Essex (automobile)

During its production run, the Essex was considered a small car and was affordably priced. The Essex is generally credited with starting a trend away from open touring cars design toward enclosed passenger compartments. Originally, the Essex was to be a product of the "Essex Motor Company," which was a wholly owned entity of Hudson. Essex enjoyed immediate popularity following its 1919 introduction. Essex Motors went so far as to lease the Studebaker auto factory in Detroit for the production of the car. More than 1.13 million Essex automobiles were sold by the time the Essex name was retired in 1932 and replaced by the Terraplane. That year the Essex Motor Company was dissolved and the cars officially became a product of Hudson. ==Essex cars==

Essex cars were designed to be moderately priced cars which would be affordable to the average family. Proving durable, their capabilities were checked upon and confirmed by AAA and the United States Post Office. In 1919, an Essex completed a 50-hour, endurance test in Cincinnati, Ohio, at an average speed of . The early Essex cars also captured many hill climb records. In a special Essex race car, Glen Shultz won the 1923 Pikes Peak Hill Climb. It had a wheelbase. In 1928, the big news was the use of four-wheel mechanical brakes. • Length = • Turning Radius = Essex sales remained strong into 1931 before sales began to trend downward. For 1932 a redesigned Essex debuted and was named the Essex-Terraplane, a play on the word aeroplane. For 1934 the Essex name was dropped and the car was marketed as the Terraplane. The instrument panel of the 1932 Hudson and Essex automobiles featured the first use of "warning lights" instead of gauges. ==Essex production models==

• Essex Coach • Essex Six ==International production==

Essex motor vehicles were either exported as complete cars or locally built from knock-down kits in many countries, making the Essex marque well known internationally as well as domestically. Essex vehicles were locally built in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. ==Gallery==

File:Stahls Automotive Collection December 2021 140 (1927 Essex Super Six Speedabout).jpg|1927 Essex Super Six Speedabout File:Essex Super Six 4-Door Sedan 1928.jpg|1928 Essex Super Six 4-Door Sedan File:Essex Super Six Coupe 1929.jpg|1929 Essex Super Six Coupé File:Essex Super Six 4-Door Sedan 1930 2.jpg|1930 Essex Super Six 4-Door Sedan File:Essex Super Six Coupe 1931.jpg|1930 Essex Super Six Model E Coupé File:Essex Super Six Model E 4-Door Sedan 1931.jpg|1930 Essex Super Six Model E 4-Door Sedan File:1931 Essex Super Six Sport Roadster.jpg|1931 Essex "Boattail" ==References==