Hudson Hornet

Hudson Hornet Limousine (1952), front view ...

... and rear view

Hudson Hornet Cabriolet (1951)

Hudson Hornet Club Coupe (1951)

The Hudson Hornet ( "Hornet") was a passenger car model of the upper class , which the Hudson Motor Car Co. in Detroit , Michigan has made, from 1951 to 1954. Subsequently, from the Hudson Motor Car Co. and built Nash Motors emerged by fusing American Motors Corporation (AMC) the Hornet under the brand name Hudson until the 1957th

Model series

1951-1954

The Hornet was introduced in model year 1951 and was based on Hudson's "step-down" design, which was introduced in model year 1948 with the Hudson Commodore . The new cars were available as two- and four-door sedans , coupes and convertibles . The “Step Down” design combined the frame and body (by welding) into one component (“Unibody”). The footwell of the “Step Down” models was embedded between the frame supports instead of - as was customary up to then - placed on the frame supports. This is how the passengers descended into the Hudson - hence the name.

The Hornet had the Hudson H-145 L-Head - rows - six-cylinder engine with 5047 cc (308 in³) displacement with vertical valves ( SV ), high compression , and a twin carburettors , of the 145 hp (107 kW / made) at 3800 min and Torque of 373 Nm . At that time, this in-line six-cylinder was considered the car engine with the largest displacement per cylinder in the world. In 1952 the "Twin-H-Power" version (Twin Horse Power) of this engine was introduced, which had two single carburetors and a double intake manifold and thus made 170 hp (125 kW), 25% more than the standard version. With the later available “7-X” options, this engine could be brought up to 210 HP (154 kW) at the factory.

In 1952 and 1953, the Hornet received minor cosmetic changes and still looked similar to the 1948 Commodore , but visibly differed in a number of details. The 1953 year was the last with the two-part straight windshield and could be ordered for the first time with the two-speed automatic transmission of the Hydra-Matic type, which had only been introduced a year earlier.

It was not until 1954 that the Hornet was thoroughly redesigned, which was a difficult undertaking as the “Step Down” design with the frame around the footwell required a certain body shape, and so an extensive tool exchange was necessary. The Hornet from 1954 also got a new interior with a new dashboard and paneling, which looked surprisingly modern for its time. Although the Hornet was in no way inferior to its contemporary competitors in terms of styling and design, this modernization came too late to sustainably improve sales figures.

In the last year of construction 1954 as an original Hudson, there was still no V8 engine available, the standard 5-liter SV six-cylinder was actually no longer up to date, but it now developed at least 160 hp (119 kW), the racing-inspired “Twin-H-Power” version, 170 PS (127 kW), available ex works on request.

43,656 Hornets were manufactured in model year 1951, 35,921 in model year 1952 and 27,208 in model year 1953. In the last year before the merger of the Hudson Motor Car Co. with the Nash-Kelvinator Company to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC), 24,833 Hornets were produced built.

1955-1957

Hudson Hornet Series 80 Sedan (1957)

Hudson Hornet Hollywood Coupe (1957)

In its last three model years, the Hornet was a product of the American Motors Corporation (AMC), newly founded in 1954 . In late 1954, the Hudson manufacturing facility in Detroit was closed and all Hudson model production was relocated to Kenosha , the Nash factory in Wisconsin . From then on, all Hudsons were based on the large Nash models, but had a special Hudson styling.

In 1955 the Hudson appeared as a conservatively designed car. Sedans and hardtop coupes were offered, but no convertibles. For the first time in its model history, the Hornet was available with a V8 engine .

The AMC management decided to give the Hornet more character in the 1956 model year and designer Richard Arbib was commissioned with the design. He gave the Hornet and Wasp models a look that was unique in the 1950s and called "V-Line Styling". He was inspired by the triangular Hudson logo and repeated its V-shape in all possible places on the inside and outside of the car. Combined with a three-color finish, this styling was unique and immediately noticeable. This striking appearance, however, did not convince the buyers, and so the sales figures fell from 13,130 units in 1956, 8152 units in the half year before the styling change and only 4978 units in the period after.

The solution for the company management was to add more ornaments to the "V-Line" in 1957, e.g. B. small fender fenders above the rounded rear panels to boost sales again. However, customers reacted with only 3,108 orders.

Production of the Hornet ceased on June 25, 1957. At the same time AMC gave up the name Hudson (and also Nash) and all cars were called Rambler from then on . The successor to the Hornet was the Rambler Ambassador in 1958 .

epilogue

In 1970, AMC took up the name Hornet again for the new compact car that replaced the Rambler American (see AMC Hornet ).

Racing successes in the NASCAR and AAA series

Fabulous Hudson Hornet

During 1952, Hornets driven by Marshall Teague , Herb Thomas and Tim Flock won 27 NASCAR races. In the AAA series, Teague drove a specially constructed Hornet, which he called the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet", to 14 victories in the same season. Hudson won 40 of the season's 48 races, a percentage of 83%.

Movie

In the 2006 film Cars , Paul Newman lent his voice to a Hornet named "Doc Hudson" who won three "Piston Cups" in the 1950s. During the film, he helps the racing car Lightning McQueen win an important race.

swell

John Gunnell (Ed.): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Krause Publications, 1996, ISBN 0-87341-096-3 .
John A. Cond: The American Motors Family Album. American Motors Corporation , 1987, ISBN 1-111-57389-1 .

Web links

Commons : Hudson Hornet - collection of pictures, videos and audio files