The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded by auto forerunners Howard Coffin, George W. Dunham and Roy E. Chapin, and largely funded by department-store owner Joseph L. Hudson. In 1910, just one year after it was created, Hudson was the eleventh-largest auto company in America — a country then widespread with automakers.

The Old Motor has termed the elegant Hudson Terraplane pickups as being built “in high style for hard work,” and it is difficult to argue otherwise. Hudson got into the light truck business in 1929 with their stylish, car-based transport. Some have suggested that they were ahead of the game on what a pickup customer may want and their influence was seen years later with the El Camino and Ranchero platforms. They put the fenders closer to the wheels and tires than any other manufacturer of the period and easily gave off the impression that they were lower and rather classy for a utility vehicle of the time.

This 1938 example is beautifully presented with all of the original styling cues that makes it so distinctive, but has been upgraded to be practically used with modern power, transmission, Dolphin instrumentation, seatbelts and turn signals. A 350-cid V-8 engine and automatic transmission allow ease of driving, while air conditioning, heater and modern banjo-style steering wheel also adds to the comfort. The originality in a side-mounted spare, auxiliary lights, grille, vee’d windshield, front trim, whitewall tires, color-keyed steel wheels and factory caps with beauty rings lets you know that this is a classically styled 1930s pickup that will be noticed and respected wherever it may travel.