The Terraplane was Hudson's second "companion car", successor to the Essex and derived from it. In fact, for the marque's first two years it was officially a model of Essex, designated Essex-Terraplane. Smaller, lighter and less expensive than the rest of the Essex line, it was also more refined.
While the Terraplane drive train was a modest evolution from that of the Esssex, the body and chassis were all new. Where previouslynHudson and Esssex frames had been heavy conventional "ladder" arrangements, Terraplane's was neatly tapered, given a cruciform centre sectionfor strength, and bolted to the body at 23 points. A short (106in) wheelbase and narrow track reduced weight by some 500lbs. The Essex-derived side-valve six featured downdraft carburation, and was enlarged to 3164cc, good for 70bhp. Hudson advertised the Terraplane as having the "highest ratio of power to weight of any production car ...", and the car gained a reputation for lively performance. Priced at $425 to $610, it compared with Ford, Chevrolet and Plymouth. Introduced by aviatrix Amelia Earhart at a July 1932 media event in Detroit, the Terraplane , whose name was said to mean "Land Flying", vastly improved the fortunes of the company. Terraplane completely replaced the Essex for the 1933 model year, at which time it became a marque in it's own right.
An 8 cylinder Terraplane was added in 1933, using a small bore version of the Hudson 8. Performing even better than the six, it proved serious competition for the Ford V8, and won a number of competition events, including record-setting times at Pike's Peak and Daytona. It's chassis was the basis for the first models of the Anglo-American hybrid Railton. The 1932 Terraplanes had appeared somewhat stubby, so a wider track was adopted for 1933, and a 113inch wheelbase given to Deluxe Sixes and Eights. The popularity of Hudson in Britain, carried through to Terraplane, whose low price (as low as £275) and excellent performance earned it praise in the press. Tax considerations , however, dictated wide use of a small-bore 2560cc engine, although these 16.9hp-rated cars proved rather underpowered.
In 1934, all Hudson products adopted the Terraplane's lightweight chassis frame concept, and the 8-cylinder Terraplane was dropped. The following year Terraplane sales of over 70,000 lifted the company back to profitability. The side-valve six was enlarged to 3475cc, which wouyld suffice for the duration of the Terraplane badge. The marque shared all the Hudson features, such as "Electric Hand" remote gear selector, Baker "Axleflex" independent front suspension and , in 1936, "Duo-automatic" hydraulic brakes with mechanical backup.
Longer, lower, wider bodies in 1937 made Terraplane all the more like parent Hudson. For 1938, it became, in effect, a model of Hudson, badged Hudson-Terraplane, and it's place as the entry-level corporate car was taken by a new, smaller model, the Hudson 112. The Terraplane name was retired completely at the end of the 1938 model year.
