Even before this model of Hudson was released to the public, it had been put through its paces under AAA sanctioning on the beaches of Daytona and the Bonneville Salt Flats. The test drivers kept the throttle to the floor and showed no mercy as the Hudson Terraplane 8 came through with a list of eight closed stock car records broken for a car categorized by the AAA as Class C. At Bonneville, a Hudson Deluxe 8 Brougham covered 2,104 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 87.67-mph.

A glance will tell you this is a beautiful machine. A look inside will show you that it is roomy, period luxurious and richly appointed. A short drive tells the story on the smoothness, ease of handling and riding comfort. After a major redesign and re-tooling for 1936, the 1937 model was further refined in detail.

With sweeping lines and a long, low appearance, this 1937 Hudson Deluxe 8 Three-Passenger Coupe is a measure of the touted pacemaking record setter. This Series 74 Hudson presents in a fine nice fashion and runs with an inline eight-cylinder engine that is joined with a manual transmission and the photos indicate that this car also has the optional “Electric Hand” pre-selector. There is a storage shelf behind the wide bench seat and the dash has Art Deco-inspired instrumentation that includes a clock, and the interior is finished in a Bedford cloth-like material. A Hudson branded cabin heater allows comfort in driving in cooler temperatures. A leather-wrapped banjo-styled steering wheel completes the presentation.

The exterior is eye-catching for its forward-thinking styling and is seen with rear fender skirts, optional bumper guards, bullet-shaped head and taillights, nicely shaped rear trunk deck, V-8 medallions, twin horns, driver’s sideview mirror, chromed exhaust tip, bright belt molding, split rear window, plus the distinctive and attractive Hudson grille, hood ornament and hood side louvers. Riding on BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewalls on body coloring steel wheel with factory caps and trim rings, this is surely an uncommon look at late 1930s motoring that will be a delight to own and drive.