Help please to ID this car....

[Tonakela]

Hello folks. I am eager to ID this car to help help with a project and a small piece of family history.  To know the make and model (and bonus marks for a year!) of this vehicle would be nice.  The hubcaps appear to have writing on them, alas, I  can't make it out.  If location is important, the photo is likely taken in Welland Ontario, Canada.

 

Thank your for your assistance.

 

Mark

 

D

[alsancle]

1937 Hudson.

[Grandpa]

Hudson Terraplane.  The convertible is a fairly rare model.

[roysboystoys]

13 hours ago, Grandpa said:

Hudson Terraplane.  The convertible is a fairly rare model.

 

I'm pretty sure it's a full size Hudson and not Terraplane. The cowl area by the front fender is longer and the hubcaps are Hudson.

[drwatson]

19 hours ago, alsancle said:

1937 Hudson.

Encyclopedia of American Cars lists Three '37 Hudson Conv. Coupe models:

#73-Custom 6, - #74-DeLuxe 8, - & #75-Custom 8.  Original photo is one of the Eights but not sure if DeLuxe or Custom.

Might be "DeLuxe" as "Custom" may have had chrome disks surrounding hubcaps (?)

A rarity for sure!

Edited January 25, 2020 by drwatson (see edit history)

[58L-Y8]

1937 Hudson convertible coupes, both sixes and eights, were build on a 122" wheelbase which makes determining which the car is without seeing the grille emblem is impossible.   What we can say is the convertible coupes were and are a rarity.  If you have a chance to examine an unrestored example, the amount of hand-work modifications to the coupe body to build them was extensive.  When an order for a convertible was received, its easy to imagine sales sending a note down to the body department to divert a coupe body to the shop that build those off the regular assembly operations.  Lots of cutting, hammering, welding, leading.

[viv w]

I rebuilt a 36 Conv coupe and I don't believe they took a coupe off the assembly line and modified them. The chassis frame on a convertible has 2 "layers", with an extra strengthening frame on the bottom of its top frame and is very different from a standard coupe frame.

 I had a repair manual for Terraplane cars from 1936 to 1938 and it had dimensions for about 27 different chassis frames that they built for the different LHD and RHD, 6 and 8 cyl bodied cars. Our 1936 had a badly damaged frame and we looked long and hard here and in South Africa for a replacement, with no success. I ended up with 1936 coupe and sedan frames and they were both very different and could not be used.

 The photo of Mark's is a 1937 Hudson custom conv coupe, NOT a Terraplane. The 37 Terraplane has different hood side curtain trim and hubcaps. looking at the length of the hood, I think it is a 6 cylinder car.

 I believe the Deluxe cars did not have front 1/4 vent windows, but the custom cars did.

 As far as rarity goes, the conv coupe is a very rare car. I learned that our 36 was a series 62 custom car and one of only 3 known to the HET club to still exist. There were however a lot more series 61 Deluxe conv coupe's still around.

 

[58L-Y8]

Thanks for your insights.  The chassis frames for convertibles were always strengthened with additional plates and gussets.  What I was referring to is the body itself, which were based on the coupes but because of the low production number made did not warrant extensive special tooling, hand labor being relatively cheap then, employed to create those styles.  Those I've seen show considerable hand-work and lead work around the upper body surfaces, which wouldn't be in evidence had tooling been used.  The hand work makes them more interesting.

[Tonakela]

Wow, what great insights and detailed information; far exceeding my expectations. Thanks everyone VERY MUCH!  As I am new to this site with a very specific need, it is touching to receive help from "virtual strangers" - I appreciate it.

 

Mark