In May 1928 the Monroe Hudson-Essex Company opened its doors in the old Fitzgibbons building on 18th Avenue, selling and servicing Hudson-Essex cars. Under the brand name “Essex,” the Hudson car company released a compact passenger car affordable for the middle class due to the low cost of mass production. 

Quick and nimble, the 1933 Hudson-Essex “Terraplane,” right, was considered to be the automobile with the best power-to-weight ratio of that year. Sleek, stylish and powerful in the eight-cylinder variety, it is no wonder that John Dillinger picked the Terraplane as his “weapon of choice.” That car is on display at the Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington.

The Hudson Motor Car company made Hudson and other brand automobiles from 1909 to 1954. In 1954 Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corp (AMC). The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was discontinued.

This article and others can be found in the business archive section of the Green County Historical Society museum. Researchers can make appointments by calling Donna at 608-921-1537 or emailing Linda at lostetter68@gmail.com.