Why Hudson didn't produce a V-8

ESSX28-1

I am quite interested in the discussion that Nevada Hudson & Bob Ward are having & so would prefer to see it continued in this Forum.

ArkieJazz

Even Rolls Royce discovered that 9 main bearing technology created a smooth running but very lethargic engine....hardly what Hudson clientele was accustomed to or would accept.
Dollar for dollar, the cars offered up by HMC were far and away the best value in the American market place. You can talk about Olds V8's but compare the quality and handling characteristics of the Olds to the senior series Hudson of the same year. Talk about Cadillac all you want, but look at the price difference.
Hudson was closer to offering up a V8 than many are aware. There were extensive and very serious talks with the LeRoy engine company to build a V8 designed by Hudson engineers. The deal fell apart when LeRoy fessed up that they couldn't come close to the number of units Hudson was asking for. Sure, management made a few mistakes just as all the other companies did. With a company as starved for cash as Hudson was, it was just darned near impossible to hide them.
I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I love my '54 Hornets. I think they represent the epitome of what the stepdown Hudson could be.

[Deleted User]

At the time of the merger Hudson was out of money and had a antiqued factory. Nash pretty much dictated the terms. There wasn't much Hudson could do to the stepdown body without totally retooling and they didn't have the money for various reasons. I owned a 54 Hornet sedan with power steering and brakes and thought it was a great car. It didn't have the flash styling like GM but was built far better and more dependable. Hudson had the highest percent of return buyers of any car built. The pressure put on the independents by the big three was tremendous and when the independents started to buy parts from factories that had been bought by the major car companies the game was over. When Dinah Shore sang--See the USA in your Chevrolet--(If you could stand to ride in one for very long) and the Independents could hardly afford an ad in the local newspaper. The cost of advertising per unit produced was much, much lower for the Big three. You have to advertise no
matter the quality to stay in business. You can make a pile of crape and if you continuely tell the public how great it is pretty soon they will believe it.

53jetman

I'll testify to the comment of customer loyalty. The big problem was getting them to trade more often. Our average customer traded about every nine years. But, the loyalty came through after the 1955s came out. Over the period of January thru July 1955, we were able to deliver only 5 new 1955 Hudsons, and nine Ramblers. We had many, many customers come in and demand that we find them a new 1954. We were running all over the midwest buying up left over 54's to satisfy our demand. It got to the point that by the second or third time we approached a dealer or a marshaling yard that had any inventory at all of left over 54's they started wanting a premium for the car we were doing them a favor of taking off of their hands. It got to the point that the only way you could get what you wanted at AMC's published clearance price was to have cash in hand - a check or certified check was not good enough! Oh, those were the days ! ! ! !

[Deleted User]

53 jetman. I remember my father taking his 51 Super 6 in to look at the 55 Hudson and the salesman begging him to trade it in on the 55. He didn't and later found out he had of list of people who had came to him and wanted a clean older Hudson if someone traded one in. In 56 my father finally weaken and bought a 56. He drove it about 6 months and took it back and traded down to a 49 Hudson until a clean 54 Hornet came on the lot. I bought the 49 coupe from my dad and he bought the 54 and we were both happy. lol