Where's my serial number?
- Late 1960s and later: usually on a small plate on the dashboard, visible through the windshield on the driver's side.
- Earlier cars: it varies by make and year. Common places are the driver's door pillar or hinge post, the steering column, the firewall, or near the glove box. Each make's page lists what our sources say.
- Paperwork: your title and registration also show it.
Example: 48112345 (an example Hudson serial).
Years we cover
1948-1954.
What a Hudson serial looks like, by year
Each example below is split into numbered groups of characters, with what each group means. Example numbers show the layout; they are not a specific car.
1948
Looks like 48112345 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 1: Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 2 Sequence number | 12345 [HUDSONJET] |
- The page's 1948 month table has typos in the year (May, June, July and October 1949 rows inside the 1948 block).
- This format is digits only, and many makers used plain numeric serials in these years. A match here does not by itself show the car is this make; check the make on the car and its paperwork.
Hudson 1935-1950 numbers start with the year digits then a model digit (or letter, e.g. 50A). Canadian-built cars add a C after the year/model digits (HudsonJet). Sequence runs through the model year regardless of model (HudsonJet, Hudson forum).
Serial ranges are given by month on HudsonJet: 1948 101 to 117301; 1949 101 to 159201; 1950 101 to 121509 (through August 1950). The numbers are plain digits, so this pattern can collide with other makes' numbers.
The page states only 481 Super 6 and 484 Commodore 8 for 1948; other 1948 model digits (for example Commodore Six, Super Eight) are not stated, so they are not decoded.
All model codes (2)
| 1 | Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 4 | Commodore Eight [HUDSONJET] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET]
1949
Looks like 49112345 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 1: Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 2 Sequence number | 12345 [HUDSONJET] |
- The 1949 table shows 145765 as both the last August and the first September serial.
- This format is digits only, and many makers used plain numeric serials in these years. A match here does not by itself show the car is this make; check the make on the car and its paperwork.
Hudson 1935-1950 numbers start with the year digits then a model digit (or letter, e.g. 50A). Canadian-built cars add a C after the year/model digits (HudsonJet). Sequence runs through the model year regardless of model (HudsonJet, Hudson forum).
Serial ranges are given by month on HudsonJet: 1948 101 to 117301; 1949 101 to 159201; 1950 101 to 121509 (through August 1950). The numbers are plain digits, so this pattern can collide with other makes' numbers.
Example is constructed from the table.
All model codes (4)
| 1 | Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 2 | Commodore Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 3 | Super Eight [HUDSONJET] |
| 4 | Commodore Eight [HUDSONJET] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET]
1950
Looks like 50A12345 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | A: Pacemaker Deluxe (50A) [HUDSONJET] |
| 2 Sequence number | 12345 [HUDSONJET] |
Hudson 1935-1950 numbers start with the year digits then a model digit (or letter, e.g. 50A). Canadian-built cars add a C after the year/model digits (HudsonJet). Sequence runs through the model year regardless of model (HudsonJet, Hudson forum).
Serial ranges are given by month on HudsonJet: 1948 101 to 117301; 1949 101 to 159201; 1950 101 to 121509 (through August 1950). The numbers are plain digits, so this pattern can collide with other makes' numbers.
The page names only 50A Pacemaker Deluxe and 503 Super Eight for 1950 and says the third digit gives the model otherwise; other 1950 designators are not stated. Example is constructed.
All model codes (2)
| 3 | Super Eight (503) [HUDSONJET] |
| A | Pacemaker Deluxe (50A) [HUDSONJET] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET]
1951
Looks like 5A100192 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 5: Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 2 Model-year letter | A: 1951 [HUDSONJET] |
| 3 Sequence number | 100192 [HUDSONJET] |
- HudsonJet's 1951 table prints the serial with a leading x; the digit/letter designator is the 'x'.
Tag on the right front door hinge pillar: designator (digit + year letter, e.g. 5B) with the serial beneath it (HudsonJet; Hudson forum). Serials run in sequence across all models and body styles.
Serial range per HudsonJet month table: x1001 (September 1950) to x132915 (October 1951).
All model codes (5)
| 4 | Pacemaker [HUDSONJET] |
| 5 | Super Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 6 | Commodore Six [HUDSONJET] |
| 7 | Hornet [HUDSONJET] |
| 8 | Commodore Eight [HUDSONJET] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET]
1952
Looks like 5B176000 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 5: Super Six / Wasp Six [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 2 Model-year letter | B: 1952 [HUDSONJET] |
| 3 Sequence number | 176000 [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539] |
- Model 5B is the Super Six on HudsonJet and the Wasp Six on the HET forum (the Wasp name arrived with the 1952 model year per Wikipedia, which supports the forum). Both are shown.
Tag on the right front door hinge pillar: designator (digit + year letter, e.g. 5B) with the serial beneath it (HudsonJet; Hudson forum). Serials run in sequence across all models and body styles.
Serial range 132916 to 202916 for the model year (HudsonJet table, Alex Burr on the HET forum).
All model codes (5)
| 4 | Pacemaker [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539] |
| 5 | Super Six / Wasp Six HudsonJet says 5B Super 6; a Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club forum poster (hudsontech) lists 5B as Wasp 6. [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 6 | Commodore Six [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539] |
| 7 | Hornet [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539] |
| 8 | Commodore Eight [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] [HET124539]
1953
Looks like 5C250000 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 5: Super Wasp [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 2 Model-year letter | C: 1953 [HUDSONJET] |
| 3 Sequence number | 250000 [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
Tag on the right front door hinge pillar: designator (digit + year letter, e.g. 5B) with the serial beneath it (HudsonJet; Hudson forum). Serials run in sequence across all models and body styles.
Serial range 202917 to 269059 (HudsonJet; HET forum). A 204xxx serial in this format indicates a car built November 1952 (HET forum correction).
All model codes (6)
| 1 | Jet [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 2 | Super Jet [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 4 | Wasp Deluxe [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 5 | Super Wasp [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 7 | Hornet [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
| 8 | Commodore Eight (built from leftover 1952 parts) [HUDSONJET] [HET124539] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET] [HET124539]
1954
Looks like 5D276833 (8 characters)
| 1 Model | 5: Super Wasp [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 2 Model-year letter | D: 1954 [HUDSONJET] |
| 3 Sequence number | 276833 [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
- The HET forum has one post giving the 1954 start as 269060 and another as 5269075 (designator run together with the serial).
Tag on the right front door hinge pillar: designator (digit + year letter, e.g. 5B) with the serial beneath it (HudsonJet; Hudson forum). Serials run in sequence across all models and body styles.
Serial range from 269060 (August 1953) to at least 319720 (October 1954) on HudsonJet. The HET forum reads a door tag '5276833' as 5D-276833, a Super Wasp built September 1953.
All model codes (7)
| 1 | Jet (including Jet Family Sedan) [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 2 | Super Jet [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 3 | Jet-Liner [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 4 | Wasp [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 5 | Super Wasp [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 6 | Hornet Special [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
| 7 | Hornet [HUDSONJET] [HET7300] |
Sources: [HUDSONJET] [HET7300]
What a serial number cannot tell you
It identifies what the factory recorded in the number: typically the model year, assembly plant, series or body and production sequence, and in some years the engine. It cannot confirm a car is original or numbers-matching. Compare stampings, body tags and documentation.