Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 20
1927 Essex Super Six Boattail Speedabout Chassis no. 658844 Engine no. 681547
Sold for US$24,640 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 20
One of about 12 surviving Speedabouts
1927 Essex Super Six Boattail Speedabout
1927 Essex Super Six Boattail Speedabout
1927 Essex Super Six Boattail Speedabout
Chassis no. 658844
Engine no. 681547
Chassis no. 658844
Engine no. 681547
144.7 ci L-Head Inline Six-Cylinder Engine
Detroit Lubricator Model 25 Carburetor
17.3 NACC Horsepower
Three-Speed Manual Transmission
Live Axles with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
* One of about 12 surviving Speedabouts
* Subject of an older restoration
* Sleek, sporting coachwork
* From the first of only three years of Speedabout production
THE SUPER SIX
Introduced as a lower-priced companion to the parent Hudson marque in 1919, the Essex soon became synonymous with both high performance and reliability when an example averaged over 60mph for 50 hours in December 1919, a stunt which the company followed up by a successful four-car transcontinental trek in 1920.
Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1910, the Hudson Motor Car Company took its name from Joseph L. Hudson, who provided the finances that enabled a group of experienced ex-Olds Motor Works employees to embark on a new automobile manufacturing venture. Incorporated in February 1909, Hudson built its first car in July of that same year and 12 months later had sold 4,000 units, the industry's best first-year sales record to date. Although the firm would later become famous for its record-breaking Super Six range, Hudson's first product was a four-cylinder car, as was that of companion marque Essex.
Essex pioneered low-cost closed coachwork in the United States, its four-seater sedan being only slightly more expensive than the tourer in 1922 and marginally cheaper by 1925. Essex's big news for 1924 was the switch from four to six cylinders. The new sidevalve power unit started life at an unusually small - for the United States - 2.1 liters capacity before being enlarged to 2.4 liters part way through the year. Renamed 'Super Six' for 1927, the Essex gained a larger and more powerful engine that year and four-wheel Bendix mechanical brakes the year after. Stylistically, the Essex looked broadly similar to its Hudson parent, albeit on a smaller scale.
THE CAR OFFERED
Of the Essex lineup in 1927 the most exciting model available was unquestionable the Speedabout. A boattailed roadster body with a leather trimmed cockpit by Amesbury, Massachusetts coachbuilder Biddle & Smart—which bodied many of more limited-production bodies—it was sleek and fast thanks to a special gear set found only in this model that gave it 80mph performance. Its strong curb appeal helped get buyers into the showroom—more often to buy one of Essex's more practical, and expensive, models. It is unknown exactly how many Speedabout were made, but the numbers were slim and today only about a dozen still exist.
This Speedabout is finished in fire engine red over black upholstery and looks to be a tidy restoration that has settled into a fine driver quality machine over the past few decades. Rolling on artillery style wheels that are color matched to the car and accented with black pinstripes, the sporty machine is simply trimmed inside and offset nicely with a steering wheel fashioned from polished wood.
Throw a Ben Pollack record on the player, put on your three piece and hit the road in style.
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