Photo: nekollena sales/eBay
In 2022, Dodge gave the Alfa Romeo Tonale a makeover and launched it as the Hornet. It was its first compact SUV since the Nitro. The crossover also revived the Hornet name after 45 years. American Motors previously used it on a compact car. However, AMC wasn't the first company to sell an automobile under that name. Hudson did it first in the early 1950s.
The company's most iconic nameplate, the Hornet, isn't all that hot and sought-after nowadays, but it was one of the most innovative rigs of its time. Launched in 1951, it was based on Hudson's "step-down" design, which debuted on the 1948 Commodore. Featuring floor pans recessed between the chassis rails, the layout enabled a lower center of gravity. The latter also allowed Hudson to use a more streamlined body.
In addition to the low-slung appearance and the smooth handling, the "step-down" architecture made the Hornet fast and agile. Powered by a 308-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) inline-six good for 145 horsepower, the Hornet became the car to beat in NASCAR from 1952 to 1954. It won 66 Grand National races in three years, becoming the second "King of NASCAR" after the Oldsmobile "Rocket" 88.
Introduced while Hudson was still an independent automaker, the Hornet was also produced under American Motors ownership. It remained on the assembly line for three more years after Hudson and Nash merged to form AMC in 1954. However, the second-generation model was built on a Nash platform.
Come 2024, the first-gen Hornet isn't getting much love outside the Hudson fan club. And it's one of the main reasons many examples are rotting away in junkyards and barns. Survivors are quite rare. The green example you see here is one of the lucky Hornets that took decades of storage like a champ.
Unearthed in Shandaken, New York, this 1953 four-door sedan was parked for good in 1991 and did not see daylight again until 2023. It spent a whopping 32 years in a barn. And while that's enough to turn an old car into a rust bucket, this Hornet resurfaced as a fabulous survivor.
Well, the Hudson did get a repaint before it was parked, so it's not 100% original, but at least it was refinished in a correct 1953 color. The hue looks a lot like Surf Green, one of 11 paints Hudson offered that year. Other than that, this Hornet appears to be all-original inside the cabin and under the hood.
The latter hides the iconic 308-cubic-inch "Twin-H-Power" inline-six that powered the Hornet to 66 NASCAR wins. The mill returned to life after an oil change, tune-up, and new water and fuel pumps. It's one of those classics that needs a bit of TLC (and new brakes) to become road-worthy again.
This Hornet has already found a new home, so perhaps it's already getting the necessary repairs. It also got away for cheap, at no more than $8,900. Needless to say, the first-generation Hudson Hornet remains one of the most underrated 1950s classics.
In addition to the low-slung appearance and the smooth handling, the "step-down" architecture made the Hornet fast and agile. Powered by a 308-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) inline-six good for 145 horsepower, the Hornet became the car to beat in NASCAR from 1952 to 1954. It won 66 Grand National races in three years, becoming the second "King of NASCAR" after the Oldsmobile "Rocket" 88.
Introduced while Hudson was still an independent automaker, the Hornet was also produced under American Motors ownership. It remained on the assembly line for three more years after Hudson and Nash merged to form AMC in 1954. However, the second-generation model was built on a Nash platform.
Come 2024, the first-gen Hornet isn't getting much love outside the Hudson fan club. And it's one of the main reasons many examples are rotting away in junkyards and barns. Survivors are quite rare. The green example you see here is one of the lucky Hornets that took decades of storage like a champ.
Unearthed in Shandaken, New York, this 1953 four-door sedan was parked for good in 1991 and did not see daylight again until 2023. It spent a whopping 32 years in a barn. And while that's enough to turn an old car into a rust bucket, this Hornet resurfaced as a fabulous survivor.
Well, the Hudson did get a repaint before it was parked, so it's not 100% original, but at least it was refinished in a correct 1953 color. The hue looks a lot like Surf Green, one of 11 paints Hudson offered that year. Other than that, this Hornet appears to be all-original inside the cabin and under the hood.
The latter hides the iconic 308-cubic-inch "Twin-H-Power" inline-six that powered the Hornet to 66 NASCAR wins. The mill returned to life after an oil change, tune-up, and new water and fuel pumps. It's one of those classics that needs a bit of TLC (and new brakes) to become road-worthy again.
This Hornet has already found a new home, so perhaps it's already getting the necessary repairs. It also got away for cheap, at no more than $8,900. Needless to say, the first-generation Hudson Hornet remains one of the most underrated 1950s classics.
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