Essex Challenger History

Introduced for 1930, the Essex Challenger brought a brand-new, lower and stronger chassis and an enlarged six-cylinder engine of about 193 cubic inches. It was meant to keep the aging Essex line competitive and was styled to look like a smaller Hudson.

Its timing was disastrous. With the Depression deepening, Essex deliveries fell to roughly 76,000 cars for 1930 — a steep drop from the brand's late-1920s peak — and continued sliding through 1931. The Challenger was effectively the last all-new Essex before the line was renamed for its final season.