55 but the rest of the car was not. One short drive on an interstate was enough for me to keep to the old roads thereafter.
Don’t forget the cool factor of the badge on the grill lighting up. Some Hudsons of this vintage had a triangle shaped light on the right front fender just below the hood that would light up too. But I think that was only on the commodores.
Rob, all Hudson’s 46 to 54 had the triangle that came on with the headlights, not only the Commodores.
Very cool car and dirt cheap at twice the price but I guess since it’s not a cookie cutter big 3 on a trailer in need of a complete restoration that may be the Hudson’s albatross.
I don’t remember these having electric OD. When driving it, you got to speed and then pulled a round handled slide from under the dash. Left in, you could shift while freewheeling w/o the clutch. In the early 1960’s these were the ugly stepchild to the unibody stepdown 48-54 models. However, that created an unusual market as this had an unusual shape to all chrome moldings. We were driving back from meetings with engineering at Milwaukee and my Father decided to stop and see a friend who owned the Lemmon, South Dakota Rambler dealership. In the attic? Many boxes of grille bars and side molding. Filled the Ford we had bought for the trip and most of the passenger area, too. The Molitors were fine people who had been a family store for years, just like we were. The days of the local gas station being granted a franchise were gone by about 1960. Too bad. It was a mechanism for prosperity that has no modern equivalent.