Hudson’s ‘Step-Down’ cars for 1948 marked a new direction for the company.

The partially unitary design placed the floor pan on the bottom of the frame rather than the top, making one literally step down to enter a Hudson.

There was an all-new six-cylinder engine, but the legacy straight eight, which was continually being updated since its introduction in the 1930s, was still carried over.

Its low center of gravity made for excellent handling, for which Step-Downs are still revered.

This rare Hudson Commodore sports a pleasing deep blue metallic, which is nicely contrasted by red leather upholstery.

A black canvas top completes the package.

It is equipped with a power top, power windows, directional signals, a sun visor, a radio, a heater, and Borg-Warner overdrive.

The Commodore Eight convertible Brougham was the most expensive Hudson in 1950, with a listed price of $2,893, it was comparable to that of a Series 61 Cadillac.

Hudson experts estimate production at 425 cars, makin...