I assume you are talking about the 1932 Essex Terraplane? That is a good question. Maybe Todd or Bill Lentz knows.

aaron

I think it would be a hoot to re-run the hill climbs that were done around 1932 or 1933 along the east coast. I believe they started around Birmingham, then Chattanooga, Roanoke and would up in PA. Interesting thing is the road they probably took between cities is still drivable the whole route - it's called U S 11 and it is one of the few 2-lanes to survive pretty much as it was.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

Yes the 1932 is the car I am researching. Thanks

Ann, don't be disheartened by the lack of response about the 32 Essex Terraplane. To be honest, we really don't have a lot of records about cars during Hudson's production period. If the car was a Hudson Motor Car Company owned car, they may have just gotten rid of it. The Club did not even start keeping track of serial numbers until the first HET Club database was started around 1990. All of our early rosters list owners and their cars but there is no ability to link them to today's records because they don't have any identifying information. I am even curious to know if thew Pikes Peak folks ever recorded the serial number of the cars. If we could find that, it would be a place to start. I fear alot of the 1920s and early 1930s cars fell victim to the scrap drives during WWII. They would have been 10+ years old at the time and prime candidates for dragging off to scrap yards to support the war.

Aaron

The reason I ask is a friend has a 32 that was found in a field in Idaho several years ago and it was said to be the car that won that race...So I was thinking if it wasn't the car I could find that out easier that telling if it really was "the" car. Now at least I know they didn't keep track of serial numbers so that won't help. Supposedly it was owned by Hudson Motor Company. Thanks!

Unless they painted "Pikes Peak" on the sides of the car there is, as Aaron says no way to tell at this late date. There just aren't any records know to exist from adventures such as the hill climbs. John Conde, AMC historian, carried off a lot of records as the building was coming down around his head - most of that material, I believe wound up in the historical archives at Chrysler Motors. You might try contacting Dave Kava - he's the HET club historian and has quite a bit of material. His email is djksetx@yahoo.com

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

I have another clue, the 32 in question is a true roadster, no slots in the doors for the windows...Thanks for the email address. I will contact him. Ann

Butler's "History of Hudson" says that the car (which set a new stock car record for the Pike's Peak hillclimb) was a Special Roadster with a rumbleseat. So, at least the "found" car is of the same body style as the original one. A large "14" was painted on the doors.

The car in question does have a rumble seat, doors with no slots for windows. Next I will carefully look at the doors and see if there is any trace of the number 14. Thank You

I have no knowledge of a surviving car but would love to know if the one you are looking at had any clues? We have talked to people associated with the Hill Climb and its History and have not found anything close.

Did you take any pictures of the car in question yet?

I am also interested in pictures of your project car. I am rebuilding a 33 ET-8 Convertible after looking for a roadster for a long time, unsuccessfully.

Thanks for all the help. I have attached a few pictures of the car. The doors are stored so no photo but they do not have a place for roll up windows. This car was found in a field a while ago with the Pikes Peak race winner story, then was worked on by the previous owner and now to the present as the photos show. ann

That is Amazing, congratulations in finding the Pikes Peak car! Looking forward is seeing her back in road.
Christopher.

Whether or not it proves to the actual Pikes Peak hill climb winner, it's a rare car and it seems to be in amazingly good condition for having sat out there all these years!

Is it possible to chase down the story? Who told whom that it was the Pikes Peak car, and would the "teller" (who now may be dead) have been in a position to have known this information? Is there a serial number on the car? (Hudson often stamped these into the frame, sometimes back near the spring perches, and in other places too -- if the serial number plate is missing.) If the car was ever registered on one of the registries that is maintained by Club members, we would know previous owners.