The Hudson Hornet's flathead straight-six displaced a massive 308 cubic inches — the biggest six-cylinder engine in any mass-production car of its day.
Lead trim: Hornet 308 cu in I6 Twin-H (145 hp at 3800 rpm) · up to 170 hp
Hudson Hornet1951–1954
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Hudson Hornet yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Hudson Hornet's flathead straight-six displaced a massive 308 cubic inches — the biggest six-cylinder engine in any mass-production car of its day.
The first-generation Hudson Hornet (designer Frank Spring; 1950 production, model years 1951–1954) was a full-size car built on Hudson's "step-down" design with a dropped floor pan inside the chassis rails and a low centre of gravity, which helped it handle well and made it nearly invincible in stock-car racing (it dominated NASCAR from 1952 to 1954). All Hornets from 1951 to 1953 used Hudson's high-compression straight-six "H-145", a bored and stroked 262 cu in Super Six enlarged to 308 cu in (5.0 L), the largest six-cylinder used in mass production at the time; the Twin-H-Power version with twin one-barrel Carter carburetors made 145 hp at 3800 rpm and 275 lb-ft (a dealer-installed option in mid-1951 for $85.60, standard for 1952 with 7.2:1 compression) and Marshall Teague claimed 112 mph from a certified stock Hornet. For 1954 the Hornet was restyled to match the Jet and power rose from 145 to 170 hp, tunable to 210 hp with the "7-X" racing parts. Model-year production: 43,666 for 1951, 35,921 for 1952 and 27,208 for 1953. Wheelbase 124 in, length 208 in, width 77.5 in, height 60 in, curb weight 3,620 lb.
Collectors Spotted in the Hudson Hornet Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Hudson Hornet yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornet 308 cu in I6 (170 hp, 1954) | 1954–1954 | 5.0 L Inline-6 | 170 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Hornet 308 cu in I6 Twin-H (145 hp at 3800 rpm) | 1951–1953 | 5.0 L Inline-6 | 145 hp | 275 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
After Hudson merged into AMC, every 1955-57 Hornet was secretly a restyled Nash underneath — badge-engineering so complete that nobody noticed the shared bones.
The Hudson Hornet's flathead straight-six displaced a massive 308 cubic inches — the biggest six-cylinder engine in any mass-production car of its day.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.