Ken Hudson spent 11 years as a merchant mariner before changing careers in 2018, the year he founded Newport Classic Car Co., which offers tours of the city in Roaring Twenties-era vehicles.
It was auspicious timing. Newport was a few years into a revival of antique car culture, which has continued to grow, spurred in part by the opening of the Audrain Auto Museum in 2014.
“This was never planned. That was the interesting part,” Hudson said. “I never expected Newport to become such an auto-centric place. But it does have this heritage.”
Hudson’s friends and family were initially skeptical he could make it work. Cars are expensive to buy and maintain, particularly luxury vehicles. But five years out, Hudson appears to have been vindicated.
“I didn’t look at it the way they looked at it,” he said. “These are cars. They were designed from the ground up to be driven every day.”
Hudson has built the company slowly, acquiring new cars and adding a rental service with a fleet of vintage vehicles ranging from a 1962 Ford Thunderbird to a 2007 Aston Martin. Last year he purchased Temma, a 42-foot antique motor yacht, and added chartered and personalized boat tours of Narragansett Bay.
Hudson is now working to shore up the business’s yachting arm. The company was recently named the official charter company of The Vanderbilt hotel.
“I’m really focusing on that,” he said. “Now that I have everything locked down on the cars side.”
The tours, many of which Hudson chauffeurs personally, are done with antique throwbacks such as the 1924 Studebaker convertible or Ford Model-A sedan.
There are a range of tour options available, such as the Ocean Drive excursion or Haunted Newport, among others. The company offers driving services to special events and will customize a tour by request.
“Weddings are big,” Hudson said. “But the tours are probably the most popular thing that we do.”
Hudson constantly scours for new acquisitions and keeps up with the latest trends. A recent example is the nostalgia that baby boomers have for cars that were popular when they were teenagers, such as the 1966 Mustang convertible.
“Many of my customers want cars that were cool when they were kids,” he said. “I’m on the internet constantly, looking at what would be awesome to see. [Or asking] what would I want to drive in.”
Hudson said he is never nervous to see these prized possessions driven away by strangers.
“That is what insurance is for,” he said, “which is my biggest expense.”
As for the tours, Hudson plans to continue to drive whenever possible. Cruising through Newport in the summer, you never know who you might come across. Car aficionados come from all walks of life, and all income brackets.
“I’ve gotten to know Jay Leno,” he said. “He is very nice. He stops in whenever he can and even flags me down to say ‘hi’ to the guests.”
OWNER: Ken Hudson
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Car touring and rental company
LOCATION: 23 America’s Cup Ave., Newport
EMPLOYEES: Five
YEAR FOUNDED: 2018
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
