AUTO MUSEUM ONLINE

Featured is a 1957 Hudson Hornet Sedan.

The year 1957 would be the final one for Hudson.The Hudson Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan had a long life producing automobiles and light trucks. The company started in 1909 and survived until 1954.

In 1954 Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation. Hudson had seen serious sales declines ever since 1951 and was only kept afloat by Korean War military contracts. Many say that Hudson suffered sales losses mostly because the automaker did not offer a V-8 engine.

As a result of the merger the Hudson vehicles were no longer produced out of Detroit but now out of the Nash factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Not only was the production site changed but also many of the Hudson models themselves disappeared.

American Motors cut the Hudson lineup. Models removed included the Rambler, Wasp and Hornet Special. These models had featured a total of ten different body style. The Hornet Super Sedan model was no longer available. All Hudson Hornets during 1957, the last year of the Hudson name, were V-8’s. Available models were the four door sedan and the Hollywood two door coupe.

1957 Hudson Hornet Styling

The 1957 Hudson Hornet shared the same basic structure with the Nash Ambassador, This is the reason the model was sometimes referred to as a “Hash”  The much smaller  Hudson Hornet lineup included only two body styles, a four door sedan and the Hollywood two door pillarless hardtop.

There are certainly detractors as to the styling for the last Hornet series, 55-57. Some of the observations say the styling looks gaudy or the automobile does not look like anything built by Hudson. Yes, the last Hornets perhaps looked for like a Nash, but the car was produced from a Nash plant and American Motors Corporation as a whole were calling the shots. It probably would have been unwise to continue with a past Hudson design.

The stylists put chrome it seems anywhere they could. You have to remember though that liberal use of chrome was not uncommon at all during 1957. Take a look at the 57 Buick or 57 Chevy and you’ll see plenty of chrome. We like the styling of the 1957 Hudson Hornet and believe it’s very representative of the latter part of the 1950’s regardless of the fact that it was made on a Nash Ambassador frame.  We believe that the 1957 Hudson’s looked best in tri-tone color scheme.

1957 Hudson Hornet Specifications

The 1957 Hudson Hornet was built with the new to market 327 cubic inch American Motors V8 with a Carter four-barrel carburetor delivering 255 HP.

This was the only engine offered with the 57 Hudson. A Packard V-8 was offered in the Hudson Hornets in 1955 and 1956 putting out 209 HP.

Transmissions were three and four speed manuals with an option for a four speed General Motors Hydra-Matic.

Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drums.

Dimensions included a 121.3 inch wheelbase, overall length 209.3 inches, 78.0 inch width, 60.4 inch height.

Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below…

1951 Hudson Hornet

1936 Hudson Deluxe Eight

1947 Hudson Three-Quarter Ton Pickup

Reference material for this article includes..Hudson: The Story of the Hudson Motor Car 1909-1957 by Ted W. Mayborn…Hudson 1946-1957 Performance Portfolio by R.M. Clarke…Complete Book of Collectible Cars by the Editors of Consumer Guide.

1957 Hudson Hornet Collector Car Popularity

The 1957 Hudson Hornet like the beautiful one featured here is a rare automobile. There were only 4,100 Hudson Hornets produced for the 1957 model year. In addition to the fact that the 1957 model was the last year of this historic nameplate, the 57 Hudson’s also had the new American Motors 255 HP V-8.

Current asking prices for a restored 1957 Hudson Hornet Sedan are generally in a range from about $23,000 to $35,000 depending on miles, originality and degree and age of restoration.

(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)