How many Essex Challengers are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 389,573 on the road Built 1929-1931 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Essex, Hudson's lower-priced companion make, sold its 1929 and 1930 six-cylinder cars as the Challenger. They were light, quick for the money and came in a wide range of body styles. These were among the last cars to carry the Essex name before it gave way to Terraplane in the early 1930s.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1930: 6 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1929 | 5 |
| 1930 | 6 |
| 1931 | 1 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 12 still registered, the Essex Challenger is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks 2nd of the 3 Essex models and equal 1,896th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.