-
1951 Hudson Hornet
In 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet. It was a full-size sedan with an affordable price and a few interesting features. The first was the sleek design with a sloping roofline that made the Hornet look longer, wider and sportier. The second was the all-new step down construction that merged the chassis and body in one piece. This gave the Hornet a lower center of gravity for better handling.
The third important feature was an improved straight eight-cylinder engine with 308cid and up to 170 HP on tap. All of this gave the Hornet a big advantage on the race tracks. In fact, Hudson dominated the NASCAR races from 1951 to 1954, becoming one of the biggest legends of the sport. In comparison to other models, the Hornet handled better. The big straight eight produced a lot of torque, which also helped with its performance.