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I guess the Hornet lives on.


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It never crossed my mind until just now that the AMC Hornet was a nod to the Hudson Hornet. Even though I've been familiar with both cars for years, I just never thought about it. 

 

The AMC version had far less success in NASCAR. 

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There was the Wolseley Hornet from across the pond, the 1930's versions predating Hudson's use of the name.   https://www.wolseleyregister.co.uk/wolseley-history/pre-war/hornet-hornet-special/

 

The 1960's Wolseley Hornet, which was a lengthened Austin Mini with a bigger trunk, was more popular.  https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-riley-elf-and-wolseley-hornet

 

Craig

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2 hours ago, EmTee said:

Green Hornet:

Green Hornet and Kato - "Black Beauty" - Digital Collections - Free Library

To take this into old car realm before someone barks, what car was the TV show Black Beauty based on before Dean Jeffries worked his magic? To the show's credit it was a luxury car purchased off a dealer lot, not a historically significant factory show car as the Batmobile originally was.

 

While we're about it, the GH radio serial had a "statement car" too- a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr.

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7 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:

It never crossed my mind until just now that the AMC Hornet was a nod to the Hudson Hornet. Even though I've been familiar with both cars for years, I just never thought about it. 

 

The AMC version had far less success in NASCAR. 

But a Hornet SC/360 properly outfitted could rumble with the best of them on the streets...

 

A fellow on one of the Olds boards went to a big AMC gathering this summer and posted pictures of a SC/360, a Rebel Machine and a Hurst SC/Rambler. Hairy beasts that surprised a lot of mainstream musclecars.

 

AMC was rather like Buick in that regard. They had some formidable machinery but a lot of their dealer network had no idea how to order or sell it. But when they did...

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36 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

To take this into old car realm before someone barks, what car was the TV show Black Beauty based on before Dean Jeffries worked his magic? To the show's credit it was a luxury car purchased off a dealer lot, not a historically significant factory show car as the Batmobile originally was.

 

While we're about it, the GH radio serial had a "statement car" too- a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr.

It was an Imperial, a 1966 sedan. They made 2 of them and one survives in the Peterson Museum

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2 hours ago, Hudsy Wudsy said:

I've mentioned it before on these forums, but I'll mention it again, the Hudson Hornet, as well as the Hudson Wasp, were named for distinguished WWII fighting vessels, not menacing flying insects.

I thought the Jet was code named "Bee".

 

Craig

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3 hours ago, Hudsy Wudsy said:

I've mentioned it before on these forums, but I'll mention it again, the Hudson Hornet, as well as the Hudson Wasp, were named for distinguished WWII fighting vessels, not menacing flying insects.

Thank you, Hudsy Wudsy, for this important reminder,

lest some lose the understanding of why WWII was fought,

and potentially lose appreciation and maintenance of democracy.

 

Our 1915 Hudson is decades pre-Hornet,

but I recall hanging on the fence of Linden (NJ) Airport in the early 1950s,

watching USAC, the early races of what became NASCAR,

where Hudson's Hornets prevailed over my preferred Oldsmobiles, assembled just across US-1 at GM's B-O-P Linden Plant.

1915 Hudson with Dale in Savannah Georgia Reliability Tour.jpg

1915 Hudson 9 Savannah Tree Tunnel.jpg

1915 Hudson 5 Savannah Gregory Neck.jpg

Edited by Marty Roth
add comments and photos (see edit history)
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4 hours ago, Hudsy Wudsy said:

I've mentioned it before on these forums, but I'll mention it again, the Hudson Hornet, as well as the Hudson Wasp, were named for distinguished WWII fighting vessels, not menacing flying insects.

I have a picture of a new Wasp in front of the docked ship.

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