Tuesday 16th October 1951

Hudson introduced the Hornet, and put some sting into the step-down design. The Hornet was built with a 5 litre flat head in-line six cylinder motor, producing generous torque and a substantial amount of horsepower. And it was with this popular model that Hudson first entered stock car racing in 1951. After ending their first season in a respectable third place, Hudson began a three-year domination of the racing event. In 1952 alone, Hudson won 29 of the 34 events. A key factor in Hudson’s racing success was the innovative step-down design of their cars. Because of their lower centres of gravity, Hornets would glide around corners with relative ease, leaving their clunky and unstable competitors in the dust.