Yup, Hudson is not among the automakers you think of when discussing pickup trucks, but the Detroit-based company had a brief venture into this segment. Like most pickups of the era, the Big Boy was built on a car platform (the Super Six). Introduced in 1941, the hauler was discontinued during World War 2 and returned in 1946. The revival didn’t last long, though. The company abandoned the truck market in 1947, and the Big Boy went into the history books.
Only seven years later, Hudson vehicles disappeared altogether from showrooms after the company merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation (AMC).
So, why am I talking about a short-lived and seemingly irrelevant truck produced by an automaker that hasn’t been around for 70 years as of 2024? Well, not only is this vintage hauler a more stylish proposition than Ford and Chevrolet pickups, but it was also the first truck to include premium and car-like features.
But it was also far more expensive than the competition, which explains why it wasn’t successful. The 1947 version you see here, for instance, is one of only 2,917 units produced that year. And given the low survival rate of 1940s vehicles, it’s probably one of only a few hundred still around.
Hailing from Thomaston, Georgia, this Big Boy is in pretty good shape for its age. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it looks spectacular, even though it’s a weathered rig that doesn’t run. With most Big Boy rigs rotting away in junkyards, a truck in this condition is a very rare sight. When was the last time you saw a Big Boy truck? Exactly!
Info on the truck is rather sparse, so I have no idea how long it’s been sitting or how original it is. The seller says the body is straight, and the engine doesn’t run, and that’s about it. He’s also unsure whether the 45,000-mile (72,420-km) reading on the odometer is authentic.
Based on the photos alone, the truck may have been repainted once. The interior appears to be original, but it’s hard to tell with all that dust on the bench seat. There are no pictures of the engine, but the ad says it’s a 212-cubic-inch (3.5-liter) mill. That’s the inline-six powerplant Hudson was offering at the time.
All told, this Big Boy is a bit of a mystery, but it may very well be a survivor beyond the repaint. It’s a great project either way, and it appears it may not be as expensive as other Big Boy rigs. The auction starts at $18,000, and there’s no reserve. If you want it, you have less than 24 hours to place a bid.
