m-sat 9AM - 5PM
'54 Nash
Metropolitan
This was our smallest vehicle up until the Crosley arrived in 2020.
Built and marketed as the second family car or the wive's runabout car for the modern middle-class American family.
Powered by a 42 Hp straight 4 Austin A40 engine with a 3-speed manual transmission it was able to reach a top speed of 75 mph. And a 0-60 run in 30 seconds.
When Husdon and Nash merged to form AMC (American Motors Corporation) this exact same vehicle was also sold with a Hudson badge at Hudson dealers.
Retail price of $1,445. Or $14,600
today. For comparison, the base model 2022 Honda Civic starts at $21,700.
We often drive this vehicle around town to events or if we feel like losing a race.
The Nash during its restoration.
LEARN MORE
Gulf was at one point the 8th largest global oil company.
Founded in 1901 and bought by Standard Oil Company in 1985. Known for their vertical integration and commercial and technical innovations.
The name rights for Gulf were purchased in 1986 and Gulf gas stations under the new ownership can still be found on the East coast.
These 6ft signs often auction for between $1,000 to $2,000 while the pumps value at about $1,500 each.
The Gulf Building
Those from Pennsylvania will recognize this as one of the iconic buildings from the Pittsburg skyline. Built as the headquarters of Gulf Oil Co. in 1932.
Mary Hudson
Mary Hudson borrowed $200 from her father and opened her first gas station shortly after the death of her husband in 1933. She built an oil empire worth $325 million (over a billion in today's currency) with 300 gas stations and an oil refinery in Oklahoma. Hers was one of the first self-service gas station chains. Due to mismanagement, her empire went bankrupt in 1984.
She was a woman of determination and vision. At age 80 she opened a small chain of station/convenience stores and an oil consulting firm in Russia. She passed at the age of 87 in 1999.
All the contents in the display case and all the Hudson Oil memorabilia came from her personal office and her home in Kansas City Missouri.
