Lot #54: Vintage 2005 Franklin Mint / 1951 Hudson Hornet Club Coupe / Limited Edition 2,500 / 1:24th Scale - Cream & Root Beer

In 1951, the first Hudson Hornet turned stock car racing upside down with its breakthrough "step-down" design that hugged the road and a legendary six-cylinder high-compression engine that tore up the track. Heres your chance to own the legend that spawned every low-slung speed racer on the circuit today. See the legendary Hornet engine, re-created right down to each spark plug wire. Hand-assembled from more than 185 separate components. In the first half of the decade, it completely dominated AAA racing and was a favorite among young hot rodders because its powerful engine left most others still sitting at the light. Yet the Hudson Hornets conservative looks belied its high-performance reputation, looking more like an ordinary, everyday family automobile than the powerful vehicle it proved to be. 

 The Hudson company began producing automobiles in 1909 and, by 1951, its demise was imminent. (The company expired in 1957, two years short of its 50th anniversary.) However, 1951 witnessed the introduction of what proved to be Hudsons most popular offering of allthe Hornet! The Hornet retained Hudsons monocoque construction with the Step-Down design that placed the floor of the car on the same level as the chassis, and which surrounded passengers within the strong frame girders and provided a very low center of gravity which optimized handling. It was the Hornets 308 cubic inch engine, however, that separated the Hornet from the rest of the competition. The 308 cubic inch engine was Hudsons largest six-cylinder engine available, and while it claimed 145 horsepower, in the hands of a skilled mechanic could be coaxed to produce much more. Indeed, it was this adaptability that made the Hornet the darling of stock car and drag racers. Shortly after its introduction, the Hornet was available with severe usage options and ultimately with Twin-H Powerthe first twin manifolds available on a sixcylinder engine. The Hudson Hornet was available for less than a decade, but its impact on American automotive history was daunting. In its initial years, it was virtually invincible on the stock-car racing circuit and the latter years of its run saw an array of innovative enhancements. For nearly fifty years, the Hudson name was among the leaders of American automobile manufacturers and as the marquees name grew less important in the 1950s, the Hornet remained the shining beacon, reminding everyone of the greatness that the Hudson name once implied. Now, the classic Hudson Hornet is re-created in an authorized precision-engineered 1:24 scale replica, crafted by Franklin Mint Precision Models. From the swept-back, low, wide and handsome styling to the Twin-H Power six-cylinder engine under the hood, your 1951 Hudson Hornet is a showpiece that you will admire for years to come.