From the Driving Force magazine October 2008
Frank & Shirley Fry,
Tucson, AZ
I got into Hudsons because that's what my father drove until the company merged with Nash in 1954. Life went on, but I still had fond memories of them.
In 1999, I bought a '48 Commodore Six from the Herb Bell collection in Gainesville, Georgia. It had been garaged since its first repaint in the early '60s.
This is a unique Hudson as it was one of the two featured in the film Driving Miss Daisy.
belongs on the road.
Thanks to the parts network in the Hudson Essex Terraplane Club, I've managed to keep it all Hudson and have driven it 50,000 miles in 81/2 years.
Although I haven't had to do any bodywork, I made several mechanical upgrades. It has a .060 over 308-cid '53 Hornet Flathead six with dual carbs, a Clifford cam, headers and dual exhausts. The rest of the drivetrain is a stock three-speed overdrive transmission and 4:10 rear-end. Except for the seat covers and floor mars, the interior is original.
To deal with the heat in Arizona, I put in air conditioning, and future plans call for power steering and disc brakes.
In 2010, I have my 50th high school reunion in Bryson City, North Carolina. I hope to drive the Hudson there from my home in Tucson. It sure is fun to drive and gets its share of attention where ever I go.