No NASCAR legends conversation is complete without the infamous Fabulous Hudson Hornet. This American motorsport icon dominated the stock car field in the early 1950s and inspired the character Doc Hudson from Pixar’s 2006 movie Cars.
Not many people know of the Hornet – these days, most think you’re referring to the Dodge Hornet crossover – or its on-track exploits, so Hagerty has released a new documentary that dives into the vehicle’s incredible back story. Ed Souers, manager at the National Hudson Motor Car Company Museum, believes Hudson didn’t set out to create a race car.
Souers goes into the company’s history and explains how, after World War II, the company was in dire straights. Hudson was forced to continue producing its older body style and only introduced a new model in 1948. But it was only in the ’50s that the “Step Down” model with its unibody design would arrive.
This “Step Down” design provided a lower center of gravity, thereby improving the dynamics and handling of the vehicle.