The American motor industry of the Fifties is remembered as a time of prosperity and glamour, dominated as it was by the Big Three carmakers. For the last few remaining independent carmakers, times were harder and the twilight was approaching. The eventual demise of Nash, Hudson, Packard, Studebaker et al, was sad for a number of reasons, not least because their products were arguably the most interesting. Nash, for example, experimented with aerodynamics in the pursuit of economy and efficiency, while Hudson’s postwar party trick was its ‘Step-Down’ design for enhanced safety, comfort and handling.
Though Hudson had a 50-year life from 1908 to 1957, its name was forgotten by many until Disney gave everyone’s memory a jog with its 2006 film Cars. For many enthusiasts, the star of the film was Doc Hudson, aka the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, who had been a NASCAR star in the
