Hudson Hornet

Hudson Hornet at a glance

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History

The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit in 1909 by a group of young entrepreneurs. It was named not after its founders but after its main investor, Joseph L. Hudson, a Detroit department-store owner who provided the money; the investment soon paid off many times over. The name Hornet speaks for itself, and many enthusiasts still call the car simply "the Hornet".

Design and body

The first-generation Hornet of 1951 used the "step-down" design that Hudson had introduced three years earlier on the 1948 Commodore. The idea was to combine the body and the frame into a single structure, with the floor recessed into the frame. Together with the lowered centre of gravity, this produced a sleek, streamlined shape and a cabin that could comfortably carry six people. Despite its large size and robust construction, the car weighed about 1,642 kg on a 3,150 mm wheelbase.

The Hornet looked streamlined and low - a bold choice for the time - with an overall height of only about 1.5 metres. A high waistline and modest glass area made it look sporty, even aggressive, and plenty of chrome decorated the body. Many people liked the rear wheel arches covered flush with the sills. For 1954 the car was updated with a more curved windscreen, new tail lights, crisper body sides, chrome trims ahead of the rear wheels, small fins with triangular lights, a functional bonnet scoop and a two-level grille that gave it a more serious and modern look.

Interior

The cabin was huge for its time. The rear bench was among the widest in the industry: officially for three, but able to take four. The very rigid body structure had hidden advantages too: few American cars of the day were safer, especially in a rollover, or more stable at high speed. The driver faced a three-spoke steering wheel and a large instrument panel with a semicircular speedometer. The door panels were trimmed in pleasant fabric, plenty of metal details added to the car's status, and the gear lever was mounted on the steering column in classic American style.

Engine

Under the bonnet was a 5.0-litre (308 cubic inch) side-valve straight-six with 12 valves, fed by a Carter carburettor. At launch it produced 108 kW (145 hp) and about 373 Nm, enough to reach 100 km/h in around 13 seconds. Its strong performance and good handling quickly caught the attention of amateur racers, and the Hornet's racing career began.

Hudson's Twin H-Power, a dual-carburettor set-up, was a dealer option in 1951 and became standard in 1952. By 1954 output had risen to 127 kW (170 hp), and the "7-X" racing option pushed it beyond 155 kW (210 hp). Top speed reached about 180 km/h - an excellent figure for the time.

Transmission and chassis

Buyers could choose a three-speed manual gearbox, a manual with overdrive or a Hydra-Matic automatic; Hudson also offered semi-automatic Drive-Master transmissions. The suspension was independent at the front with coil springs and a rigid rear axle on leaf springs, and all four wheels had hydraulic drum brakes. The handling was the Hornet's great strength.

Racing success

Hornets raced frequently and won many times in the stock-car racing of the early 1950s. Hudson won 27 of 34 NASCAR Grand National races in 1952, 22 of 37 in 1953 and 17 of 37 in 1954. Drivers included Herb Thomas, Dick Rathmann, Al Keller, Frank Mundy and Tim Flock. In the 1952 AAA season, Marshall Teague won 12 of 13 scheduled events in a stock Hornet nicknamed the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet", which made the model famous around the world. The restored original car is now displayed at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum in Michigan.

Second generation (1955–1957)

After Hudson merged with Nash to form American Motors, production moved to Nash's plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 1955–1957 Hornets were built on Nash's platform as saloons and hardtops, with a 3,080 mm wheelbase. Besides the straight-six, they offered a Packard-built 5.2-litre V8 with 155 kW (208 hp) in 1955 and, in the 1956 Hornet Special, AMC's own 4.1-litre V8. Production of the Hornet ended in 1957.

Legacy

The Hornet was relatively affordable when new, and fully equipped cars still cost far less than luxury models of the time. Today it is a sought-after classic, especially in the United States, and some owners still drive their cars. Beyond NASCAR history, it lives on in video games and in "Cars", where Doc Hudson - voiced by Paul Newman - is a former champion who raced as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.