(EXPANDED FROM 3/5/2021)
Patrick R. Foster’s Hudson Automobiles: An Illustrated History lives up to its title. If you are mainly interested in pictures, this is your book. The 128-page paperback is dominated by photographs, artist sketches and advertising, often in color.
Not that this is merely a picture book with captions. Foster wrote a concise overview of the Hudson brand. However, don’t look here for anywhere near the level of detail in Richard M. Langworth’s Hudson 1946-1957: The Classic Postwar Years (1977). Although I have questioned some of his assumptions, Langworth’s book is still by far the best Hudson history.
Foster’s writing style in Hudson Automobiles is less formal than in his larger books. That can result in some bloopers. For example, he asked of a marketing photo, “Wonderful Wasps and busty babes — does life get any better than this?” (p. 102). Uh, what century are you living in, Patrick?
Could Hudson still be around today?
Foster did a decent job of summarizing the names and dates of Hudson’s history but steered clear of much analysis. Given his fanboy rhetoric, that may have been just as well. For example, a caption for a picture of a proposed Rambler-based 1958 Hudson stated, “Had this car been produced the Hudson brand likely would have had a longer life span; possibly even to today” (p. 123).
Well, it is empirically true that the Hudson would have had a longer life span if it had been continued on the Rambler body. However, in light of the Ambassador’s low sales in the late-50s and early-60s, it was likely that Hudson’s days were numbered — particularly if it had to compete with similar Nash models.
Also see ‘1957 Rambler Rebel was so close yet so far from legendary’
As a case in point, for 1958 Ambassador production failed to reach 15,000 units — and even in the stellar year of 1960 they only grew to around 24,000 units. What was the justification for the Hudson when it apparently lacked any meaningful differentiation from the Nash, such as sportier styling or higher-performance features such as in Hudsons of yore?
Let’s dismiss as ridiculous hyperbole that Hudson could still be alive when this book was published in 2010. By what logic could the brand have lasted even until 1965? In the absence of an explanation, Foster sounds like he was patronizing diehard Hudson (or, perhaps more accurately, “Hash”) fans with hopelessly unrealistic “what ifs.”
Was the 1957 Hudson ‘very handsome’?
Another example of Foster’s boosterism is when he opined that the 1957 Hudson Hornet’s styling “has held up very well and is still a very handsome automobile” (p. 121). Tell that to Paul Niedermeyer (2013), who quite rightly said of the Hornet’s 1956 facelift, which was carried over for 1957: “AMC probably wanted to hasten the Hudson’s demise by giving it a truly wretched re-hash.” He went on to describe the stretched-mouth grille as looking like the Joker character in a Batman movie.
To be fair, elsewhere in Hudson Automobiles Foster acknowledged that the 1956 redesign “went overboard” (p. 96). And, unlike Niedermeyer, Foster correctly attributed Richard Arbib as the instigator of what was dubbed “V-Line Styling” — although, unlike George L. Hamlin (1992), Foster hedged his bets by stating that AMC “reportedly” contracted with the independent designer (p. 96).
All in all, Hudson Automobiles is a useful addendum to Langworth’s book. However, Foster could save himself from embarrassment by coming out with a second edition with a few edits.
Hudson Automobiles: An Illustrated History
- Patrick R. Foster; 2010
- Iconografix, Hudson, WI
“The auto industry reported a great year in 1928, with record output and strong profits. Shipments of 52,316 Hudson and 229,887 Essex were recorded; the 282,203 total units was an exceptional achievement.” (p. 23)
“The new Jet was certainly a good car — like all Hudson cars it was well-engineered and solidly built. But like all Hudsons it was overbuilt. The Jet was sturdier and heavier than it needed to be and because of that it was more expensive than it should have been.” (pp. 67-68)
“Despite the completely redesigned line-up with more power and lower prices on many models Hudson production fell in 1956. Only 10,671 senior Hudsons were produced, along with 20,496 Ramblers. The problem wasn’t solely with the Hudson dealers; industry sales took a big tumble that year, dropping more than 25 percent.” (p. 99)
OTHER REVIEWS:
RE:SOURCES
- Hamlin, George L.; 1992. “Richard Arbib: Specialty Designer.” Collectible Automobile. October, pp. 41-45.
- Langworth, Richard M.; 1993. Hudson 1946-1957: The Classic Postwar Years. Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI.
- Niedermeyer, Paul; 2013. “Curbside Classic: 1956 Hudson Hornet — Waiting For Death In a Borrowed Four-Tone Suit.” Curbside Classic. Posted Oct. 31; accessed Dec. 15.
BROCHURES & ADVERTISING:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Hudson (1955, 1957)
This review was originally posted on April 30, 2013 and expanded on March 5, 2021 and Aug. 14, 2026.
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