[1] A 1919 Super Six roadster was modified by inventor, Ben P. Ellerbeck, to demonstrate his retractable hardtop roof design.

[3] Ellerbeck's "flip top' on the Hudson was operated a crank handle located at the rear of the passenger door.

Steinbeck wanted readers to understand class and social standing by including specific makes and models in the novel.

[6] The make and condition of the cars are important to the people who took the journey to California as well as revealing a family's socioeconomic status.

[7] In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family depends on a 1926 Hudson Super Six sedan converted into a truck.

[8] It is now difficult for contemporary readers to place cars such as Hudson Super Six in a meaningful social context.

For 1927, the Hudson Super Six received a complete redesign including a new F-head engine, 18-inch wood spoke wheels (rather than 21 inches), and four-wheel brakes.

[12] The engine was updated in July 1927, with a new manifold and a different head design, including the relocation of the spark plugs and intake valves.

[12] In 1927, Essex also chose the Super Six label for their cars, while aligning their design with that of the larger Hudsons.

"[14] This car, largely unchanged, was also marketed as the Hudson Super-Six "Pacemaker" in 1933 only, in parallel with the lower-priced Essex-Terraplane, which was kept in production (minus the "Essex" moniker) for 1934.

Marking the period move towards envelope styling and away from separate fenders, all versions could be had with or without running boards at no extra cost.