$6,400
The Hudson Hornet is a full-sized automobile manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company from 1951 to 1954. By May of 1954, Hudson agreed to a merger with Nash-Kelvinator, and the three parties renamed themselves becoming American Motors Corporation. The Hornet was then manufactured under AMC until 1957. In 1951 the Hornet was selected as Car of the Year by automotive journalist Henry Lent.
The Hudson Hornet is a full-sized automobile manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company from 1951 to 1954. By May of 1954, Hudson agreed to a merger with Nash-Kelvinator, and the three parties renamed themselves becoming American Motors Corporation. The Hornet was then manufactured under AMC until 1957. In 1951 the Hornet was selected as Car of the Year by automotive journalist Henry Lent.
Hudson Hornets were designed with a highly unique “step-down” design which featured a dropped floor pan and a chassis with a lower center of gravity. Compared to contemporary vehicles, this design gave the Hornet a massive boost in handling, which became an even greater advantage when racing. Unlike more traditional unibody designs, the step-down design never fully merged the body to the chassis frame. Instead, the floor pan footwells were recessed down in between the car’s chassis rails. This in turn meant that passengers literally “stepped down” into the Hornet, which is how the design earned its name. Hollywood in the name is a way of calling the model a hardtop, and today’s example sports a 5.0L inline-six engine mated to a three-speed transmission.
The exterior of this Hornet was done in a two-tone cream and metallic brown paintjob. We are happy to observe no major damage around the outside, but there are some areas that exhibit minor wear and tear. There do seem to be some paint bubbles on the front end of the car, the bottom of the driver’s door and on the passenger front fender. However, all the paint bubbles are very small. If the bubbles are being caused by corrosion, they are most likely in the earliest stages of this process if at all. The logos have faded over the years, specifically the Hudson logo up front and the 'Commodore 6' badges on each of the front quarter panels. It will probably be easiest to just replace them versus attempting to refurbish them. Chrome around the car from the window trim down to the hubcaps is solid. The undersides of the grille do seem a little dirty, though it is unclear whether a decent power wash or a full rechroming will do the trick to fix it. There are very few wrinkles in the chrome, the only imperfections are in the trim going down the sides of the car, which sometimes have issues lining up perfectly. Furthermore, there is a piece of chrome trim over the passenger side windows that has come loose from the car and hangs off the side towards the rear. This piece of trim was pinned down for most of the photoshoot, but it is visible in some of the pictures below. Likely a simple fix. There are a handful of paint chips in the panel gaps, and it should be noted that both the hood and the trunk are having trouble lining up correctly.
The interior of this Hornet is undeniably dated, but it appears to be in nice condition. Brown-scale vertical stripes add depth to the seats and door panels, while deep, rich, aged brown leather coats the upper halves of all the seats. Dark brown doesn’t stop there either, as the color is also used on the aluminum face of the dashboard, and on the semi-glossed wooden inlays that rest atop both door panels. All of this is brilliantly tied together with a red Bakelite steering wheel which adds a fantastic pop of color while simultaneously toning down all the various patterns and materials inside. The half-leather half-cloth bench seats look great both up front and in the rear, and no seat shows any holes or tears. Signs of creasing are also minimal at best. The chrome used around the inside is in decent condition, but it would certainly look nicer if all the pieces were properly polished. All of the gauges are clean and easily readable and that can also include the logo in the center of the steering wheel which has been preserved quite nicely. The wooden inlays on each door have several small chips in each and while this is disappointing it isn’t surprising. The headliner is also complemented by three chrome ribs that span the top. The chrome ribs are straight, and the headliner hangs tightly while also showing very little stains if any. The sunshades also hang properly in place.
We are pleased to report that this Hornet Hollywood coupe has no major damage hiding underneath. The frame and floorboards are solid, suspension components all appear to be in proper order, and the exhaust shows very little discoloration. There is a section by the passenger front wheel that appears damaged. We believe the piece in question is either fiber glass or some form of either fire or sound proofing, and that its condition is not necessarily a direct result of corrosion. Under the hood, we are elated to find that it shares nothing in common with the undercarriage. The engine bay is near spotless, and none of the components within appear to be heavily damaged.
Based on the documents available to us, we believe the seller took ownership of the car sometime in October of 2014. Based on the condition of the car, it is abundantly clear to us that this Hornet has been lovingly stored away and preserved since then.
The Hudson Hornet is an American icon. It was popular during its hey day thanks to its surprising level of racing pedigree and then its subsequent dominance in the founding years of NASCAR racing. Modern usage of the Hudson Hornet in uber-popular children’s movies have also cemented the image of the vehicle in much of today’s youth as well. We believe multi-generational appreciation of the car will cement the Hornet’s legacy in the minds of millions as an iconic American car for decades to come, which will surely help values rise for the cleanest examples. Today’s model on offer is clean both inside and out, but some TLC will really take this Hudson back to its former glory. We are abundantly confident this speedster will have little issues hitting its $10,000 - $20,000 estimate.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS
It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.
We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.
Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.
