1954 Hudson Cars Fact Sheet

Hudson’s board of directors approved a merger with Nash-Kelvinator on 14 January 1954. This was ratified by shareholders on 24 March 1954, thus forming the new American Motors Corporation on 1 May 1954. Further production of Hudson cars was to be in Nash’s Kenosha, Wisconsin – essentially a badge-engineered Nash, with the last Detroit-built Hudson built on 30 October 1954.

SERIES 2D SUPER JET – SERIES 3D JETLINER – SIX – Block letters spelled out Super Jet on the front fenders of this one-step-up model. Features included hood air scoop ornamentation; horizontal front fender and door moldings; robe cords; wing type rear door ventipanes; front seat back pockets; rear ash tray; courtesy door lights; coat hooks and cigar lighter. Two-tone Green or Blue decorator selected worsted upholstery fabrics; in a handsome check pattern with solid Plasti-hide trim, were used.

The Jetliner was a new, top level offering, externally characterized by Jetliner fender block lettering; rear wheel cover (skirts); Custom wheel discs; rear fender horizontal rub moldings; body .sill highlights; bright rear gravel shields and chrome rear taillight trim. Most Super Jet appointments were included, plus front and rear foam seat cush­ions and smartly pleated Antique White Plastic-hide upholstery with headliner and bol­sters of the same material in Blue, Green or Red. Worsted cloth Super Jet combina­tions were optional at no extra cost.

WASP SERIES 4D – New styling, resembling that of the Jets, was applied to Wasps this year The grille had a heavy, bowed molding tracing the upper radiator opening and a full-width, flat horizontal loop sur­rounding wedge shaped parking lights at each end. The main bar (actually the top of the loop) was ribbed towards the middle and held a triangular Hudson medallion in a finned housing at its center. Behind this bar was an angled plate with four additional, wide-spaced ribs. Block letters spelled out Hudson below the scoop on the nose of the hood. “Wasp” in script was on the front fender tips, above a full-length horizontal rub molding. Two-door hardtops had “Hollywood” in script at the upper rear edge of front fenders.

A panoramic one-piece windshield and protruding tip taillamps were new. Bright metal gravel shields with windsplit vents decorated the sides of rear fenders. Standard equipment on Wasps included fender skirts; cigar lighter; robe cord; front seat back pockets; rear ash tray and special pattern cloth upholstery with Blue or Green Plasti-hide trim.

SUPER WASP SERIES 5D – SIX – Again, new styling, resembling that of the Jets, was applied to Super Wasp Hudsons this year The grille had a heavy, bowed molding tracing the upper radiator opening and a full-width, flat horizontal loop sur­rounding wedge shaped parking lights at each end. The main bar (actually the top of the loop) was ribbed towards the middle and held a triangular Hudson medallion in a finned housing at its center. Behind this bar was an angled plate with four additional, wide-spaced ribs. Block letters spelled out “Hudson” below the scoop on the nose of the hood.  “Super Wasp” in script was placed on the front fender tips, above a full-length horizontal rub molding. Two-door hardtops had “Hollywood” in script at the upper rear edge of front fenders. A panoramic one-piece windshield and protruding tip taillamps were new. Bright metal gravel shields with windsplit vents decorated the sides of rear fenders.

Standard equipment on Super Wasps included fender skirts, cigar lighter, robe cord, front seat back pockets, rear ash tray, large hub caps, front foam seat cushions, Cus­tom steering wheel, passenger assist handles, crank type front ventipanes on Hollywoods and convertibles, courtesy door lights, combination fuel and vacuum pump and two-tone Blue or Green check pattern tweed cloth upholstery with worsted bolster material and Plasti-hide trim. In Super Wasp convertibles Blue, Maroon or Green leather cushions with Plasti-hide side trim was standard. The Super Wasp Hollywood hardtop had Brown, Blue or Green Nylon cord seats with snowflake design cloth uphol­stery and harmonizing Plasti-hide bolsters.

HORNET SPECIAL SERIES 6D – SIX –  They appeared March 19, 1954 at prices $115 to $140 lower than comparable Hornets. They had “Hornet Special” on the front fenders, the Hornet engine and exterior brightwork, but Super Wasp interior trim:  with cigar lighter, robe cord, front seat back pockets, rear ash tray, large hub caps, front foam seat cushions, Cus­tom steering wheel, passenger assist handles, crank type front ventipanes on Hollywoods and convertibles, courtesy door lights, combination fuel and vacuum pump and two-tone Blue or Green check pattern tweed cloth upholstery with worsted bolster material and Plasti-hide trim. In Super Wasp convertibles Blue, Maroon or Green leather cushions with Plasti-hide side trim was standard. The Hollywood hardtop had Brown, Blue or Green Nylon cord seats with snowflake design cloth uphol­stery and harmonizing Plasti-hide bolsters.

HORNET SPECIAL SERIES 7D – SIX – All Hornets seemed a little more like Super Wasps this year, although the longer 124 inch wheelbase was still used. The appearance change to the Jet-like look brought an end to the front fender rocketship ornaments. “Hudson” in script was seen on the fenders, but only the trunk lid had any sort of special badge. As on Super Wasps, two-door hardtops also had “Hol­lywood” in script at the high trailing edge of front fenders, above the full-length horizontal body rub moldings.

Hornets had the Super Wasp equipment, plus the following addi­tions or changes: crank type front ventipanes on all models, cast aluminum ‘high head’, electric clock, foam rubber rear seat cushions, Custom wheel discs, hydraulic window lifts (in convertibles) and special trims. Sedans and club coupes were uphol­stered in 15 percent Nylon worsted Bedford cloth with broadcloth bolsters and Plasti­hide trim in different shades of the same colors, Brown, Blue or Green. The Hornet Hollywood had similarly toned, snowflake design Nylon cord seats with Plasti-hide bolsters. The convertible was done in Blue, Maroon or Green genuine leather (with Plasti-hide side trim) and offered Maroon, Black or Tan tops.

Specific combinations of top colors with car finishes were recommended, but were not considered mandatory. Additionally, the Hollywood hardtop could be outfitted with tri-colored seat and headlining combi­nations of Antique White Plasti-hide and Red, Blue and Green bolsters, at no extra cost.

HUDSON ITALIA – CUSTOM SERIES – SIX – Twenty-six Hudson Italia coupes were built, in 1954 using the Jet platform. The Italia body was styled and built by Carrozzeria Touring, of Milan, Italy, based on original sketches by Hudson’s own Frank Spring. It had aluminum coachwork; functional front fender scoops with brake cooling ducts; wraparound windshield; flow through ventilation; contoured leather bucket seats with three different densities of foam for proper support; deep pile Italian floor carpeting; Borrani wire spoke wheels; white sidewall tires; radio; heater; backup lights and turn signals stacked in Jet-tube pipes tunneled into rear fenders.

The Italia was announced, as a production model, on January 14, 1954, the same day Hudson’s merger with Nash Motors was approved. They were actually designed and custom built as four-passenger Grand Touring ‘image’ cars to steal attention from Chevy Corvettes, Ford T-Birds and Ghia Chrysler show cars. Twenty-five were actually sold as production models, while a coupe prototype and four-door X-161 pilot model were also created. Twenty-one of these cars are known to still exist.

Jet and Super Jet “Twin H-Power” Six: Inline L-head six-cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 202 CID. Bore am stroke: 3.00″ x 4.75″ inches. Compression ratio: 8.0:1. Horsepower: 114 @ 4000 RPM. Torque: 160 @ 1400 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carburetors: Two Carter one-barrel type WA-1 model 749S. (Twin H-Power became a factory-installed production option for 1953 Jets early in the 1953 production run).

Wasp Six: Inline L-head six-cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 232 CID. Bore and stroke: 3.5625″ x 3.875″. Compression ratio: 7.0:1. Horsepower: 126 @ 4400 RPM. Torque: 178 @ 2400 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carburetor: Carter one-barrel type Carter one-barrel type WA-1 model 749S  NOTE: The Super Wasp 262 CID I-6 engine was optional on the Wasp, including the Twin H-Power as an additional option.

Super Wasp Six: Inline L-head six-cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 262 CID. Bore and stroke: 3.5625″ x 4.375″. Compression ratio: 7.0:1. Horsepower: 140 @ 4000 RPM. Torque: 214 @ 1600 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carburetor: 2-barrel WGD Type Model 2115-S.

Super Wasp “Twin H-Power” Six: Inline L-head six-cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 262 CID. Bore and stroke: 3.5625″ x 4.375″. Compression ratio: 7.0:1. Horsepower: 149 @ 4000 RPM. Torque: 226 @ 2600 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Two Carter one-barrel type WA-1 model 2114-S.

Hornet “H-Power Six”: Inline L-head six-cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 308 CID. Bore and stroke: 3.8125″ x 4.5 inches. Compression ratio: 7.5:1. Horsepower: 160@ 3800 RPM. Torque: 264 @ 1800 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carburetor: Carter two-barrel type WGD model 2115-S.

Hornet Twin H-Power Series Six: Inline L-head -cylinder. Chrome alloy block. Displacement: 308 CID. Bore and stroke: 3.8125″ x 4.5 inches. Compression ratio: 7.2:1. Horsepower: 170@ 4000 RPM. Torque: 278 @ 2600 RPM. Four main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carburetors: Two Carter one-barrel type WA-1 model 2113-S.