The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in 1909 and kept its doors open until 1954. It pioneered various impressive and revolutionary cars, from the 1917 Hudson Phaeton to the 2019 Roadster. The company’s largest and most luxurious model was, without a doubt, the Commodore, which came out in 1941 and lasted until Hudson’s last years.
More than 50,000 of these cars were produced and sold over the years until eventually, progress and market competition beat the company out of the game. The original Commodore featured two powerful versions differing mainly in engine size and horsepower. It was one of the company’s most versatile cars, too, and came in either a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, or a 2-door convertible body.
1952 Maverick Sportster
The 1952 Maverick Sportster was promoted as the "world's largest fiberglass-bodied car." It was designed by H. Sterling "Smoke" Gladwin Jr., a retired aeronautical engineer who previously worked at Boeing, NASA, and Lockheed. The car was built using a 1940 LaSalle chassis and was fitted with a flathead Cadillac V8 engine.
The Maverick Sportster’s engine produced 210 horsepower, which made it one of the strongest vehicles of the time. One promotional ad described the car as an “all-Western long-range commuter for Western highways." Its beautiful build, both inside and outside, has been admired more and more over time.
Nash Statesman
Some of the incredible vehicles produced by Nash were quite affordable at the time. |There were not all luxuries and even middle-class hard, working families could own one. The first-generation Nash Statesman was sold for just two years but gained a loyal fan base of customers. It was a full-size, mid-level sedan that was known for being reliable and safe (that is, according to ‘50s standards).
The Statesman was offered in three different trim levels: the Statesman Super, the Statesman Custom, and the regular model. After 1952, Nash introduced the second generation of this vehicle, which was a lot larger and packed a 3.2-liter I6 engine.
Lincoln-Zephyr
The Zephyr was one of Lincoln's lower-priced midsize car models sold from 1936 to 1942. It was released as a competitor to Ford's V-8 De Luxe and managed to give it quite a fight. It served a similar purpose to Cadillac's LaSalle model and was meant to accompany some of their more expensive models. The car was created by Edsel Bryant Ford and featured a V-12 engine that was revolutionary at its time.
One of the Zephyr’s key components was its aerodynamic quality, which was referenced in the car’s name. It was initially created as a response to complaints of the automaker’s cars being too air-resistant. Once the series began to die down and Lincoln was looking to replace the Zephyr, the automaker came up with the Lincoln Continental, which ended up becoming its longest-running model.
1935 Bugatti Aerolithe
The 1935 Bugatti Aerolithe was an absolute masterpiece when it came to its design. It was created by Jean Bugatti, a French automotive designer and engineer who was part of the company's founding family. The Aerolithe’s name was based on the French word for a meteorite and was meant to symbolize the popular phrase “Rapide comes one aerolite,” which meant “Fast as a meteorite.”
The car was first shown at the Paris International Motor Show but failed to garner much attention and interest from potential clients. Only four of these were ever made, but replicas of the car have been made to preserve its legacy. Famous late-night show host Jay Leno actually owns a 1934 Aerolithe and considers it one of his most beloved possessions.