LOT 43

1920 Essex Model 5A Touring Chassis no. 85758 Engine no. 79491

Sold for US$10,080 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve

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Lot 43

Tastefully uprated for long distance touring
1920 Essex Model 5A Touring

The Greenwich Auction|31 May 2026, 10:00 EDT|Greenwich

1920 Essex Model 5A Touring
Chassis no. 85758
Engine no. 79491

179ci F-Head Inline Four-Cylinder Engine
Side Draft Essex Carburetor
55bhp at 2,800rpm
3-Speed Sliding Gear Transmission
Live Axles with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes

* The economical Hudson
* Setup for long-distance touring
* Modernized with an alternator, distributor, and more
* Essex's first year, a huge 21,000-unit success

THE ESSEX SERIES A

While Henry Ford concentrated on his Model T to the exclusion of everything else other car manufacturers recognized there was a hierarchy of aspirations for style, performance and prestige. General Motors built a whole ethic about aspirational marques from Chevrolet to Cadillac.

Hudson, named for J.L. Hudson the Detroit department store magnate who funded the new marque of Roy Chapin and Howard Coffin, positioned itself as a premium marque almost from its inception in 1910. Hudsons became six-cylinder powered in 1913 and only looked back in 1919 when a more economical four-cylinder car made economic sense.

It was the Essex, a plainly Hudson-backed car that was presented as a new marque. The Essex offered a 179 cubic inch four (1919 Hudsons were 76hp 289 sixes) but with a difference: The Essex six used an F-head configuration with overhead intake valves and side exhaust valves in a shared offset combustion chamber. It cranked out 55 horsepower and delivered exceptional performance for its $1,395 price. Stodgily styled, the Essex was not pretty but its elemental design masked excellent performance and the late Teens and early Twenties market bought performance as is so often the case.

THE CAR OFFERED

This 1920 Essex Model 5A Touring is a nicely presented machine that has been setup for touring. Coming from a collection with experience tuning similar machines for events such as The Great Race, this Essex was sympathetically restored and mechanically gone through some time ago, but has been kept in nice shape since. The engine has been complimented with a more modern alternator and distributor – all converted to 12 volt – for great reliability and easy of use. The rear end has been modified with a taller gearset, giving the car a higher top speed and more pleasant swift touring experience. Not used actively in recent years, a bit of recommissioning is recommended before any long distance driving, although the vehicle started and run well during an inspection by a Bonhams specialist.

With 55hp it has exceptional potential for tours and events and even with its Touring car body will upstage most of its contemporaries.

Footnotes

Please note that this vehicle is titled as 1919 model year.

Saleroom notices

Please note that this vehicle is titled as 1919 model year.

Additional information

This auction is now finished. If you are interested in consigning in future auctions, please contact the specialist department. If you have queries about lots purchased in this auction, please contact client services.
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