The Hudson Motorcar Company rose above the fray to establish itself as one of America’s greatest automobile companies. Its legendary Super Six was one of the most coveted autos of its era. It was an important defense supplier during World War II. Then came its radical Step-Down models. Company engineers also developed the powerful and highly-refined Twin-H Power engine, and from 1951-1954 Hudson automobiles completely dominated NASCAR. Hudson is remembered as one of the truly great classics of America’s automotive heritage.

Auto historians and readers interested in business history will enjoy Storied Independent Automakers.

Hudson emphasized performance when promoting its cars and entered speed and endurance events to prove it. It always did well in these events but its shining hour as a performance car didnt come until near the end of its history. A powerful engine, a low center of gravity, excellent suspension and steering combined in the Hornet to make it unbeatable on the stock car racing circuit from 1951 through 1954. Unfortunately, racing success did not translate into sufficient sales to keep the company healthy and in 1954 Hudson was acquired by Nash to form American Motors. Nevertheless, Hudson left a legacy of design innovations that will be long remembered.

Now back in print, this is the only biography devoted to the life and career of Roy D. Chapin—one of the foremost figures in the history of Detroit's independent automotive industry. "John Cuthbert Long's Roy D. Chapin is a thorough and detailed biography of a remarkable, but little-known Detroit automobile industry pioneer. Historians should include Roy Dikeman Chapin (February 23, 1880–February 16, 1936) in any listing of significant American auto industry pioneers, along with the Duryea brothers, Ransom E. Olds, Henry Leland, Henry Ford, William C. Durant, and the Dodge brothers. Outside the cloister of automotive historians, Roy Chapin is an unknown. This is in part because no company or car bore his name. Unlike many contemporary auto pioneers, Roy Chapin was a modest man who did not promote himself. Even Long's superb biography of Chapin is not well-known because it was privately printed in 1945 with a small press run. In reprinting this volume, Wayne State University Press is making an important contribution to automotive history." —From the introduction by Charles K. Hyde, Department of History, Wayne State University