The Hudson Motor Car Company was an automobile company created in the year 1909, located in Detroit, Michigan. This company was founded by Joseph L. Hudson and Roy D. Chapin with the help of George W. Dunham and Howard Coffin. It was largely funded by owner Joseph L. Hudson, who was a department-store owner as well, in which they decided to name the company after.
In 1910, which was exactly one year after the business was created, Hudson Motor Cars was the eleventh-largest auto company in America. During World War I, Hudson Motor Car Company was the world's largest manufacturer of six-cylinder cars.
In the early years of the United States depression, after World War I, Hudson made the long-lived Hudson Super Six and straight-eight engines.
During World War II, Hudson was ordered by the Federal Government to stop auto production, so they could make material for the war. This includes:
- Aircraft Parts
- Naval Engines
- Anti-Aircraft Guns
After World War II Hudson brought out several new designs. In 1948 and 1949 they presented the "Step Down" Uni-body and Big-Bore Six. In 1951 they also presented their Thrift Pacemaker and Peppy Hornet.
In 1954 Hudson merged their company with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, which then became American Motors Corporation.
Hudson also sold Rambler and Metropolitan Models under the Hudson brand. Once 1957 rolled around, Rambler and Metropolitan became their own makes and were no longer known as Hudson or Nash (AMC).
The last Hudson model made was on June 25th of 1957. Unfortunately people didn't know that that would be the last model because they thought the Hudson would be continued into the 1958 Rambler Chassis.
The President of AMC, George W. Romney, figured that he couldn't compete with the "Big Three" (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) unless her featured a new smaller-sized car line. He then realized that Hudson and Nash were no longer as popular as the Rambler then was. To conclude this Romney decided to completely get rid of the Nash and Hudson Models at the end of 1957. The Rambler brand was chosen for further development while Hudson and Nash were left behind.