Vehicle Story

The 1947 Hudson Super Eight arrived at a moment when America was hungry for something beautiful, and Hudson delivered. One of only 4,700 produced for the model year, this straight-eight powered sedan was already a rare machine when it rolled off the line. Art Deco styling, a sophisticated two-tone exterior, and genuine postwar presence made these cars something special then. This one still has everything it needs to be something special again.

When this Hudson came out of an estate, the evidence was written all over it. Parts organized, components catalogued, nothing discarded. Whoever owned it before had a plan and the know-how to back it up. They just never got to finish it. The current owner, a professional engine machinist running his own shop, saw exactly what was in front of him and made sure it stayed together. That was five years ago. With long-term storage no longer a viable option, the time has come to pass it to someone ready to take it the rest of the way.

The completeness of this car is what sets it apart from most projects at this price. Approximately 95% of the brightwork, knobs, handles, lighting, and trim are accounted for. The 254ci L-head Straight Eight is out of the car and in boxes, with every major component present including block, pistons, rods, head, carburetor, starter, and distributor. An engine rebuild kit new in the box and new head gasket come with the car, along with new dash glass. The column-shift manual transmission stays put.

This is not a stranded hulk waiting to be parted out. It is a restorable car with a documented story, complete pieces, and a two-tone Jefferson Blue Metallic finish worth every bit of the effort to revive it.

Paint and Exterior

The paint has faded as you would expect from a car of this era and history, but it is present and intact with no major rust and no significant body damage to speak of. The steel is straight and the body lines hold true. Originally finished in Jefferson Blue Metallic over Belvidere Blue Metallic, a deep navy upper body paired with a lighter medium blue metallic below. A classic two-tone combination that was sophisticated in 1947 and reads just as well today. The chrome and exterior brightwork are present and photograph considerably better than the project status might suggest.

Upholstery

A small animal found its way into the cabin at some point and made short work of the foam throughout. Full interior restoration is the reality here, and there is no way around it. That said, most of the structural interior pieces appear to be present and the original blue vinyl is still visible on the door panels, though one or more panels may be missing. The original specification called for Blue-Gray Shadow Stripe wool cloth seating with navy blue vinyl accents and a pale Nile Gray napped headliner. The color story is fully documented and ready to hand directly to a trimmer with nothing left to guess at.

Transmission

The Series 173 Super Eight was built with a standard manual transmission, a 10-inch clutch, and a column-mounted shifter, and that is exactly what is in this car. It has not been assessed given the current state of the project, so a full inspection and rebuild should be planned and budgeted for before attempting to drive it. A column-shift manual done right is one of the more satisfying ways to move a car like this down the road, and it is worth doing properly.

Wheels and Tires

The car rides on 15-inch rims that will need reconditioning before this project is done, but every single hubcap is present and accounted for. On a project car that has changed hands through an estate, that is no small thing. The tires are worn and will need replacement before any road use, though they are adequate for moving the car around a shop or getting it secured on a flatbed for transport. A solid foundation for a correct, period-appropriate wheel and tire restoration.

Engine

The 254ci L-head Straight Eight is not in the engine bay, but it has not gone anywhere. The block, pistons, rods, head, carburetor, starter, distributor, and all related components are present, organized, and accounted for. An engine rebuild kit including a new head gasket is included and ready to go. This engine came out of the car for a reason, with a plan behind it. It appears everything needed to put it back together correctly is sitting right there waiting for the right person to do exactly that.

Brakes

Hudson equipped the 1947 Super Eight with four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, a dependable and well-understood system for the era and one that restorers know well. A new brake master cylinder appears to be among the parts included with this car, which is an encouraging head start. Given the disassembled condition and the gaps in storage history, a full brake system inspection and complete refresh should be treated as required work rather than optional before this car sees any road use.