NASCAR fans will recall the furor that Hudson Motor Co. stirred up in the 1950s with the Hudson Hornet. The Hornet won more than 60% of NASCAR races in 1952-54. Perhaps lesser remembered was the Wasp, which rode on a shorter wheelbase and used a less powerful inline-6 engine. The seller has a 1954 Wasp 4-door sedan, produced in the year that Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors. In good running condition with decent cosmetics, this buzz of a car is available in Tappan, New Jersey, and here on craigslist for $9,500. An attaboy goes to T.J. for the cool tip!
The Wasp was in production across two generations from 1952 to 1956. They were totally different cars in layout, so the later Wasps were nothing like the earlier ones. The seller’s 1954 edition is from the final year of the first generation. The 1955 and 1956 Wasps continued to be sold as Hudsons as AMC began to wind down the Hudson and Nash makes. A 232 cubic inch I-6 powered the Wasp, while the Super Wasp got 30 more cubic inches. No mention is made of the seller’s car being a Super. A “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission should be part of the package.
In 1954, a Hudson Wasp was one of 85 out of 150 automobiles that finished the tough Carrera Panamericana endurance race that covered more than 1,900 miles in less than 24 hours. This was a testament to the durability of these Hudson products. Production numbers for the 1954 Wasp range from 11,600 to 17,800 units (maybe model year vs. calendar?). The seller’s blue ’54 looks pretty good overall with 62,000 miles to its credit. The paint job is a redo from the 1970s.
We’re told the auto runs well and has new raised white letter tires (which makes it look tougher than a 4-door sedan might otherwise appear). The brakes are also new. A supply of replacement and extra parts reside in the trunk to help you keep this vintage orphan running. The solid condition of the car, which has unibody construction, might be credited to undercoating from its early days. How about getting your “Buzz” on with this 72-year-old Wasp!
I would imagine that the Wasp two door coupe or the Hollywood Hardtop would be the more desirable models, but this could be a nice buy for an orphan car fan at a price that won’t break the bank. These step-down Hudsons have always had that reputation of being well-built.
Even though it is a 4 door I would cruiser around in this one and the price seems fair.
4 doors is the way to go…too bad it’s too many miles away!!!