MILLER MOTORS HUDSON sits at Cross and River Streets in Ypsilanti, Mich., just as it has since 1929. Jack Miller goes to work there each day, as he has since 1953, when he worked for his father, Carl, and he still sells and services Hudsons. Business is necessarily limited. The last new Hudson was made in 1957. ''I'm a man in a time warp,'' he said.
It would be more accurate to call him a canny survivor. He kept his business going by adapting as the Hudson went from mass-market car to aging used car to rarity. Now, at 64, he is probably the last Hudson dealer in America. At work, he spins in an ancient swivel chair at his 70-year-old mahogany salesman's desk. Nearby are Hudson parts in their original factory boxes.
Outside, a half-century-old window sign proclaims, ''The Fabulous Hudson Hornet.'' Inside, a red 1946 Commodore convertible and a black 1937 Terraplane sedan were on display last month. In the service department were six more Hudsons, including a 1952 Hornet racer. None of the display cars were for sale, but Mr. Miller can lead you to a Hudson if you want one. ''I've sold 105 Hudsons between 1959 and now,'' he said.
The Hudson, made by the Hudson Motor Car Company beginning in 1909, was noted for quality: roadability, innovative engineering, good styling and performance. Hudson was an early maker of the six-cylinder engine.
The streamlined Hornets, Wasps and Commodores of 1948 through 1954 were low and aerodynamic, and the Hornet's powerful dual carburetor engine and flat cornering led to scores of stock car championships. But Hudson owners tended to be upper-middle-class family types rather than sporty adventurers. Morgan Freeman chauffeured Jessica Tandy in a Commodore in ''Driving Miss Daisy.''
In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator into the American Motors Corporation. Hudsons became gaudy Nashes (sometimes derisively called Hashes).
Miller Motors was a small dealership, and Mr. Miller has preserved all its records. ''Between 1927 and 1958 we sold 1,969 new cars,'' he said. Then he sold Hudson parts, used Hudsons and other used cars. In 1975, he began restoring Hudsons. Hudson owners know that Miller Motors is the place to go when they need clutch oil or touch-up paint, or want to buy or sell a Hudson.
One customer, Tom Moore, 57, is a vice president at Daimler-Chrysler. He heads work on advanced technologies like fuel cells, hybrid power trains and lightweight structures, and holds 25 patents. ''Here I am driving a Hudson,'' he said.
He bought a pristine 1952 Hornet four-door sedan from Miller Motors in 2000. ''It had an original 40,000 miles on it,'' he said. ''The car was perfect, and Jack just touched up a little paint and put on some new wide whitewall tires.'' Mr. Moore appreciates Hudsons' power, solid road-holding ability and sound construction. ''They are fairly contemporary even today,'' he said.
Art and Patricia Stuart of Beverly Hills, Mich., bought a 1954 lipstick red Hornet Special Club Coupe from Mr. Miller in 1996. Mr. Stuart, 61, a retired executive vice president of Bridgestone/Firestone, had wanted a Hudson since he was a child, Mrs. Stuart said. She doesn't drive the car because it has no power steering or power brakes, but she said: ''I love riding in it. It's quiet and smooth and I say it hums. And it's beautiful. I notice so many women come up and tell me how beautiful the car's design is.'' In their 2003 Jaguar, she said, she feels they're just another car on the road.
In 1997, Miller Motors evolved again, becoming part of a museum, the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection, which was built adjoining it. Mr. Miller goes to work as he has for 50 years and sells and services Hudsons, but now he's not only a Hudson dealer, he's also a curator.
