Setting Up a Parts Room For Dealers Circa 1954
Friday, December 23, 2005 (23:03:27)

Posted by 51hornet

I have always wondered about the transition year 1954. Hudson had merged with Nash to form American Motors and it seemed to me like Hudson was absorbed into Nash and not a partnership of equals. I don't have to tell anyone here that Hudson was the superior engineering company. Nash had more working capital so became the dominant company which is a discussion I will tackle later.

What I find telling is that during the year 1955 old long time Hudson dealers were defecting in droves, most became dealers for the big three.

During the later months of 1954 AMC started sending around a thick black guide called "Stock Room Planographs for Hudson Dealers" this book contained a guide and actual floor plans and blue prints of how to change your parts department over to the new AMC setup. It included pricing for replacing your old part room bins and floorplans for optimal setup of the new AMC bins. It included 3 plans the A through C system plans. Each came with a floor plan blue prints and an itemized price list of what you need to stock and how to stock it. They even included a payment plan.

I wonder how an established Hudson dealer with a fully functioning parts room would have responded to getting one of these books and how many said forget it we will do it our own way and just add the Nash stuff to our existing layout. It does not say compliance with the new system was mandatory and I am thinking that this was AMC saying this book is for all the new dealers we are going to sign up for the new AMC outfit.

I don't think this played out very well for them and most Hudson dealers decided to part ways with the new AMC. I like to think they looked at the new company and when they got a look at the new ugly Hashs they decided like most of us that the time of Hudsons was past.