1946 Hudson Super Six Brougham: A Post-War Classic

1946 Hudson Super Six Brougham Browse the article 1946 Hudson Super Six Brougham

1946 Hudson Super Six Brougham

The story of the 1946 Hudson Super Six Broughham begins with the end of World War II. The early postwar years ushered in a booming seller's market where even rehashed prewar cars sold like crazy. Hudson prospered with the rest of Detroit, but built very few convertibles.

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Though nothing more than a modestly revised 1942 model, the 1946
Hudson Super Six Broughham sold well in the post-war buying frenzy.
See more pictures of classic convertibles.

World War II deprived Americans of new cars for nearly four years. Once peace returned, the public rushed to replace their aging clunkers with any newly minted wheels available, even if they were just rehashed prewar designs. And most 1946-48 cars were precisely that, because manufacturers had been too busy with war work to do much about postwar models. Even so, the high pent-up demand created an unprecedented seller's market that benefited most every Detroit automaker. Not until 1950 did supply finally catch up and make freshly designed cars really necessary.

Hudson was no exception to this pattern, issuing modestly revised '42 models for 1946-47 and selling every one it could make. There were fewer choices, however, as Hudson axed lower-priced offerings to concentrate on more profitable Super and Commodore Sixes and Commodore Eights. Differences from '42 involved a more complicated "face," minor interior touch-ups, and higher prices (the result of postwar inflation). Engines remained at prewar power levels: 102 horsepower for the 212-cubic-inch L-head six, 128 for the 254-cid straight eight.

The solid, functional dash of the Hudson Super Six Brougham
was complemented by a lush interior.

Early postwar Hudsons were smooth and solid but rather staid, even the Brougham convertibles. For 1946 these comprised an $1879 Super Six and a $2050 Commodore Eight, both on a 121-inch wheelbase. All told, Hudson built only 1177 ragtops for the model year, most being Super Sixes like the one shown here.

For more classic convertibles of the 1930s and 1940s, see:

1933 Ford Cabriolet

1934 Pierce-Arrow Salon Twelve

1938 Oldsmobile L-38

1939 Cadillac Series 90

1941 Lincoln Continental

1941 Packard One Twenty

1942 Dodge Custom

1948 Buick Roadmaster

1946 Mercury Sportsman

1947 Cadillac Series 62

1947 Chrysler Town & Country

1949 Frazer Manhattan

1949 Cadillac Series 62

For more information on all kinds of cars, try these:

• Classic Convertible Cars: See profiles on more than 70 classic convertibles.
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• Consumer Guide Used Car Reviews: Considering a used car purchase? You'll want to check the Consumer Guide used car rating.