The Hudson Hornet. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Famous both in its own right as a popular car of the time, both as a passenger vehicle and a racing car, and latterly with movies, the Hudson Hornet is the model by which the now defunct Hudson Motor Company is best known. Under the Hudson Motor Company marque the Hornet was produced between 1951 and 1954, and from 1955 to 1957 it was a model of the American Motors Corporation (AMC). The AMC models were based on a Nash Motors design, a brand that amalgamated with Hudson to form AMC.

The first model Hudson Hornet, in 1952, employed the Hudson’s trademarked ‘Monobuilt’ construction method first used in the 1948 Hudson Commodore. This construction method saw a strong, light external frame, higher than the interior floor, so the driver and passenger ‘stepped into’ the car. It also gave the Hornet a pleasing design, along with a low center of gravity, making it an attractive choice as a racing car.

In 1951 the Hornet range expanded, available in two-door coupe, four-door sedan, a convertible and a hardtop coupe, with the prices ranging from $2,543 to $3,099. Powering the car was Hudson's straight-six H-145 engine, that at 308 cu in (5.0 L), was the "largest [displacement] six-cylinder engine in the world". It was also an engine that was very tuneable, adding to the use of the Hornet as a racing car in the AAA-, or NASCAR-certified racing. One engine tuner, Marshall Teague, claimed he could get the Hudson Hornet up 112 miles per hour.

In 1952, Hudson upped the power of the engine from 145 horsepower to 170, via the standard Twin H-Power block. Add to this the inherent tuneability of the engine, and the Hudson Hornet was the car to beat in stock car racing. This was the year that Marshall Teague called his car the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. In all in 1952 the Hornet won 12 of the 12 AAA races, and 27 of the 34 NASCAR Grand National races. The original Fabulous Hudson Hornet can be seen, fully restored, at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, in Michigan. The museum site was formerly the location of Miller Motors, the last of the Hudson car dealers to exist.

In 1954, in response to the cars of the Big Three - General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler - Hudson revised the Hornet. Amongst the changes were to the a squared-off rear of the car, more chrome on the fenders, and a modern dash and instrumentation. It still only ran a six-cylinder engine, standard as 308 cu in (5.0 L) producing 160 hp, or as a 170 hp  "Twin-H-Power" (7-X) optional upgrade..

For all its initial promise, the Hudson Hornet over time From 1951 to 1954, sales of the Hornet dwindled - 43,656, 35,921, 27,208 and 24,833 respectively. What was an initial design and sales plus, the Monobuilt frame, came to hold the car back. Other manufacturers were able to more easily tweak their designs for a new look each year, whereas with the Hudson design was held back due to construction methods.

After the merge with Nash in 1954, and the formation of American Motors Corporation, the name Hornet continued to be used, on what was a Nash design. The range was cut, with the Hornet available only as a sedan and hardtop, the previous options of coupe and convertible discontinued. For the first time the Hornet was available with a V* engine, the Packard-built 320 cu, producing 208 bhp.

The name Hudson Hornet did continue to be associated with innovation and design. Features added from 1955 to 1957 included the widest front seats of its competition, ‘Weather Eye’ heating and ventilation with optional air conditioning, along with advances in suspension, braking and maneuverability.

However, by 1957 even though the innovation had continued, and the Hudson was still considered by contemporary automobile journalists to still be an excellent car, it was too late in terms of the public, and of sales. The 1957 Hudson Hornet saw sales of only 3,108. Production of the Hudson Hornet was halted on June 25, 1957.

In recent times, the name Hudson Hornet has had something of a resurgence in popularity, primarily due to the 2006 Pixar movie, “Cars”. One of the major characters in this animated film was Doc Hudson, voiced by Paul Newman, in what was his final role. Doc Hudson was a 1951 Hudson Hornet, later revealed in the movie to be the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.

Talk show host, and noted classic car collector Jay Leno, has also pushed the profile of the car, naming the 1951-1954 Hudson Hawk models as one of his top ten in a list of America's most collectible cars.