A Bite of History: The Hudson Essex

by Mike Thies

Let’s take a look at a pretty underrated but important part of automotive history, the Hudson Essex. This car came out of the Hudson Motor Car Company, which was based in Detroit and started producing vehicles in the early 1900s. In 1918, they introduced the Essex as a more affordable option for everyday drivers, something reliable, tough, and within reach for the average person. What made it really special at the time was its construction. The Essex was one of the very first cars to be built with an all-steel body. That might not sound like a big deal now, but back then, most cars were still made with wood frames. The switch to steel made the Essex stronger, safer, and way more durable, especially for rough roads and long trips.

What’s even more impressive is how the Essex earned its reputation. In 1922, it made headlines by driving over 50,000 miles in less than 30 days,  nonstop. That kind of endurance was unheard of at the time and showed people that this car wasn’t just affordable, it could actually go the distance. Thanks to that kind of publicity and solid engineering, the Essex quickly became one of the best-selling cars in the country. It was competing head-to-head with big names like Ford and Chevrolet, which says a lot about how well it was received.

As time went on, Hudson kept evolving the brand. In the early 1930s, they started calling it the Essex-Terraplane, kind of a cool name that hinted at speed, power, and modern styling. Eventually, they dropped the “Essex” name altogether and just went with “Terraplane.” Those later models were sleek, fast, and definitely aimed at a younger, more style-conscious market. But by 1938, Hudson decided to phase out the whole line and focus on their main Hudson cars instead. The Essex might not have had a long life, but its impact lasted much longer than its production run.

Today, the Hudson Essex is remembered as a trailblazer, a car that helped make driving more accessible to regular folks, not just the wealthy. It brought innovation to the table at a time when the industry was still figuring itself out. For collectors and vintage car fans, it’s a piece of automotive history that represents a shift in how America thought about cars. Not just luxury machines for the few, but real, hardworking vehicles for the many.