1951 Other Makes

Other

6 - Cyl.

Automatic

6A117743

Gasoline

You are bidding on a 1951 Hudson Commodore Six Hollywood. On eBay, you always hear how rare cars are, but this one really is... Hudson did not start building the Hollywood bodystyle (two-door hardtop) until only a few months remained in the 1951 model year, and nearly all of the Hollywoods built were in the new-for-1951 Hornet series. Very small numbers of Hollywoods were built in the Commodore Eight, Commodore Six, and Super Six series and there are only a handful of survivors. This is definitely one of the nicest of that handful. According to the records of the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club, there are fewer than ten '51 C6 Hollywoods extant, and only two or three are drivable. You could drive this one anywhere in the country that you want to go... For 1951, Commodore Six, Commodore Eight, and Hornet models were essentially identical, other than badges and engines. Interior and exterior trim was exactly the same with those exceptions. The Hornet had the new 308 CI,145-HP Big Six flathead, while the Commodore Six had the 262 CI, 127 HP flathead six which came out with the original stepdown Hudsons in 1948. While nominally the top of the line, the Commodore Eight actually had the smallest engine, the smooth but dated 254 CI straight eight splasher engine that Hudson had used since 1937. This car is almost indistinguishable from the Hornet series, and if you really preferred a Hornet, making this into a Faux-Hornet would be really easy -- although I'd argue it's rarity and uniqueness as a Commodore Six makes it much more desirable just as it is. I would describe this car as an outstanding driver and an excellent candidate for creating a really show-stopping show car. It was a low-mileage, mostly original car when I bought it from the previous owner. I have had it for 13 years and have driven it to Hudson meets across the USA. It is still very close to stock, although I did convert it to 12-volt so I could add A/C and an AM/FM/CD player (attached under the dash, no damage to the car). I also installed electric wipers, and put radial tires on it. With those exceptions, it's Hudson down to the ground. While it's an extremely rare model, it shares most components with other 1951-54 Hudsons, so it's easy to keep and maintain it as a Hudson. Membership in the HET Club - check it out at www.hudsonclub.org - is highly recommended. It's a great source for information and help with these wonderful cars, and IMHO is the world's greatest car club. As mentioned earlier, the Commodore Six series was powered by Hudson's hard-working, durable and reliable 262 CI flathead six, rated at 127 HP. This car currently has a single two-barrel carburetor on it, although I do have a Twin-H set up that I'd include with the car if someone wanted it. Personally, I prefer the reduced maintenance and greater fuel economy of the two-barrel. Shortly after I bought the car, the engine was completely rebuilt by one of the best mechanics in the HET Club. I have put approximately 15K miles on it since then, and have provided regular maintenance. It originally had a Single-Range Hydramatic in it, but I replaced that with a freshly rebuilt Dual-Range Hydramatic, at the same time replacing the original 3.51 rear end with a 3.07 rear end from a '53 model. (Hudson changed to that better matched setup early in the '52 model year.) While technically incorrect, this combination is still Hudson and reflects factory changes. Plus it makes it an outstanding road cruiser, easily cruising at 70-75 mph all day long, and with very decent fuel economy too. This car should never be seen on a trailer. If you've got a stepdown Hudson, you've just got to drive it -- nothing else from the era compares. The power and handling characteristics are just awesome. According to my research (most of my info is from the previous owner and from HET Club members who have known the car for over 40 years), the car was originally sold in Wichita, KS, and remained there until it was sold to a dealer in Cedar Rapids, IA, in (approximately) 1986. The car was repainted in 1986 or early 1987 and sold to a fellow from SE Missouri. He rarely drove it, and I purchased it from him in 1997. I believe I am either the fourth or fifth owner of the car, although I can't prove that conclusively. I believe that the 95,000+ miles on the odometer are right too, although I can't prove that either. Mechanically, the car is very good and all systems are in good shape. Virtually everything mechanical on the car has been rebuilt, restored or replaced since I purchased it. I had actually planned to drive this car from Texas to the HET National Meet in Spokane, WA, this coming August but personal circumstances have changed that plan -- but I'm absolutely confident the car would make it with no difficulty. I put a second repaint on the car several years ago and it still looks pretty good. With a few touch-ups, it would certainly be serviceable for quite a long time. There are some cracks around the door handles, some chips around the hood and trunklid, and a big spot on the hood where a friend got too exuberant while shutting the hood, flexing the metal and damaging the paint. Check out the pictures to see that. There are a couple of areas of rust starting in the outer sheet metal behind the bumpers/trim, but they would be easy to repair and wouldn't require any repainting of the exterior. There is one small rust spot, slightly larger than the head of a pin, on the inside frame member on the passenger side, but it would also be an easy fix. As it is, it's a great 10-footer, and an easy cosmetic restoration would make it look showroom new again. Two years ago I purchased the original '51 fabrics from SMS Fabrics in Portland,OR, and had the interior reupholstered as close to stock as possible. The dash and door valances on a '51 Commodore should be burl-grained, but since I am lacking in that talent, those items were painted in the same fashion as a '53 model. You could change that pretty easily and have the car dead stock inside. It gathers lots of attention at car shows and anywhere else it goes. An interesting sidenote about this car is that it is a French Gray and Bali Blue Commodore Six Hollywood - exactly the same model and color as the plaster model that sat on the Boardroom Table at the Hudson Motor Car Company back in 1951 to celebrate the arrival of the Hollywoods. I know the fellow who has that model and could put you in contact with him should you be interested in possibly acquiring it too. This is a great chance for someone to own a car that is both a great car to drive and a really unique piece of automotive history. I am the son and grandson of Hudson dealers, and I searched for over 20 years to find this car. I've been around Hudsons for more than 50 years, and I have only seen three others in that entire time. So if this is such a great and rare car, why am I selling it? Not by choice, I assure you, but I was laid off in April 2009 and things have gotten kind of tight, so it's for sale... If the circumstances were different, it sure wouldn't be available. One note: I have advertised the car for sale locally and reserve the right to end this auction early should the car sell. I have set a reserve price that I believe is considerably less than the car is worth, but please don't ask me to disclose it as I don't think that's fair to other eBayers. I also set a "Buy It Now" price that I think is fair for this car. I really hope that whoever ends up with it truly appreciates it. Happy Bidding! On Jul-01-10 at 12:01:48 PDT, seller added the following information: I put the car on a lift to get some pix of the underside and found that one of the rust spots (the one I described as pinhole-sized) had spread somewhat - one of the last pix shows it. It's still an easy fix, but I don't want to misrepresent the condition. I have about a dozen pix showing how sound this car is. Picture #23 is representative of that soundness and if you'll send me a question, I'll be glad to forward all the pix to you. Unfortunately, eBay only allows 24 total pix and so I opted to include pictures 21, 22, and 24 that show the minor areas of rust on the car. Thanks again for your interest!