1954 Hudson Hornet Special Series Convertible Brougham

The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit in 1909 and produced Hudson, Essex, and Terraplane automobiles for 45 years. The primary organizer of the company was Roy Chapin, who got his automotive start with R.E. Olds, Detroit department storeowner J.L. Hudson providing financing for the new company, hence the name 'Hudson.' The company merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954 to form American Motors. The Hudson name was subsequently dropped at the conclusion of the 1957 model run.

The Hudson Hornet was introduced in 1951 and became an instant success on the racecar circuit. The 308 cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine with Twin-H Power (dual carburetors) compiled wins across the nation, setting unparallel records. Hudson regularly won NASCAR races from 1951 to 1954 and became NASCAR's champion in those years.

The Hudson Hornet Convertible Brougham was the company's most expensive body style offered in the 1954 model year. This Brougham is finished in the optional color of lipstick red and has 19 options on it. The base price was $3,257, with the total retail price coming to $4,277. The exact production is unknown but has been estimated to be approximately 340 units. About 70 survive today. The present owner purchased this car while still in high school in 1967, at the age of 16. Restoration of this rare Hudson was completed in 1999.