1949 Hudson Commodore 8 Convertible

[Matt Harwood]

I know there was a similar car for sale here recently that was a fresh restoration, but for about half that car's price you can have this extremely nice example. It's not fresh, with a restoration that's maybe 10-12 years old, but it's very, very nice. It's a Commodore 8, not a Super Six, and the restoration work was done to a good standard. The gray body combined with a black top and red leather interior is simply spectacular. The sheetmetal is straight and the paint has a great gloss that's still extremely presentable. Brightwork is also good, including the bumpers and grille, plus the long stainless strips along the rocker panel. Recent work includes new weather stripping and a fresh tune up.

The red leather interior looks great with only minor signs of use and no damage. The dash is woodgrained and the gauges all appear to be functional. However, like a lot of the cars of the period, the radio and clock are not working (what else is new?). The power top and windows are fully operational and it features a 3-speed manual transmission with 3-on-the-tree shifting and a beautiful steering wheel that may very well be original. The gray carpets in the interior and trunk look newer than the rest, but they may be from when it was restored because I don't think it has been driven all that much since it was completed.

The 254 cubic inch straight-8 engine sparks to life easily and purrs like a big cat. We recently had a Super Six with Twin-H power in the shop, and I think this one is smoother and perhaps just as fast since it has a manual gearbox instead of the automatic that was in the Six. Either way, it pulls the convertible around easily and looks good in silver paint with only moderate signs of use. Things like the carburetor and air cleaner are correct, although I'm not thrilled by the modern hose clamps, but that's an easy fix. The transmission shifts easily and the Hudson ride/handling combination is legendary for a reason, because this car feels a lot more agile than, say, a big Buick of the same vintage. The undercarriage is clean but not detailed for show, and I do see one area on the floor that was patched, but otherwise it appears to be a very solid car and obviously has no issues today. Wide whitewall radials improve ride and handling, and they've got a lot of life left in them.

Asking $64,900, which is less than half of the perfect example that recently sold here, and I think worth every penny. No projects, no needs, just get in and enjoy. Thanks for looking!