Hornet vs. Hornet Special
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What are the differences between a 54 Hornet and a 54 Hornet Special?
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nothing mechanical, all trim - basically the Special is a long w.b. Wasp (cheap upholstery, exterior trim, chrome, etc.).0
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Basicly, the "Special" was built on the 124" WB, but trimmed inside with the Super Wasp Interior. All of the options that could be had on the Hornet could also be had on the Special. The Hornet Special advertised delivered basic price was $ 228.26 less than the Hornet. Doesn't sound like a lot of money these days, but it did allow customers to purchase the Hornet performance, at a lower price - which at Dad's dealership the difference was usually spent for options like HydroMatic and Twin-H Power.
Jerry
53jetman0 -
No roll out wing windows and no arm rests. There's some legend that it was supposed to be a stripped down model for the racers but that's urban legend I think.0
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Aaron - I agree & understood the Hornet Special a "last gasp" effort to garner a few more sales from the legendary Hornet name.
As it wasn't offered at the beginning of the model year not shown in the big '54 color brochure & many of the ones I've seen had B-W trannies rather than Hydros which was definitely a "turn off" for the performance oriented.
The most unusual one I ever saw I stored for a buddy of mine. It was very low mileage, green with green leather upholstery, and a brougham. I always thought it odd someone would order the cheap model Hornet but with an expensive leather interior (I figured it had to have been ordered as no dealer would order one of those to "floor" that way). As I recall it had a B-W tranny.0 -
Aaron D. IL wrote:No roll out wing windows and no arm rests. There's some legend that it was supposed to be a stripped down model for the racers but that's urban legend I think.
Yes Aaron, Wasp type vent windows, but it did have arm rests just like the Super Wasp.
Old Hudson, the State of Ohio "State Highway Patrol" purchased a fleet of Club Sedans with the leather seats. We serviced two of the cars on a regular basis at our shop in Leipsic OH
Jerry
53jetman0 -
Just imagine a long wheelbase Super Wasp with a 308.
My old 54 Brougham had a Hydra-Matic. Nice car..I always wanted to upgrade all the exterior trim to Hornet parts. The Car Hudson never made.
Speaking of "never made" I saw a gorgeous 49 Commodore Brougham at Pontiac.0 -
For me, the most important aspect of the Special was the availability of the Brougham body style. There hadn't been a 2-door sedan/brougham in the top-tier (Commodore or Hornet) lineup since '41. In my view the Hornet Special broughams look terrific, and I'm not a really big fan of the '54s.0
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My Dad had a 54 Special Brhm .He traded his 51 Super Six Sedan for it . The car was way cool.... Dark green roof and light green bottom with hydro... also had an aluminum head which blew head gaskets until he changed it out for a cast iron... It was a sweet car... He ran that car from 63 until 68 when he bought a 54 hornet club coupe... The Brhm then came off the road and sat for a while on the side of the house until Mom had enough of the lawn ornament... Late in 69 My dad and Uncle ,( who had a side job at a gas station as a Mechanic), took the Coupe and the brhm to the station and swapped tranny's as the coupe had a BW... Then the brhm was no more.... Mom was happy to get her side yard back.... When I was 9, I used to luv playing in the brhm pretending I was a stk car racer... Those were the days..... Wish we had both cars now.... They were both Awesome......0
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Ken Cates once told me he came across a factory bulletin that said Hudson made only 30 1954 Wasp Club sedans (broughams) all in spring green with matching green interior and then stopped production of that model and dedicated all remaining club sedan bodies to the Hornet Special line (probbaly because they were selling better than Wasps.
Probably they were trying to use up supplies before the merger. Esp the supply of green paint.
Ken said he has only ever seen 5 '54 Wasp Club Sedans. I owned one of them briefly and it wound up in Korea last I heard. It was pretty rough I got it from Tim Rogers and he had gotten it form Gus Souza's son.0 -
Was 1954 the only year for the Hudson Special? I thought it interesting that the special model was a toned down version of the Hornet. This is very interesting information. I would have guest the Special model would have been something more special than the Hornet. Goes to show how terminology can be misleading. Thanks for the information.
Lee0 -
That convention seems to be followed in the tractor world, as well- Some makes (Oliver, for one) had a "Special" version of a given model, and it was generally a bare-bones, less expensive version, for the guys who didn't want the "new fangled" stuff. I have a Kubota MX5000 Utility Special, and it has the straight manual trans instead of hydraulic shuttle, etc. It does seem strange that "Special" means "less special".0
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Lee O'Dell wrote:Was 1954 the only year for the Hudson Special? I thought it interesting that the special model was a toned down version of the Hornet. This is very interesting information. I would have guest the Special model would have been something more special than the Hornet. Goes to show how terminology can be misleading. Thanks for the information.
Lee
Lee
Yes, for the original Hudson company, 54 was the only year for the Hornet SPECIAL. AMC continued the use of SPECIAL badging on Hornets as a lower priced version of thier HORNET model. Coupling Hornet power to a cheaper cost body was an attempt to bolster Hudson sales and restore profits.
The word SPECIAL was a marketing term... used in the same context as in a Super Market Sale... i.e. we have our top round on SPECIAL at the same price as hamburger. Or, the SPECIAL at your favorite resturant costs $10 everyday but Mondays when it is available for $7.50.
The birth of the Hornet Special was a marketing action that was taken in hopes of elimination of existing manufacturing stock across model lines. The use of trim (interior and exterior) to manufacture the "SPECIAL" was given credibility via the advertising of the NEW LOWER COST HUDSONS... A SPECIAL...
Ad were released and a dealer marketing campaign conducted... the aim as previously stated was to use up stock from several models through the creation of a "hybrid" model called SPECIAL.
Two advertisements for the SPECIAL can be seen at this location
http://oldcarandtruckads.com/Hudson/54othu01.jpg
http://oldcarandtruckads.com/Hudson/54othu07.jpg
As was stated in an earlier post this ploy included adding the Brougham bodies to the SPECIAL line up... these bodies were originally produced in quantity in an attempt to sell WASP and SUPER WASP units. But the overall sales for Hudson were affected so this abundance of bodies was added to the grouped pieces folded into the SPECIAL line.
In your area there used to be a really nice Black of Maroon painted Hornet Special that plied the streets of Burbank. When I was employed by Lockheed I would occasionally see that car. Bill Albright owned the car several times and I believe was responsible for the stated paint job. A car I would have bought if I could have ever caught up with the owner.
:):) 0 -
Thanks everyone for the information. So, really a 54 Hornet Special was a Hornet that did not have as much trim and a little less quality in the interior. In someways it would be like a 60's Plymouth Roadrunner. The Roadrunner has less trim and less quality in the interior than the orginial Plymouth Satellite. But, this made having a high performance Satellite more affordable to the average person. Same with the Hornet Special.0
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broyer wrote:Thanks everyone for the information. So, really a 54 Hornet Special was a Hornet that did not have as much trim and a little less quality in the interior. In someways it would be like a 60's Plymouth Roadrunner. The Roadrunner has less trim and less quality in the interior than the orginial Plymouth Satellite. But, this made having a high performance Satellite more affordable to the average person. Same with the Hornet Special.
Super analogy... from a former BEEP BEEP owner.
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I really didn't know what the Hornet Special was about 10-12 years ago. At a swap meet I went to in the cars forsale area was a Black and white two tone 54 Hornet Special broughm with a green interior that was not leather.
it was priced good but when I looked under the hood the single 2bbl carb engine had a 262 head on it so I thought it was not the original 308 so I passed on it... shame I didn't know to look at the block for ribs or check out this rare model Hudson back then...
Later,
PaceRacer500 -
PaceRacer50 wrote:I really didn't know what the Hornet Special was about 10-12 years ago. At a swap meet I went to in the cars forsale area was a Black and white two tone 54 Hornet Special broughm with a green interior that was not leather.
it was priced good but when I looked under the hood the single 2bbl carb engine had a 262 head on it so I thought it was not the original 308 so I passed on it... shame I didn't know to look at the block for ribs or check out this rare model Hudson back then...
Later,
PaceRacer50
When I got mine it had the single carb and 262 head. I wasn't even aware of the whole Brougham thing until I got it. I just wanted a 54 two door with manual trans. After a little investigating with Hudson club members and some books, I found out what a rare bird I had.0 -
How about a photo of your 54 Hornet Special Brougham. I love the look of them and have started to think that it might be my next project..... Well next in line after the two that I am working on.0
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Aaron D. IL wrote:Ken Cates once told me he came across a factory bulletin that said Hudson made only 30 1954 Wasp Club sedans (broughams) all in spring green with matching green interior and then stopped production of that model and dedicated all remaining club sedan bodies to the Hornet Special line (probbaly because they were selling better than Wasps.
Probably they were trying to use up supplies before the merger. Esp the supply of green paint.
Ken said he has only ever seen 5 '54 Wasp Club Sedans. I owned one of them briefly and it wound up in Korea last I heard. It was pretty rough I got it from Tim Rogers and he had gotten it form Gus Souza's son.
The following are some of the 54 Wasp, Super Wasp and Hornet Special Brougham pictures I have collected over the years... Note the bodies on the Wasp and Super Wasp and Hornet Special are identical with the exception of the firewall which is indented to allow for the short wheel base set back. The front sheet metal on the Wasp and Super Wasp is the same. The Hornet Special front sheet metal and frame stub are the same as the Hornet.
Pictures: Aaron Ds former 54 Wasp, Ken Cates former 54 Wasp, 54 Wasp that was in Washington State when pic taken, Steve Traut owns this Super Wasp.. picture taken in Utah years ago, Factory picture of a 54 SW. 0 -
The Hornet Special pictures0
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There was one dark green one form Georgia I think at the Nashville National. Surpised I rmembered that or anything other than how hot it was. LOL0
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:cool:Great subject. I will add my two cent worth. I feel that Hudson should have brought out the '54 in '52. I think it would have done well, and the Hornet Special could have been the Commodore. Then in '53 they could have brought out a V/8 and 12 volt system. Nice looking cars, however the dash would still resemble '48-'50. Of course this is way over 55 years ago. Who would know now if the car would have saved Hudson or just delayed the inevitable. Arnie in Nevada0
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Browniepetersen wrote:How about a photo of your 54 Hornet Special Brougham. I love the look of them and have started to think that it might be my next project..... Well next in line after the two that I am working on.
I would post some of mine but I haven't posted a pic in a while here and will have to figure out how to do it again.0 -
Arnie - well I'll relate what at least one dealer & his staff thought in '54: I was in h. s. & worked part time at a dealership in a small town in Ind. The owner, Wayne, had gone to the dealers showing of the new '54 models in Detroit, and as he did each year, drove back in a new one.
When he got into town he drove to the back door of the garage (didn't want prospective clients to see the new car yet), honked the horn, and was let in, driving a new Hornet sedan. He got out of the car & without comment, closed the door & went into his office. One of the mechanics reopened the driver's door & "popped the hood" so we could take a look - what the 4 of us hoped for, a V8, wasn't there. The hood was reclosed & all walked away - all that had been done was paint the engine red, none were interested in the styling changes.
Wayne & the adult employees felt without a V8 Hudson simply would be unable to compete, on the sales floor as well as on the track, & knew there was to be no "light at the end of the tunnel".0 -
What ever became of this car. It was on Ebay when I was shopping for a project (9/08). It was in Louisiana somewhere. I tried to purchase it but someone else got it..0
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