1931 Hudson Essex Super Six 26,000 Miles 300 Best of Shows Winner Other Makes

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE 1931 ESSEX SERIAL NUMBER 1273943.

THE NEW ULM-AIRHART 1931 ESSEX

THIS 1931 ESSEX SUPER SIX FOUR DOOR SEDAN # 1273943 WAS PURCHASED IN 1931 BY THE RETZLAFF MOTOR COMPANY IN NEW ULM MINNESOTA. THIS CAR WAS STORED IN THE BASEMENT OF THIS DEALERSHIP FOR MANY YEARS. IT WAS ALWAYS COVERED IN A DRY ENVIRONMENT BY THE OWNER OF THE ARMIN RETZLAFF ALONG WITH A ANOTHER 1914 DODGE BROTHERS AUTOMOBILE. THESE TWO CARS WERE HIS TWO FAVORITES.

THE RETZLAFF MOTOR COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1914. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DODGE DEALERSHIPS IN THE NATION. THE DEALERSHIP SOLD NEW CARS SUCH AS HUDSON, DODGE, PLYMOUTH,STUDEBAKER AND BUICK. IT WAS A LARGE DEALERSHIP AND EMPLOYED AS MANY AS TWELVE EMPLOYEES AT THE END OF THE 1937 PERIOD. ONE OF THESE LONG TIME EMPLOYEES WAS ANTON BAUMAN ALSO OF NEW ULM. ANTON BAUMAN WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE THE HUDSON ESSEX FROM THE OWNER IN AND AROUND 1949. AFTER ALL OF THOSE YEARS IN STORAGE BAUMAN BROUGHT IT TO HIS HOME AND DROVE IT VERY LITTLE. AFTER HIS DEATH HIS DAUGHTER AND HIS SON-IN-LAW ALBERT AND SHIRLEY KRAL TOOK POSSESION OF THE CAR AND IN 1955 SOLD IT FOR TWENTY DOLLARS TO A YOUNG FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOY NAMED DEAN LINDQUIST ALSO OF NEW ULM. DEAN AGAIN DROVE THE CAR VERY LITTLE AND AGAIN STORED THE CAR AGAIN. IN 1979 DEAN LINDQUIST SOLD THE CAR TO A LONGTIME COLLEGE FRIEND JERRY MINAR OF ELK RIVER MINNESOTA. MINAR IS THE OWNER OF “JERRY’S OF ELK RIVER” A VINTAGE CAR DEALERSHIP. IN AUGUST OF 1979 MINAR SOLD THE CAR TO MARSHALL AIRHART OF BRAINARD MINNESOTA.

UPON THE PURCHASE OF THE CA, AIRHART WENT ON TO REPAINT AND RECHROME ALL OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. WITH ONLY 24,000 MILES ON THE CAR . AIRHART FOUND NO RUST, NO DENTS, NO DINGS, NO REPAIRS AT ALL TO THE CAR. HE FOUND ONLY FADED PAINT. AIRHART ORDERED NEW MOHAIR FOR THE INTERIOR FROM ENGLAND BECAUSE AMERICAN MOHAIR HAD SYNTHETICS IN ITS COMPOSITION. AIRHART’S SON MITCH REMEMBERS SANDING THE ORIGINAL WOODEN SPOKES ON THE WHEELS FOR A WHOLE WEEKS TIME. ONLY THE DRIVERS SUNVISOR WAS LEFT UNTOUCHED FOR POSTERITY REASONS BY AIRHART. THE TOTAL TIME FOR RESTORATION WAS ALMOST THREE YEARS. THE ORIGINAL GREEN PAINT IS STILL ON THE ENGINE AND ENGINE FIREWALL. ALL OF THE PARTS ON THIS CAR ARE THE ORIGINAL PARTS AS IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY.

IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING AIRHART’S RESTORATION THIS ESSEX HAS WON OVER 150 FIRST PLACE AND BEST OF SHOW AWARDS. IT HAS ALSO WON THREE NATIONAL JUNIOR AWARDS. THE AIRHART SCRAPBOOK WAS STARTED FROM THE FISRT DAY AIRHART BROUGHT THE CAR HOME UNTIL THE CAR WAS SOLD BY AIRHART. MITCH AIRHART WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH FOR US TO COPY THE ENTIRE SCRAPBOOK WITH ALL OF THE PROVENANCE. PHOTOS, PRESENTATIONS AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES IN IT’S COMPLETE ENTIRETY. MITCH ALSO LET US ALSO PHOTOGRAPH ALL OF THE HUNDREDS OF TROPHIES IN HIS FATHER’S GARAGE THAT ALSO LEADS TO THE ENTEGRITY OF THIS HUDSON ESSEX. THE ORIGINAL SCRAPBOOK WILL STAY WITH THE AIRHART FAMILY. WE THANK MITCH AIRHART FOR ALL OF HIS VALUABLE INFORMATION ON THE CAR AND HIS FATHER.

IN 1999 MARSHALL AIRHART SOLD THE CAR TO RICHARD PHILLIPS OF COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA. THE CAR AGAIN WAS DRIVEN A LITTLE AND AGAIN STORED UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 2009. TONY AND JODY SCHWAB OF HUGO MINNESOTA PURCHASED THE ESSEX IN AUGUST 2011 FROM RICHARD PHILLIP’S BROTHER JOHN PHILLIPS OF LINO LAKES.

THE PROVENANCE ON THE 1931 ESSEX #1273943 FROM THE FIRST DAYS AT THE DEALERSHIP TO TODAY IS DOCUMENTED BY SIGNED STATEMENTS, NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, FAMILY MEMBERS AND A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE BROWN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN NEW ULM MINNESOTA.

WE ARE ONLY CARETAKERS OF THIS 1931 HUDSON ESSEX. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE PREVIOUS OWNERS FOR ITS HISTORY AND IT’S PRESERVATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP’S OWNER ARMIN RETZLAFF, ANTON BAUMAN, ALBERT AND SHIRLEY KRAL, DEAN LINDQUIST, JERRY MINAR, MARSHALL AIRHART, RICHARD AND JOHN PHILLIPS FOR THEIR CARE IN THIS CAR. I WOULD ESPECIALLY THANK MARSHALL AIRHART AND HIS FAMILY THE BEAUTIFULL RESTORATION ON THIS 1931 HUSON ESSEX SUPER SIX SEDAN #1273943 YOU SEE BEFORE YOUE TODAY.

THANK YOU

TONY AND JODY SCHWAB