1954 was sort of the end of the line as everybody knew it for the original Hudson Motor Car Company, which began manufacturing automobiles in Detroit all the way back in 1909. Or maybe it’s fairer to say ’54 was a new beginning, as that’s when they merged with Nash-Kelvinator and formed American Motors Corporation, who later went on to bring us a few fond memories like the Javelin and AMX, along with a pretty cool V8 powered Gremlin along the way. But back to our featured car, this 1954 Hudson Hornet Club Coupe here on eBay has undergone some custom touches and seems like a really fun cruiser, so if you’ve been in the market for a full-size mid-fifties Detroit offering this one might be worth checking out. The car is up in Lakeland, Minnesota, with bidding having reached $12,100 but still shy of the reserve, or you can own it today for $25,000.
Perhaps the first detail trained eyes may zero in on is the Hornet’s stance, which isn’t too radically different from the factory specs but it’s been lowered a tasteful amount, one-and-a-half inches to be exact both in the front and rear. It’s also been shot with a matte black finish, and I understand that purists may not appreciate the paint style or suspension drop, but overall, I think the combo works OK on this body. The small amount of history we get for the Hudson is that it came from out west and is rock solid, with the only stated exterior blemish being a previous repair over the driver’s side wheel well that’s started bubbling, which the seller claims should be an easy fix. The wheels are powder coated and also have a new set of tires on them.
There was no V8 engine available for the ’54 Hornet, but this one’s an exception as a 327 Chevy has found its way under the hood here, although we get little information about the small block other than it came out of a 1967 vehicle. It’s connected to a rebuilt Saginaw 4-Speed manual transmission, with the excitement continuing out back as there’s a sure grip posi with 3.73 gears. The seller also vouches for the car’s dependability, stating he wouldn’t hesitate to trust driving it across the country.
A considerable amount of work has also been done inside, and not only does it score high on appearance but looks quite comfortable too, with an under-dash A/C unit added to help keep things cool. We also get to see several photos from the undercarriage, which all seem to show that the car’s solid nature extends down below, plus the fuel tank was recently cleaned and new brake lines were installed. This one seems like a really fine driver and I’m curious whether or not some eager enthusiast may just go ahead and hit the buy-it-now button. Is 25 grand reasonable for what you’re seeing here?
Nice! Not a major fan of flat back but but love everything else about this one.
Kinda sad seeing the original mill gone, but this is really neat. Love the 4spd. and that interior looks top notch and A/C. I don’t think you could make one this nice for 25 grand. You could enjoy this day one.
Lose the SBC ! Reinstall the correct Twin H-Power Hudson engine. They ran strongly in 1950s stock car events.
Wonder what possessed them to go to the black matte finish? It would look so great in a simple black.
Matte black is like white in that it can be used to hide not so straight body repairs. Glossy black would make so-so body work very obvious. I’m not a fan of matte black. It seems a bit out of date these days.
Nice car but it is unfortunate they have wrecked –sorry– lowered the suspension. Oh well that ould be fixed. Morley
Make mine with Twin H power and shiny paint please.
Amen, brother !
He’s got some real money tied up in the interior and rechromed bumper. A/C is a huge plus.
I would have preferred it to keep everything in the family with a Twin H or, if you really felt the need to re-power, maybe a 390 or 401 AMC motor. Overall, I’m liking the job done here despite the matte finish. Nice interior too. I can’t imagine any way to build this for $25k. Wish I could afford it.
This was done up correctly. Nice car!
Agreed. enjoy it as it is.
In 1992 I bought a black 1950 Hudson sedan and immediately had it repainted using original Hudson Dupont paint chips for two-tone gray. Black is great for hearses, not Hudsons. I also had a 1954 Hudson Hollywood hardtop Super Wasp but got rid of the engine in favor of a 308 Hudson Hornet engine. With the automatic transmission, the engine swap made no difference, the car was slow. So I like the upgrade in this Hudson. Strange to see a Hudson lowered since they stood low as it is. But maybe it makes a difference when you stand next to the car instead of judging from just pictures. $25K in today’s inflated car market is a good deal. It shows that Hudsons still are not popular with the general collector population. Rarely see a stepdown at any car shows. Most of the guys in the Hudson Club that I knew would roll over in their grave if they new this Hudson did not still have the orginal engine. Maybe they might accept dropping the 1957 327 Nash engine into it?
Hmmm, 327 and Saginaw 4 speed match GMs muscle, but “Sure Grip” is a MOPAR brand name as “Positraction” is GMs. Is it an 8 3/4″ MOPAR Suregrip? If so that is one of the strongest rears around, equal to the Ford 9″ and GMs 12 bolt. :-) Terry J