For Sale: 1954 Hudson Super Jet - Blue - In-line 6, Auto - C$5,500 - Sherbrooke, Quebec - Not Mine - 8/19 SOLD!

[6T-FinSeeker]

For sale on Facebook: 1954 Hudson Super Jet 4-door Sedan in Sherbrooke, Quebec  -  C$5,500 (approximately $4,125 US)  -  Must be a member of Facebook to access Seller's contact information.

 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/811208190519982/-1956-Hudson-Super-Jet-Sedan

 

Seller's Description:

1954 Hudson Super Jet 4-door Sedan

• Automatic transmission
• Driven 28,000 km (approximately 17,400 miles)
• Exterior color: Blue · Interior color: Blue

In-line 6, Runs, Needs a brake job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by 6T-FinSeeker
update status (see edit history)

[6T-FinSeeker]

[The 55er]

For the record, Hudson Jets were only made in 1953 & 1954. The one pictured is a 1954 model. 

[StillOutThere]

We've talked Hudson Jet offerings from time to time in this forum. That appears to be an excellent price for a quite nice sedan. Does have a non-authentic interior but at this price, great to see it has apparently been done to good standard. Insist on front suspension inspection for these cars. They are king pins with trunions and like other Hudsons have a "Jeep-like" center steering idler arm working both side tie rods. All the Jet front suspension pieces are NOT interchangable with the big Hudson stepdowns. In the past replacements were already very hard to find. These cars can get excellent mileage when in good tune. The engine weak point is a brass gear on the oil pump which drives the distributor. Check for play in the dizzy shaft. If present it WILL need a gear. Hopefully some Hud-nut has made some up?

[Fossil]

I still think one of Hudson's people that designed these worked for Ford before hand. They sure look similar. 

[StillOutThere]

The design story of the Hudson Jet goes briefly like this. Frank Spring who had headed Hudson design since his hire from Murphy in 1931 had a well-styled, much lower, design "on the boards" for the upcoming Jets. Hudson management saw the proposals, deemed it too radical and sought input from their largest retail sales outlet, Courtesy Motors in Chicago. Feedback was "No way"; it needs to be a car more like the current (starting '52) Fords, taller, simpler, competitive. So it was really Jim Moran, the Courtesy Man, who dictated changes and aging mgmt did not argue, telling Spring to "fix it". The Jet clearly looks like the '52-54 Fords. Spring was quite devastated.

Following the Jet, a concession was given to Spring for the now abviously floundering and failing Hudson Motor Co. to build a small series of "halo cars" going along Spring's original intentions and even further if he wished. A last hurrah for Spring and for Hudson. This became the Hudson Italia sports cars constructed by Carozzeria Touring in Milano, Italy. As history has seen multiple times, some of the best designers in the industry, in their waning years, get some rather radical ideas they must exercise from their creative minds. The Italia is such a study. Virgil Exner (post heart attack) also comes to mind with his Dodge Flitewing and Chrysler Turboflite concepts.

[58L-Y8]

The other thing the Hudson Jet project did for Hudson was to deplete $12 million of their development money, ending up with an overpriced, unattractive, unsaleable car.   The company had moderate profits through 1950, lost money for the 1951, earned $8 million for 1952, this on flat and diminishing sales volume.  The loss for 1953 was $10 million, operating capital reduced to the point where they could not afford to replace the aging Step-Down Hudson platform, which had become stale in the new car market.  Concurrently, the 1953 "Ford Sales Blitz" HFII mounted to challenge Chevrolet for volume market dominance caused GM to respond in kind, moved a lot of metal, gave HFII a one-year win, wounded Chrysler and was fatal to the independent automakers. 

 

The ultimate irony was that Jim Moran, the Courtesy man jumped the sinking Hudson ship for...Ford...

[Fossil]

Gotta luv these kind of stories. Hope you'll consider posting more. 

[58L-Y8]

4 hours ago, Fossil said:

Gotta luv these kind of stories. Hope you'll consider posting more. 

These cars didn't exist in a vacuum, the context of their times makes them more interesting.  Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan, as the saying goes.  The stories of how and why a car like the Hudson Jet failed makes more fascinating reading than those about success do sometimes.  One has to read about both successes and failures to understand the broader picture.

[JamesR]

Looks like a very good deal on a solid looking Hudson, but I never feel good when the seller gets the year wrong in the ad. Could be a sign that he doesn't have a title or any other official documentation or owner's papers on the car.  May not be the case in this instance, though, since he has vintage '54 plates on it. May just be a typo in the ad, but check first.

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 8/19, Seller marked the Facebook ad "SOLD!"