Hudson reaches 100 years old

Hudson, which along with Nash combined to form American Motors, is one hundred years old today. While the Hudson name disappeared shortly after the company merged with Nash, a part of the company lived on in AMC, which was absorbed by Chrysler Corporation in 1987.

The early Hudsons were advanced, and were mainly closed models, which was moderately unusual at the time. Hudson quickly put the steering wheel on the left and hand levers in the center, their modern positions, and adopted GM’s self-starter earlier than most makers. Hudson could claim the first balanced crankshaft, used in their straight-six engine, which helped to increase smooth idling and allowed the engine to rev higher. Other firsts included dual brakes — using mechanical parking brakes automatically when the pedal travelled lower than the hydraulic brakes’ normal maximum point — and mounting oil pressure and generator warning lights in the dashboard.

Most Americans today know the company largely courtesy of Pixar, which featured the “fabulous Hudson Hornet” in the movie Cars.