Friday 2nd July 1909

The Hudson Motor Car Company produced its first car. The new Hudson “Twenty” was one of the first low-priced cars on the American market and very successful with more than 4,000 sold the first year. The 4,508 units made in 1910 was the best first year’s production in the history of the automobile industry and put the newly formed company in 17th place industry-wide, “a remarkable achievement at a time” because there were hundreds of makes being marketed. Hudson had several ‘firsts’ for the car industry: a self-starter, dual brakes and the first balanced crankshaft which allowed the Hudson straight-6 engine to work at a higher rotational speed while remaining smooth and developing more power than lower-revving engines. The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form American Motors (AMC). The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was discontinued.