• Entered from the estate of the late Peter Macey • Rare and very desirable Boattail Speedabout coachwork by Biddle & Smart • Understood to have been restored during the late 1960s or early 1970s • Imported to Britain in 1980 A subdivision of the Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, Essex’s products were aimed at the average family and, in common with those of other American manufacturers, were initially four-door open cars with canvas tops.

However, while Henry Ford is credited with making cars widely affordable, Essex had much to do with making Sedans available to the masses.

By 1924, the company was moving away from four-cylinder powerplants to, firstly, a 2.1-litre six-cylinder (the Six), and then a 2.5-litre unit (the Super Six).

This was used to power a range of models including a Speedster, Coupé, Coach and four-door, five-seat Sedan.

The specification was typical of the day, with the engine mated to a three-speed manual gearbox and suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs all-r...