The Life of a 1929 Hudson Town Sedan
We've spent more time restoring our 1929 Hudson Town Sedan than researching its history. We do know this:
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The car's serial number (893364) is near the end of the range of numbers assigned by Hudson Motor Car Co. to 1929 R-chassis model Hudsons. Assuming the serial numbers were assigned chronologically to all models, it would have been built about December 15, 1929.
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We're the fourth owner of this car. We bought it in July, 2001. It showed 55,138 miles on the odometer. It was delivered to us by Intercity Lines, Inc., a specialized old-auto trucking company, on August 7, 2001. I was impressed how well they handled the move, and told them so in an e-mail, which they have posted on their web site.
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The third owner was Betty Loris Smith, whose son Gary Habersetzer bought the car for her on April 23, 1994, from a classified ad in the Seattle Times. He and his wife own and operate Pedigree Cats, a business that builds large fiberglass catamaran boats and yachts. Gary intended to restore the car for his mother, but he wasn't able to finish it, and eventually decided to sell it. The former owner of an auto body repair shop in San Diego, he devoted a great deal of effort to restoring the finish to the car, an effort that was about 80% complete when we bought it. He expertly applied a new exterior finish, in a color identical to the original factory color, called Reseda Green. He also had the car completely reupholstered to original standards, and had the exterior chrome fittings replated. He had some work done on the engine, but it was not in running condition when we bought the car, and Gary had never driven it or started the motor in the years he had it. See the Restoration Diary for details of work we've done on the engine and drivetrain.
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The second owner, Robert Andre of Edmonds, WA, apparently had the car for several decades, but he hadn't driven it in many years when he sold it to Gary. The license plate on the car had a 1961 sticker, marking that as probably the last year it was driven.
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The car may originally have been sold by a dealer in Idaho; we infer this because one set of ignition keys came in a small leather key holder embossed with an illegible dealer's name and the words "_____, Idaho".
Copyright © 2002 Lewis M. Phelps
Revised: 2002-08-10
This page: http://www.phelpsclan.com/Hudson/history_our_hudson.html
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