1913 Hudson 6-54 Speedster
1913 Hudson Model 54 Speedster
Introduced for 1913, the Hudson Model 54 represented an important step forward for the young Hudson Motor Car Company, introducing its new six-cylinder automobile at a time when four-cylinder engines still dominated much of the American market. Hudson promoted itself that year as the world’s largest builder of six-cylinder automobiles, and period advertising emphasized the Model 54’s combination of performance, refinement, electric starting and electric lighting. A contemporary 1913 Hudson advertisement described the Model 54 as electrically self-cranked and lighted using the Delco system
At the heart of the Model 54 is an imposing 421-cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine, with a 4⅛-inch bore and 5¼-inch stroke. Rated at approximately 54 horsepower at just 1,500 rpm, it is an exceptionally large-displacement, slow-turning engine characteristic of the great American automobiles of the Brass Era.
The Model 54 employed a three-speed sliding-gear transmission, wet multi-disc clutch, shaft drive, semi-floating rear axle, mechanical rear-wheel brakes and wood artillery wheels carrying 36×4½-inch tires. Period specifications credited the Model 54 with a top speed of approximately 65 mph, remarkable performance for a large automobile in 1913.
This particular Model 54, chassis no. 50731, has a history considerably more colorful than most surviving examples. It was originally constructed in 1913 as a Model 54 Torpedo Tourer, a five-passenger open automobile with a lower steering column and cowl than the larger touring model. Around 1950, the Hudson was discovered in Belvedere, Kansas, by Al Redmond, who transformed the nearly 40-year-old automobile into the speedster configuration it retains today.
Redmond’s work went considerably beyond simply removing the touring body. The radiator, engine and controls were moved approximately nine inches rearward in the chassis, creating the proportions of a proper early speedster. The Torpedo body was removed and seats and a fuel tank sourced from an American LaFrance fire truck were fitted. Evidence of the Hudson’s original configuration survives today in the form of the original mounting holes visible in the frame rails.
More importantly, this was not a speedster created simply for appearance. According to Larry Burke, whose father subsequently owned the Hudson, Redmond used the car in exhibition racing at the Blackwell, Oklahoma fairgrounds during the early 1950s, where other participating automobiles included a Stutz and an American Underslung. During one event, Redmond spun the Hudson and bent the right front spindle, which was subsequently straightened.
Even some of the car’s smaller details have wonderful stories attached to them. When a headlamp lens was broken, its replacement was reportedly homemade by molding it in an oven against a stoneware serving plate. It is difficult to imagine a more appropriate repair for a working speedster in rural America during the 1950s.
Importantly, the Hudson’s present speedster configuration is itself historic. The car was photographed in essentially its current form in the Horseless Carriage Club of America Gazette during the 1950s, establishing that this is not a recently created Brass Era speedster, but a car whose transformation and use are now more than seven decades old.
In the mid-1950s, George E. Burke of Greensburg, Kansas, acquired the Hudson from Redmond at the Joe Streeter Auction in Claremore, Oklahoma. Burke displayed the car at his Burketown USA Café and Museum, but it was not relegated to static exhibition. It continued to be driven and participated in parades and other activities, beginning a long tradition of use that continues today.
The Hudson remained with the Burke family until 2000, when Larry Burke sold it at the HCCA meet in Chickasha, Oklahoma, to Frank Carson or his father, F. Fallis Carson of Modesto, California. Appropriately, the Hudson was featured on the front page of the Chickasha meet program that year. It remained with the Carson family until December 2023, when it was acquired from the Carson estate by its present owner.
Under current ownership, considerable mechanical attention has been devoted to making the Hudson a dependable touring and exhibition-racing automobile while retaining its wonderfully aged and purposeful appearance. Work has included servicing the engine, carburetion and ignition systems; cleaning the oil pan; servicing the transmission and rear axle; rebuilding or servicing the clutch and brakes; replacing ignition wiring; fitting new wooden wheels with Firestone 36×4½ Non-Skid tires; machining new kingpin bushings; servicing wheel bearings; repairing the water pump and starter-generator (although not connected electrically).
The results have been put to proper use. The Hudson is currently titled and registered in Massachusetts and regularly driven on pleasure tours and enthusiast events, including the Wilbraham Hillclimb in 2025 and the 2025 Ragtime Racers gathering at Watkins Glen where it was racing along with other notable early race cars.
What makes this Hudson particularly compelling is that virtually every chapter of its life involves use. It began as one of Hudson’s formidable six-cylinder touring automobiles, was converted into a speedster around 1950, participated in exhibition racing in the early 1950s, spent decades in enthusiast ownership, and continues to be exercised today in both touring and exhibition racing events.
With 421 cubic inches of six-cylinder power, imposing Brass Era proportions, period speedster construction, and more than 70 years of documented exhibition racing and touring history in its present configuration, this Hudson is not a modern interpretation of an early American speedster. It is the genuine article, created by an enthusiast when cars of this era were simply old automobiles and then used exactly as intended.
| Listing Type | Automobiles |
|---|---|
| Year | 1913 |
| Make | Hudson |
| Model | 6-54 |
| Body Style | Speedster |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Fuel Economy | Thirsty |
| Location | Smithfield, Rhode Island |
| Engine | 421 Cubic Inch T-Head 6cyl |
| Exterior Color | Maroon |
| Interior Color | Black |