Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 56
1931 Hudson Greater Eight Series T Sport Roadster Coachwork by Murray Chassis no. 24094 Body no. 816 160
Estimate: US$150,000 - US$180,000
Lot 56
1931 Hudson Greater Eight Series T Sport Roadster
1931 Hudson Greater Eight Series T Sport Roadster
Coachwork by Murray
Chassis no. 24094
Body no. 816 160
Coachwork by Murray
Chassis no. 24094
Body no. 816 160
233.7 cu.in. L-Head Inline Eight-Cylinder Engine
Single Updraft Marvel Carburetor
87bhp at 3,600rpm
Single Updraft Marvel Carburetor
3-Speed Manual Gearbox
Solid Front, Semi-Floating Rear Axles with Leaf Spring Suspension
Four-Wheel Bendix Mechanical Drum Brakes
*One of five known survivors from twelve produced
*Evocative and sporty boattail coachwork by Murray Body
*A CCCA Full Classic® and one of the most desirable of all pre-war Hudsons
*Award-winning restoration
*Formerly of the Eldon Hostetler Collection
THE HUDSON GREATER EIGHT
Hudson Motor Company enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for exceptional quality, performance, and value. For 1931, the "Hudson Greater Eight" could be had as either the short-wheelbase Series T or long-wheelbase Series U, with a wide range of 17 body styles. The superb eight-cylinder engine which debuted the previous year continued with many refinements, now displacing 233.7 cubic-inches, and rated at a healthy 87 horsepower. It was the only engine offered, giving Hudson an 8-cylinder-only lineup.
Hudson was not immune from the deepening depression, as sales fell to levels not seen since the post-WW I recession. They hoped that pairing the sporty boattail speedster from the Essex line with the senior Hudson Greater Eight chassis might increase foot traffic in languishing showrooms. Murray Corporation supplied the rakish Sport Roadster body, and while Murray wasn't known for custom coachwork, they had vast experience supplying countless bodies for US automakers, and even had the great Ray Dietrich on their design team.
The boattail Sport Roadster was not even listed in factory sales literature, and it is believed that just twelve cars were built – of those, a mere five are known to survive.
THE CAR OFFERED
Rakish and attractive with its swept-back windscreen and lovely tapered tail, this exceedingly rare 1931 Hudson Greater Eight Sport Roadster is a gorgeous example lavished with an award-winning restoration. It is handsomely presented in a period-appropriate color scheme and finely detailed throughout. According to documentation on file, this car was sold in 1990 by D.E. Galbreath of Ohio to the late Mr. Eldon Hostetler, an inventor, engineer, and preeminent collector of Hudson automobiles. Correspondence shows that Hostetler restored the car and displayed it in his extensive Shipshewana, Indiana museum.
Following Hostetler's passing and the museum's closure in 2019, the Sport Roadster was acquired by the consignors who immediately set about preparing the car for concours events and Classic Car Club of America judged competition. They entrusted the highly respected team at Automotive Restorations in Lebanon, NJ to perform extensive freshening and restoration work with nearly $77,000 in invoices accumulated in the last four years. The beautifully revitalized Hudson went on to earn AACA Junior and Senior awards, an AACA Special Award, and scored 94 points at the CCCA Palm Beach Grand Classic in 2022.
With fewer than half a dozen extant, this rare survivor represents a unique opportunity to acquire one of the most stylish and sporty Hudson models of the era.
Additional information
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