Hudson Super Six History

Introduced in 1916, the Super Six is Hudson's most historically important car. Its straight-six engine, engineered by Howard Coffin, used a crankshaft with integral counterweights that controlled vibration and let the engine spin far faster than rivals — producing roughly 76 horsepower when most comparable engines made about 40.

The high-revving Super Six engine made Hudson a performance and engineering leader of the late 1910s and 1920s. A Super Six set a 24-hour average-speed record of 74.9 mph at Sheepshead Bay and proved itself in hill climbs and endurance runs. The original Super Six line ran through the 1920s, helping push combined Hudson and Essex sales near the top of the US industry.