1954 La Carrera PanAmericana

Unknown
Unknown
edited March 2011 in HUDSON
1954 La Carrera PanAmericana
The Jalopy Journal posted an interesting video of this famous race.

Comments

  • dougson
    dougson Senior Contributor
    Great fun! 1954 was the last year for many years because so many people were killed, including (I think) one of those Lincoln crews. Drivers had to paint their blood types on the doors. Lincoln put a big factory effort into the race and the '52-54 Lincolns have been referred to as the "race lincolns". The 55s were radically restyled and Lincoln never raced again. A factory prepared '54 was for sale recently on Craigs list.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited March 2011
    Here's a teaser for a future LCP documentary:
    http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/2011/02/future-lcp-documentry-in-works.html

    Looks like there's a '54 Hornet coupe at 5:36.
  • dougson
    dougson Senior Contributor
    It is a '54 Hudson, not positive it's a Hornet though.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Looks kind of short between the front wheelwell and the front of the door. probably a Short wheelbase WASP
    Bob
  • brumac
    brumac Expert Adviser
    I was looking thru an old Motor Trend from 54? today with an article on the 54 race and I think they said the only Hudson racing was a Super Wasp. I will recheck it tomorrow.
    Bruce
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I think you're all correct; it is a Wasp. Daryl Murphy's Carrera Panamericana doesn't list any Hudsons in the large stock car class for '54. There is a Hudson Jet listed in the small stock car class, but I wonder if that's a misprint. Both Jets and Wasps were eligible for the "Special Series Stock Category" in '54. I slowed the video down, and it looks like the number on this car was 219, which was the Hudson Jet driven by Malcolm Eckhart.

    I wonder why there weren't any Hornets in the '53 and '54 races? There were a bunch in '51 and '52.
  • brumac
    brumac Expert Adviser
    The magazine I refered to yesterday is "Motor Life", Feb 1955 issue and on page 20 there is a good side view of no. 219, identified as Malcolm Eckart's Hudson Wasp and it is a Wasp, not a Jet. It states that "This was the only Hudson product in the race and it covered the entire distance without trouble." While the magazine lists the overall place of 79 cars, there is no listing for Eckart's Wasp. Maybe an oversight?
    Bruce
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