Hudson Commodore: История и эволюция роскошного автомобиля

The Hudson Commodore is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1941 and 1952. During its time in production, the Commodore was the largest and most luxurious Hudson model.

The Commodore Series 12 and Series 14 were the junior models to the Commodore Custom Series 15 and Series 17. The junior models debuted in Hudson's 1941 model line. Commodore Series 12 featured a I6 engine and the Series 14 models came with a I8, with all built on a wheelbase, while Commodore Customs utilized on the wheelbase for Series 15 coupes and a version for Series 17 sedans. The Commodore was powered by Hudson's I6 producing , or by Hudson's I8 that produced Prices listed for the Series 12 coupe started at US$1,028 ($ in dollars ) to the top level Custom Series 17 Sedan at US$1,537 ($ in dollars ). The Commodore series was Hudson's largest model range in its debut year, consisting of sedans, coupes, and convertibles. Hudson used a forward hinged hood that opened from the rear by the windshield with the front end of the hood sliding downward over the grille. Elements of the interior and exterior were styled by Betty Thatcher, "the first woman designer to be employed by a car manufacturer".

For the 1942 model year, the cars received a facelift. This included concealed running boards, modestly enlarged front grilles, and external trim arrangements. Hudson offered an optional "Drive Master" vacuum assisted clutch with a servo operated transmission with three modes: "automatic" shifting and clutching, automated clutching only, or fully manual. The firm promoted its economy over luxury during the shortened model year that ended in January 1942, as U. S. war production accelerated.

Hudson began postwar automobile production on August 30, 1945. Body styles were trimmed to Sedan, Club Coupe, and Convertible. The designs were based on the 1942 models. There were minor cosmetic changes from the pre war versions with one exception, the car's grille now had a concave center section. Hudson automobiles were more fully equipped than competitive makes, and all Hudson models received door armrests, twin air horns, ashtrays, windshield wipers, stop lights, locking glove box, sealed beam headlights, and deep pile carpeting. Commodore and Commodore Customs added foam rubber seat cushions (Hudson was the first automaker to introduce foam seat cushions), door step courtesy lights, rear center armrest (sedans), and gold etched lettering on the dashboard panel.

The priority was building cars following the war rather than introducing annual design changes for 1947 since Hudson was in the process of developing a completely new model. Production of the 1947 Hudson Commodore Eight increased to 12,593 from the previous year's 8,193. Introduced on 7 December 1947, the Hudson Commodore was one of the first new design postwar cars made. The 1948 model year inaugurated Hudson's trademarked "Monobuilt" construction or "step down" automobile. The new cars were designed by Frank Spring and in part by Betty Thatcher, the first female designer to be employed by a car manufacturer. The marketing tagline for the innovative Hudsons was "Now You're Face to Face with Tomorrow." The cars featured slab sided bodies with fully integrated fenders. The Brougham and sedans were of a fastback design, while convertibles and coupes were notchbacks. A character line ran from the front to back further lowering the car even more visually, so "the new Hudson looked like a dream car straight from the auto show." In 1948, Commodores came in one series and were available in either I6 or optional I8 engines. Interiors were upholstered in broadcloth on sedans, and leather on convertibles. Again, Hudson continued to provide numerous standard features that other manufacturers classified as upcharge options. Not only were the 1948 models "truly significant new designs of the early postwar years. The “Step Down” Hudson was low and sleek, which many consumers really enjoyed." Using two 1948 Hudsons, Walter Jerome, built a hinged two section car to minimize impact of collisions. Among its many features are a centrally positioned, raised turret shaped driver compartment providing panoramic visibility, as well as safety equipment that would later become standard on production vehicles such as rubber bumpers, seat belts, and side marker lights. Jerome had purchased the two donor Hudsons from Bellingham Motors, a Hudson dealership in Massachusetts, and was planning to build up to a dozen Sir Vivals per year, but only the prototype was completed and in early 1970s, it went back to Bellingham Motors for storage. With the closing of Bellingham Motors, in 2022 it was sold to Lane Motor Museum which plans to restore it.

For the 1949 model year, the Commodore line was enlarged to include more luxurious Custom models. As a marketing promotion, Hudson had plastic specialists use scaled down blueprints to develop transparent models of the Commodore Eight sedan to demonstrate and promote the design and construction of the cars.

The most noticeable change to the 1950 model year was the restyled grille featuring a design that superimposed Hudson's signature triangle logo on four horizontal bars. This would become the "Hudson look." The 1950 models included a new split back window and redesigned interiors. A new Custom Commodore convertible model debuted in mid April 1950.

In 1951, Hudson introduced a new I6 engine and offered General Motors' Hydra Matic as an optional transmission. The grille was redesigned from a rather rectangular shape to an oval shape, a design that would carry through to 1953. The grille would be redesigned again in 1954, the last year for the famous aerodynamic Hudson body style which was used from 1948 until 1954.

In its final year in 1952, the Commodore was split into the Six Series and Eight Series. The exterior received another trim change, but by the end of 1953, the Step Down styling was beginning to look outdated. Hudson lacked the resources to keep adding new and exciting changes to keep up with the competition from the other automakers, whose annual redesigns added tailfins and more chrome trim that consumers wanted. Don Butler assisted with the final design drawings for the upcoming 1948 Hudsons. However, he also sketched unofficial proposals for Hudson that included a station wagon, a pickup, and a town car.

Actor Steve McQueen owned four Hudsons that he drove around Los Angeles. His 1950 Hudson Commodore Six Brougham was the only convertible. McQueen upgraded the standard I6 with a Twin H version from a Hudson Hornet.