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1951 Hudson Hornet Series 7A

Hudson's top-of-the-line model for 1951 was the new Hornet. It was essentially a Commodore with Hornet identification, distinguishable features, and a high-performance 308 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine.

Hudson introduced their 'step-down' bodies in 1948, which continued through the 1954 model year. 'Step Down' referred to Hudson's placement of the passenger compartment down inside the perimeter of the frame. As the passengers entered the vehicle, they stepped down into a floor that was surrounded by the perimeter of the car's frame. Hudson described its body and frame construction as a 'monobloc' or unit body, one of the first in the United States auto industry. The overhead height of the car was 60 inches.

Distinguishable features setting the Hudson apart from the Commodore included a chrome- and gold-plated 'Skyliner Styling' hood mascot. Inside were deluxe robe hanger handgrips along with tailored pockets on the back of the front seat. On each front door valance panel were Hornet H-145 medallions. Rocket ship-shaped Badges of Power could be found on the front of the bodyside rub moldings and on the trunk.

Bodystyles included the sedan, club coupe, convertible brougham, and the Hollywood hardtop. During its introductory year, Hudson produced a total of 43,666 examples of the Hornet.

The Hudson Hornet rested on a wheelbase that measured 123.8 inches and was powered by a 308 CID six-cylinder engine offering 145 horsepower. The all-new H-145 flathead six produced more horsepower than the new OHV V-8s offered by Oldsmobile and Cadillac and nearly 20 horsepower more than the luxurious Hudson Commodore Eight (which wore the Hudson Super Six Custom body). The bigger engine was available exclusively in the Hornet in 1951 and featured an aluminum 'Power Dome' cylinder head and higher compression at 7.2:1, making it the largest and most powerful six-cylinder engine in an American car. A single two-barrel carburetor fed fuel into the engine.

In late 1951, dealers began offering Twin H-Power, becoming a factory option in 1952. Twin H-Power replaced the single two-barrel carburetor with two one-barrel carburetors feeding through individual manifolds, and horsepower rose to 160 hp with 257 lbs-ft of torque.

With the powerful H145 engine, the Hornet was a fearsome competitor for NASCAR and AAA stock car racing. They won more races and championships between 1951 through 1954 than any other manufacturer. Known as the 'Fabulous Hudson Hornets,' these cars won 13 races in 1951, 49 races in 1952, and 46 in 1953, together with the 1952 and 1953 NASCAR championships.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Brougham
Chassis number: 7A112278

In 1948 Hudson made a very important design contribution to the automotive community by introducing the 'step down' body style. By 1952 they had claimed 10 of 11 stock car Grand Nationals as the dominant 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet' raced through the mid-1950s generating strong commercial success.

There were only 500 Hudson Hornet convertibles produced in 1951, and this example is one of them. It is finished in burgundy with a dark red leather interior and black power convertible top. It was treated to a body-off restoration during the mid-1990s and has remained in good condition since. It has been carefully preserved in a climate-controlled showroom and traveled a mere 1,600 miles, all in dry weather. The car has traveled 61,250 miles since new.

There is a 308 cubic-inch L-head six-cylinder engine with Twin H power, dual carburetors, and a dual manifold induction system. It has a high compression '262' cylinder head which helps boost the power to 180. The gearbox is a dual Range Hydramatic automatic unit and there are four-wheel drum brakes.

This 1951 Hudson Hornet Convertible was offered for sale at the 2007 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, where it had an estimated value of $80,000 - $100,000. It was offered without reserve. The estimated value proved accurate as the lot was sold for $93,500.

In 2010, this Hudson Hornet Convertible was offered for sale at RM Auctions 'Automobiles of Amelia Island' sale in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was estimated to sell for $75,000 - $100,000 and was offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car was sold for the sum of $99,000, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

THE FIRST TEAGUEMOBILE HUDSON HORNET

Club Coupe
Chassis number: 7A129177

This car is an authentic replica of the first of Marshall Teague's racing Hudson Hornets. The first Hornet had a racing career of three months, ending in Martinsville, Virginia in May 1951. Succeeding 'Teaguemobile' Hornets were NASCAR and AAA stock car champions, and in the years from 1951, when the Hornet debuted with a victory at Daytona, through 1954, Hornets won everywhere. Hudson's racing success in what was strictly 'Showroom Stock' was based on Stock' was based on three factors:

1) A well-engineered, good-handling design.

2) A supply of 'Severe Service' parts developed for racing and available to the public at Hudson dealers. (this was a first for an American manufacturer).

3) Marshall Teague and his team, based in a garage in Daytona, Florida. It was Teague who knew what he needed and worked with Hudson's engineering staff to develop a winner.

Teague, as team owner, mechanic, driver, and sportsman, was universally admired as a gentleman. The motivation to build this replica of Teague's first Hornet was to bring both Teague and Hudson back for motoring enthusiasts to remember or discover.

Teague was killed in a race car in 1599, but we hope that this replica, and his widow Mitzi's scrapbooks, will help keep his memory alive.

Hornet Wins

Date Track Course Type

1. Feb 11 Daytona, Fl 4.1 mile beach and road

2. April 28 Gardena, CA Half mile dirt

3. April 22 Phoenix, AZ One mile dirt

4. Canfield, OH 200 laps half mile dirt

5. July 1 Grand Rapids, Mi 200 laps half mile dirt

6. Sept 3 Darlington, SC Southern '500' paved

7. Sept 15 Langhorn, Pa One mile dirt

8. Sept 23 Charlotte, NC Three quarter mile dirt

9. Oct 7 Hillsboro, NC One mile dirt

10. Nov 4 Jacksonville, Fl Half mile dirt

Convertible Brougham

The Hornet was the new top-of-the-line Hudson in 1951. Power came from a high-performance 308 cubic-inch, 145-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine.

In 1948 the company launched its 'step-down' bodies, which lasted through the 1954 model year. The term step-down referred to Hudson's placement of the passenger compartment down inside the perimeter of the frame; passengers stepped down into a floor that was surrounded by the perimeter of the car's frame. In another innovative approach, the radio antenna was located on the windshield header.

Within the total production of 132,000 in 1951, not many convertible coupes were built, and even fewer were fitted with the 'Twin H' race engine. Used sparingly for a number of years and with only 48,000 original miles, this car was stored in Utah until discovered in its original state. A no-holds-barred complete restoration began as the car was restored to its original factory correct color and correct interior.

It seems very fitting that this restored car's very first public showing was in Michigan, where the Hudson Motor Company's history began. It was shown at the 2008 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance.

Club Coupe

Not only did the 1950s mark the first decade in NASCAR's illustrious history, but the decade also saw NASCAR's pioneers emerge as champions and then as legends. The point contenders were every bit as special then as the Jeff Gordons and Dale Jarretts of today; only true contenders found themselves in the thick of the race for the championship at season's end.

The 1950s brought the sport drivers like Tim Flock, Red Byron, Lee Petty, and Fireball Roberts. All three names would be forever linked with Stock Car racing into the next decade and beyond.

As one of the most notable years in NASCAR history, 1959 saw the running of the first Daytona 500, a rookie named Richard Petty established himself as a future champion, and the crowning of the first three-time NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) champion.

Marshall Teague (1922-1959) drove his fabulous Hudson Hornet in selected NASCAR events during the 1951 and 1952 seasons. Teague approached the Hudson Motor Car Company by traveling to Michigan and visiting their plant without an appointment. By the end of the visit, Hudson virtually assured Teague of corporate support and cars; the relationship was formalized shortly thereafter. Teague was also instrumental in helping Hudson tune the inline six-cylinder-powered Hudson Hornet to its maximum stock capability.

He nicknamed his Hudson Hornet the 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet.' When combined with the car's lightweight and low center of gravity (because of its monocoque body), the Hornet allowed Teague and the other Hudson drivers to dominate various stock car racing series from 1951 through 1954, consistently beating other drivers in cars powered by larger, more modern engines. Teague and his crew chief Smokey Yunick won 27 of 34 major stock car events, including seven NASCAR races. Teague left NASCAR during the 1952 season in a dispute with NASCAR's owner Bill France, Sr.

Teague was awarded the 1951 AAA Stock Car Driver of the Year and the 1952 and 1954 AAA National Stock Car Champion while driving in the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.

by Gilmore Museum

Convertible Brougham
Chassis number: 7A71472

Hudson Hornet Twin H-Power Convertible Brougham was treated to a three-year restoration. It is finished in light metallic gold with a beige and green leather interior. It has the Twin H-Power carburetor setup, dual range Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, power windows and power convertible top, radio, heater, and the distinctive Hudson sun visor mounted on the windshield frame. It rides on chrome wire wheels and period-correct wide whitewall tires.

The all-new H-145 308 cubic-inch flathead inline-six engine produced 145 horsepower, which was more than the new OHV V8s offered by Oldsmobile and Cadillac. It offered nearly 20 horsepower more than the Hudson Commodore Eight - with the Hudson Super Six Custom body. The engine was offered exclusively in the Hornet in 1951. The H-145 engine had an aluminum 'Power Dome' cylinder head and higher compression at 7.2:1, making it the most powerful and largest six-cylinder engine in an American car. Fuel was fed to the engine via a single two-barrel carburetor.

The Twin H-Power was a dealer-installed option in late 1951 before becoming a factory option in 1952. Twin H-Power replaced the single two-barrel carburetor with two one-barrel carburetors feeding through individual manifolds.

Hudson described the construction of the body and frame as a 'monobloc' or unit body, one of the first in the United States auto industry. The design was introduced in 1948 as the Hudson 'Step Down' style that placed the floor panels inside a wide perimeter frame, lowering the seats and creating a spacious interior. The overall height of the car was just 60 inches.

With the H145 engine, the Hornet was a fearsome competitor for NASCAR and AAA stock car racing. With Twin H-Power and additional tuning of the H145 engine, Hudson Hornets won more races and championships between 1951-1954 than any other manufacturer. The 'Hudson Hornets' won 13 races in 1951, 49 races in 1952, and 46 in 1953, together with the 1952 and 1953 NASCAR championships.

The Convertible Brougham accounted for only 551 cars out of a total of 44,000 Hornets produced in 1951.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Brougham
Chassis number: 7A1095781

In 1948, Hudson's innovative 'step-down' chassis with the foot wells recessed between the widened chassis rails was an early expression of the 'unit body' concept, which merged the body and frame in a single, welded unit. The rear chassis rails passed outside the rear wheels, which was in contrast to the other American automobiles of the era. The Hudson's rear fender skirts were not just a stylistic embellishment but were functional. These step-down Hudsons were just five feet high and were among the fastest, best-handling cars traversing the motorway.

In 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet model. It brought with it a new Super Six engine which had been introduced in the step-down model in 1948 but enlarged to 308 cubic inches. It was the most powerful Six on the market, and soon it dominated the race track, winning six first-place finishes on the NASCAR circuit.

This Hornet Convertible Brougham left Hudson's Detroit facility with its iconic step-down body in 1951. It is believed to have been a California car since new, later making its way to Al Saffrahn of Maricopa, Arizona, in the late 1990s. In 2008 it was sold to Mark Whalen of Fenton, Michigan, and purchased by its current caretaker in 2012.

This convertible has been carefully and thoroughly restored. It was stripped down to bare metal and was re-painted in black with a reupholstered Maroon leather interior. It has maroon carpeting, a correct leather-grain dash, and a new smart black convertible top.

This Hudson rides on Kelsey Hayes wire wheels. It has a paint-matched sun visor, driver-side spotlight, and Hudson's Twin-H Power intake. It has a 308 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine, Twin H-Power carburetors, and a Hydramatic Dual-Range transmission. There is an independent front suspension and four-wheel drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Brougham
Chassis number: 7A122578
Engine number: 122578

The 'step down' design on the Hudson models allowed for a lower center of gravity and was one of the reasons the Hornet was a successful race car, especially in NASCAR 'stock car' racing. The Twin H-Power system, with its higher compression ratio and the help of dual Carter single-barrel carburetors, helped boost the flathead six from its original rating of 140 horsepower to 170 hp.

This Hornet convertible brougham is one of approximately 500 examples built. It is believed to have been built in September 1951. It has been given a restoration and finished in what is believed to be its original color combination of Newport Gray with Maroon leather upholstery and matching carpeting, a correct leather-grain dashboard, and a new black convertible top with maroon piping.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Brougham
Chassis number: 7A-49142

This Hudson Hornet 6 'Twin-H Power' Convertible Brougham is powered by a 308 cubic-inch L-head six-cylinder engine fitted with the Twin H-Power intake system with two Carter one-barrel carburetors and delivering 170 horsepower. There is a Hydra-Matic drive automatic transmission and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Its wheelbase measures 124 inches. It is one of as few as 550 examples produced in 1951. This example was built in January. It was purchased by its current caretaker, the Hostetlers, at the Hershey Swap Meet in 1987 from Eric Brill of New York and then fully restored by Pat and Jan Appenzeller in 1988-1989. It is finished in red over red leather upholstery and fitted with a white canvas top and matching boot cover. It has chrome wire wheels and wide whitewall tires. The car is well-equipped with options and accessories, including a steel sun visor, dual-view mirrors, a Hudson-scripted Unity spotlight, a clock, a heater, a pushbutton radio, and power windows. Additionally, there are wind deflectors on the vent widows and a period Fulton traffic-light viewer atop the dash.

by Dan Vaughan

Custom Convertible
Chassis number: 7A-94373

The new 'Step Down' Hudson 'Monobilt' unitized frame/chassis was an early development of the 'unit body' concept. This combined the body and frame into a single, welded unit. In contrast to other American automobiles of the era, the rear chassis rails passed outside the rear wheels. This advanced setup, allowing for low ride height and low center of gravity, helped Hudson excel in NASCAR competition. The 'Step Down' Hudsons were among the best-handling and fastest vehicles of the era.

The Hornet was introduced in 1951 and came equipped with a 308 CID inline six-cylinder engine, the largest-displacement Hudson powerplant for 1951. With 145 horsepower on tap, it was also the most powerful 'six' on the market in America.

This particular example is a 1951 Hudson Hornet 6 Custom Convertible. It was customized into a parade car by a restoration shop in Oklahoma for movie work. In 1991, it was acquired by Eldon Hostetler at auction, where it was offered for sale on behalf of John Soneff of Denver, Colorado.

This car has unique, deeply scooped doors, a cut-down windshield, modified rear fenders, and a 'Continental' style spare-tire kit mounted at the rear. It has a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, a heater, a pushbutton radio, and auxiliary gauges.

by Dan Vaughan

Club Coupe
Chassis number: 36282

This 1951 Hudson Hornet two-door coupe is equipped with a 308 cubic-inch L-head inline six-cylinder engine with twin Carter WA-1 carburetors and develops 160 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. There is a three-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes with mechanical backup.

After the current caretaker acquired this Hudson in 2002, it was treated to a restoration in the styling of Disney/Pixar's Doc Hudson (from the 2006 animated feature film, Cars). Its livery combined the 'Fabulous' moniker used by Hudson's factory-sponsored stock car racing team of the early 1950s with details from Doc's cinematic backstory as a three-time Piston Cup Champion.

This Hudson was used as a promotion vehicle for the original Cars film, as well as subsequent films in the franchise. It has attended numerous Disney•Pixar Cars film premieres and events.

by Dan Vaughan

Club Coupe

The Hudson Hornet, introduced for the 1951 model year, was based on Hudson's 'step-down' design that was first seen in the 1948 model year on the Commodore. Unlike a unibody, the design didn't fully merge the body and chassis frame into a single structure, but the floorpan footwells recessed down, in between the car's chassis rails, which were, in turn, routed around them. This lowered the car's center of gravity and improved handling and ride. This example features the 'Twin-H Power' 308 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine rated at 145 horsepower, backed by a three-speed manual transmission. The combination of the engine and the overall road-ability of the Hornets, plus the fact that these cars were well-engines and over-built, made them unbeatable in competition on the dirt and the very few paved tracks of the 1950s.

The Hudson Motor Car Company came into existence in 1909 and produced vehicles until 1957. It was created by Howard Coffin, George W. Dunham, and Roy E. Chapin. Based in Detroit, Michigan, the company had its most successful year in 1929, when it produced and sold over 300,000 vehicles. From 1942 through 1945, the Hudson Corporation did its patriotic part by manufacturing war materials, such as naval engines and aircraft parts, during the Second World War. After the war, the Company had its share of ups and downs before it merged with Nash Motors in January of 1954, when it became known as American Motors. The Hudson plant closed while the production of Nash vehicles bearing Hudson badges continued. The brand name ceased to exist after 1957.

In 1951 Hudson introduced the Hornet. The Hornet sat atop a modified version of the Super Six chassis and was outfitted with a 262 and 308 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder power plant. It dominated the NASCAR circuit in the early fifties. In 1952, it won 27 NASCAR Grand National races, 22 in 1953, and 17 in 1954.

The car sat low, giving it an excellent center of gravity. Its flowing, curvy lines and enclosed rear wheels gave it aerodynamic features. The car sold well for the company when first introduced but slowly faded into the history books. The Big Three auto manufacturers were able to change the faces of their model line-up every year, but the Independent Auto Manufacturer, Hudson, was not. So by the time the Hudson was discontinued, it was feeling and looking its age.

A wonderful car with seating for six and featuring an L-head straight-six coupled with Twin-H Power carburetors was enough to breathe life into the Hudson Company for only a few years. The company had lasted through two World Wars and the Great Depression, but it would ultimately find its demise at the hand of low-cost, mass-produced automotive giants.

by Dan Vaughan