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Hudson Hornet
The Hudson Hornet is a full-size car manufactured by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1951 through 1954 model years. When Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson merged in 1954 to form American Motors Corporation (AMC) the Hornet continued to be marketed under the Hudson Division of AMC through the 1957 model year.
The first-generation Hudson Hornets featured a functional "step-down" design with a dropped floor pan and a chassis with a lower center of gravity than contemporary vehicles, which helped the car handle well — an advantage for racing. The Hornet's lower and sleeker look was accentuated by streamlined styling, sometimes called "ponton" styling.
Following the merger that formed AMC in 1954, the Hudson and Nash dealer networks were initially retained; however, Hudson car production was consolidated at the Nash facility. The Hudson models shared common designs and components with the Nash Statesman/Ambassador unibody design. All second-generation Hudson Hornets were restyled Nash automobiles that were badge engineered as Hudsons.
The Hornet, introduced for the 1951 model year, was based on Hudson's "step-down" design introduced on the 1948 Commodore. Unlike a unibody, the design did not fully merge the body and chassis frame into a single structure. However, the floor pan footwells recessed down, between the car's chassis rails, which were, in turn, routed around them – instead of a conventional floor, sitting on top of straight ladder frame rails – a body-on-frame design that later became more widely adopted, and known as a perimeter frame. Thus, one "stepped down" into a Hudson. The step-down chassis and body meant the car's "lower center of gravity...was both functional and stylish. The car not only handled well, but treated its six passengers to a sumptuous ride. The low-slung look also had a sleekness about it that was accentuated by the nearly enclosed rear wheels."
The new Hudson Hornets were available as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a convertible, and a two-door pillarless hardtop. The models were priced the same as the Commodore Eight, which ranged from $2,543 to $3,099.
All Hornets from 1951 through 1953 were powered by Hudson's high-compression straight-six "H-145" engine. It was based on Hudson's previous 262 cu in (4.3 L) "Super Six" that was not only bored and stroked to increase displacement, but "thoroughly over-engineered in the Hudson tradition. a high-chromium-alloy block and other premium features." An electric clock was standard.
A factory-optional "Twin H-Power" featured twin one-barrel Carter carburetors with greater throat area and improved fuel distribution. This upgrade was first available in mid-1951 as a dealer-installed option at the cost of $85.60 (~$1,062 in 2025). At 308 cu in (5.0 L), the L-head (flathead or side-valve) design was the largest displacement six-cylinder engine used in mass-production cars at the time. The twin carburetor version produced 145 hp (108 kW) at 3800 rpm and 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m) of torque.
The engine was also capable of far more power in the hands of precision tuners, including Marshall Teague, who claimed he could get 112 miles per hour (180.2 km/h) from an AAA- or NASCAR-certified stock Hornet, as well as Hudson engineers who developed "severe usage" options (thinly disguised racing parts). The combination of the Hudson engine with overall road-ability of the Hornets, plus the fact the cars were over-designed and over-built, made them unbeatable in competition on the dirt and the very few paved tracks of the 1950s.
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Hudson Hornet
The Hudson Hornet is a full-size car manufactured by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1951 through 1954 model years. When Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson merged in 1954 to form American Motors Corporation (AMC) the Hornet continued to be marketed under the Hudson Division of AMC through the 1957 model year.
The first-generation Hudson Hornets featured a functional "step-down" design with a dropped floor pan and a chassis with a lower center of gravity than contemporary vehicles, which helped the car handle well — an advantage for racing. The Hornet's lower and sleeker look was accentuated by streamlined styling, sometimes called "ponton" styling.
Following the merger that formed AMC in 1954, the Hudson and Nash dealer networks were initially retained; however, Hudson car production was consolidated at the Nash facility. The Hudson models shared common designs and components with the Nash Statesman/Ambassador unibody design. All second-generation Hudson Hornets were restyled Nash automobiles that were badge engineered as Hudsons.
The Hornet, introduced for the 1951 model year, was based on Hudson's "step-down" design introduced on the 1948 Commodore. Unlike a unibody, the design did not fully merge the body and chassis frame into a single structure. However, the floor pan footwells recessed down, between the car's chassis rails, which were, in turn, routed around them – instead of a conventional floor, sitting on top of straight ladder frame rails – a body-on-frame design that later became more widely adopted, and known as a perimeter frame. Thus, one "stepped down" into a Hudson. The step-down chassis and body meant the car's "lower center of gravity...was both functional and stylish. The car not only handled well, but treated its six passengers to a sumptuous ride. The low-slung look also had a sleekness about it that was accentuated by the nearly enclosed rear wheels."
The new Hudson Hornets were available as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a convertible, and a two-door pillarless hardtop. The models were priced the same as the Commodore Eight, which ranged from $2,543 to $3,099.
All Hornets from 1951 through 1953 were powered by Hudson's high-compression straight-six "H-145" engine. It was based on Hudson's previous 262 cu in (4.3 L) "Super Six" that was not only bored and stroked to increase displacement, but "thoroughly over-engineered in the Hudson tradition. a high-chromium-alloy block and other premium features." An electric clock was standard.
A factory-optional "Twin H-Power" featured twin one-barrel Carter carburetors with greater throat area and improved fuel distribution. This upgrade was first available in mid-1951 as a dealer-installed option at the cost of $85.60 (~$1,062 in 2025). At 308 cu in (5.0 L), the L-head (flathead or side-valve) design was the largest displacement six-cylinder engine used in mass-production cars at the time. The twin carburetor version produced 145 hp (108 kW) at 3800 rpm and 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m) of torque.
The engine was also capable of far more power in the hands of precision tuners, including Marshall Teague, who claimed he could get 112 miles per hour (180.2 km/h) from an AAA- or NASCAR-certified stock Hornet, as well as Hudson engineers who developed "severe usage" options (thinly disguised racing parts). The combination of the Hudson engine with overall road-ability of the Hornets, plus the fact the cars were over-designed and over-built, made them unbeatable in competition on the dirt and the very few paved tracks of the 1950s.
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