1952 Hudson Hornet NASCAR Coupe

The Hudson Hornet dominated stock car racing and won over 80 NASCAR races between 1951 and 1955. The Hudson's low center of gravity, 'mono-built body', and center point steering contributed to the car's outstanding cornering and handling characteristics. The 308 cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine developed great torque at low engine RPM. This engine, combined with overall road-ability, plus the fact these cars were over-engineered and overbuilt, made them unbeatable in competition on the dirt and the very few paved tracks of the 1950s. Hudson was the first automobile manufacturer to get involved in sports car racing. By NASCAR rules, Hudson dealers made 'Severe Usage' parts available to the public as they were used in NASCAR competition. In response to driver requests, Hudson engineers developed dual carburetors systems (Twin H-Power), dual exhaust manifolds for racing only, several optional camshafts, heavy-duty suspension parts, and engine mounting kits. There were 132,000 Hudson Hornet models produced from 1951 to 1954; the Club Coupe amounted to only 7% of production.

This is the former Herb Thomas NASCAR stock car. It was given to Herb Thomas by the Hudson Motor Car Company and raced in 1952 and 1953. Hudson was the first automobile company to realize the value of racing for improving the performance and durability of their products. The program was administered by Hudson engineer V.W. 'Vince' Piggins. He would leave Hudson after American Motors was formed and head up Chevrolet's performance division when the 'small block' Chevrolet V8 models were introduced in 1955.