Just after World War II, when U.S. farmers and trades people were clamoring for pickup trucks and automakers struggled to fill their orders, Hudson continued its lineup of stylish but expensive pickups with the evocative name of Big Boy.
The Pick of the Day is a custom 1947 Hudson Big Boy pickup, which turned out to be the last year of production because of slow sales, blamed on the trucks being pricier than the utilitarian pickups from other US manufacturers; what buyers were looking for was not style but simple work trucks. Fewer than 3,000 Big Boys were produced in their final year.
This isn’t just any Big Boy, though, but a unique creation that still accentuates the truck’s factory design. Originally fitted with Hudson’s Super Six engine, the pickup has been updated and turned into a showpiece.
“This 1947 Hudson Big Boy is one of 2,917 Super Six pickup trucks produced by Hudson in 1947, is magazine featured and was the 2019 Grand National Custom Roadster Show Pickup winner,” according to the Orange, California, dealer advertising the pickup on ClassicCars.com. “This is a beautiful build all around.”
Keeping true to its Super Six heritage, the Hudson is powered by a Ford 300cid inline-6 with an Offenhauser intake manifold, 4-barrel Holley carburetor, split dual exhaust and an aluminum radiator. Power is transmitted via a Ford 4-speed manual transmission.
The Hudson ad includes a gallery of artistic photos that show this truck’s fine rendering.
“The owner spent years tracking down this final-year Super Six, and a comprehensive restoration began with the goal being to preserve the original essence enhanced by sensitive customization,” the ad says. “As you can see, he achieved his goal with eye-catching 2-inch lowering, filled seams, oak bed and trim, new shoes, and just enough metal flake in the Firethorn Red Pearl paint to accentuate the curves.
“Custom classic interior features stock Zenith tube radio and Commodore steering wheel. All this sits on steelies with baby moons on whitewall Coker tires that finish off the look just right.”
The seller notes that while the Hudson has been modified and modernized, the builder was able to emphasize the Hudson’s already slick design without adding too much customization.
“That this Hudson needed less in the way of adornment and mods to be a recent custom show winner only emphasizes how much more you got in 1947 with a pickup that was already a road-ready ‘factory custom’ the day it rolled off the Detroit production line,” the seller says.
The asking price for this unusual custom Hudson pickup is $85,000.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Beautiful truck! But why the Ford motor? A later Hudson H-power motor would have kept everything “in the family” and made a more attractive engine bay.
Agreed, a Hornet 8 would have been perfect.
Hudson did not make or offer a ‘Hornet 8’ engine.. The ‘Twin H’ referred to was a twin carb version of the 308 cu in, 6 cyl flathead. Hudson did make a straight-eight (for many years), but was never produced or offered with dual carbs, and was 254 cu in.
I think this is beautiful truck and I did not know that Hudson ever made pickups. It is nice to know that at that time (1947)
and postwar demand that Hudson dipped its toe into the pickup market…. Now I don’t want to sound “mean” and
I don’t intend to be critical of this Hudson truck, but when I look at it from all angles I see familiar looking parts from other
ford and Chevy models of this period,,, and to me this Hudson, and maybe all of the 2917 Hudson Big Boy trucks look
like a “Franken” truck, meaning made with other car parts, fenders, headlights, cab, etc.
But this Hudson rebuild and restoration is beautiful,,,Nice work,,, thanks
At least it is not a sbc. My 47 hudson pu has a 4.2 liter dohc Jaguar engine with jag ifs and irs. This is very nice except ruined the drivers side dash instrumentation by not using the original
Actually, from the grille centerpiece, it is a 1946, not a 1947. The key indicator (not given) is the serial number.
There were about 3000 of these made for each of the years 1946 & 1947, and they were no longer called ‘Big Boy’ by that time – that was for earlier versions of the larger model of the truck. By the time the war was over, there was only one model, the 3/4 ton truck with a 128″ wheelbase.