Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

1954 La Carrera PanAmericana
  • WildWaspWildWasp
    Posts: 412Platinum Member
    1954 La Carrera PanAmericana
    The Jalopy Journal posted an interesting video of this famous race.
  • dougsondougson
    Posts: 601Platinum Member
    Great fun! 1954 was the last year for many years because so many people were killed, including (I think) one of those Lincoln crews. Drivers had to paint their blood types on the doors. Lincoln put a big factory effort into the race and the '52-54 Lincolns have been referred to as the "race lincolns". The 55s were radically restyled and Lincoln never raced again. A factory prepared '54 was for sale recently on Craigs list.
  • jefepetersjefepeters
    Posts: 7Hitchhiker
    Here's a teaser for a future LCP documentary:
    http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/2011/02/future-lcp-documentry-in-works.html

    Looks like there's a '54 Hornet coupe at 5:36.
  • dougsondougson
    Posts: 601Platinum Member
    It is a '54 Hudson, not positive it's a Hornet though.
  • BJ__TNBJ__TN
    Posts: 1,211Platinum Member
    Looks kind of short between the front wheelwell and the front of the door. probably a Short wheelbase WASP
    Bob
  • brumac
    Posts: 195Expert Adviser
    I was looking thru an old Motor Trend from 54? today with an article on the 54 race and I think they said the only Hudson racing was a Super Wasp. I will recheck it tomorrow.
    Bruce
  • jefepetersjefepeters
    Posts: 7Hitchhiker
    I think you're all correct; it is a Wasp. Daryl Murphy's Carrera Panamericana doesn't list any Hudsons in the large stock car class for '54. There is a Hudson Jet listed in the small stock car class, but I wonder if that's a misprint. Both Jets and Wasps were eligible for the "Special Series Stock Category" in '54. I slowed the video down, and it looks like the number on this car was 219, which was the Hudson Jet driven by Malcolm Eckhart.

    I wonder why there weren't any Hornets in the '53 and '54 races? There were a bunch in '51 and '52.
  • brumac
    Posts: 195Expert Adviser
    The magazine I refered to yesterday is "Motor Life", Feb 1955 issue and on page 20 there is a good side view of no. 219, identified as Malcolm Eckart's Hudson Wasp and it is a Wasp, not a Jet. It states that "This was the only Hudson product in the race and it covered the entire distance without trouble." While the magazine lists the overall place of 79 cars, there is no listing for Eckart's Wasp. Maybe an oversight?
    Bruce