A question for the experts

[Deleted User]

Okay, I know I'm getting into the realm of Hudsonkid but I have a question for the experts. Was there a Hornet convertible in the Hash years. I know there was a Hudson convertible in the Metropolitan but I don't see any referrences to a Hornet convertible, or a Wasp cv. Does such a beast exist?



Harry

Unknown

You can be the first if you'll get out the Sawzall and hack off your car's roof. As far as I know, there were no official Hash convertibles.

Unknown

I think there was a 55 Hudson project car on ebay a year or so ago the someone cut the top off of a hollywood. I thought it looked kind of neat.

super651

Harry, back in the early 60s we were watching the Steve Allen Show and at that time they would go out back in the parking lot of the Studio and all kinds of acts would take place. One night we were watching when this Stunt Man was going to drive a car up this Ramp-at-Speed and crash it DEAD CENTER into the Top of another car. The car that he would drive up the ramp at speed was a 1955 Hudson Convertible,YES a Convertible. It was a very nice one and WE Think that it was a 4-door with the Top folded down at the rear just like that factory would have done it. It showed the complete car and it WAS A NICE ONE.

If you or know someone that could get Copys of the Steve Allen Shows it would show all af the outside Stunts that were done in back of the studio. I and the wife was watching at the time we both said, no not a hudson, but yes it was and the wrecker hauled them both away with the 55 stuck in the front seat of some brand x car.

That is our story and we are sticking to it.

Hope someone can help you find the clip on this event.

Hudsonly Rudy.

Unknown

Guess this brings up another question - is a Hudson Metropolitan considered a Hudson by the Hudson owners on here , after I got the Hudson coupes my girl friend wanted a Metropolitan and we found a 55 Hudson Metro. and bought it

[Deleted User]

To me yes, my friend who collects Metros and restores them tells me the Hudson Metro was American made and the others were imported from England. I don't know if he knows what he's talking about but it sounds good. If he had a Hudson Metro I would buy it from him just to have one, and I don't really like Metros.



Harry

Unknown

No converts ever made on the Nash body shell. As far as the Hudson Metros, yeah they probably put the Hudson emblems on over here!

[Deleted User]

That shows the inovation of the AMC big wigs, now all the American car makers make their cars in Mexico and put the labels on here, AMC were 40 years ahead of the rest with the Metro.



Harry

hudsontech

Harry Hill wrote:

That shows the inovation of the AMC big wigs, now all the American car makers make their cars in Mexico and put the labels on here, AMC were 40 years ahead of the rest with the Metro.



Harry

AMC was pretty much ahead of everybody in body styles too. I'm referrning to the 60's American, Classic and Ambassadors. AMC designers designed the Classic line - then upscaled it into the Ambassador and downscaled it into the American. It was a few years later before anybody else did it (I think it was Chrysler.)



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Unknown

Harry Hill wrote:

To me yes, my friend who collects Metros and restores them tells me the Hudson Metro was American made and the others were imported from England. I don't know if he knows what he's talking about but it sounds good. If he had a Hudson Metro I would buy it from him just to have one, and I don't really like Metros.



Harry

All of the Metros were made in England , this one has a made in England tag . After working on this one , Im not sure they deserve the Hudson name plate . If you owned a Metro and drove it , Id bet you really wouldnt care for them . The girl friend thinks " it so cute " the guy we got it from - his wife thought " it was so cute " and I agree they are pretty cute .

[Deleted User]

Oh no, say it isn't true. My friend was full of ca ca? Someone told me something that wasn't true? This changes my whole outlook on Metro owners.



Harry

Unknown

Harry Hill wrote:

Oh no, say it isn't true. My friend was full of ca ca? Someone told me something that wasn't true? This changes my whole outlook on Metro owners.



Harry

Maybe he's not- and I am ????? drive his Metro if you get a chance - see if Im right about what they are like to drive . I havent driven a Hudson sense I was 8 yrs old . Im not a judge on them but this fall I met a 53 Twin H Hornet up in the Bear Tooth mountains .( them is real mountains ) I talked to the guy about driving his Hornet up there - he acted like it was no big deal .

Browniepetersen

I have worked on a few Metro's over the years... Never one with the Hudson Badge. I had a thing going for a while turning them into convertibles. They were an easy project. I kinda like them. They are well built for what they are. The best one that came out of the shop was a red Packard-Metro.

[Deleted User]

Harry Hill wrote:

To me yes, my friend who collects Metros and restores them tells me the Hudson Metro was American made and the others were imported from England. I don't know if he knows what he's talking about but it sounds good. If he had a Hudson Metro I would buy it from him just to have one, and I don't really like Metros.



Harry

Not true. ALL 104,000+ Metropolitans were built in England by Austin Motors under contract to (originally) Nash Motors, beginning in 1953 (a 1954 model car). At the merger/creation of AMC, Mets were built as American Motors cars, but sold as Nash and Hudson Metropolitans, up through the 1957 model year. Once the Nash/Hudson names were dissolved during the 1957 model year, the Met was sold as its own brand through AMC/Rambler dealers all the way through the last car sold, which was 1962. No Metropolitans were ever built in the US. They WERE American-designed by Nash, however. They came across the pond wearing their Hudson or Nash grille ornaments and hubcaps; these were NOT installed in the US. In 1957, they wore the "M" grille ornament and hubcaps.



BTW, the last actual CAR off the Austin line was built in December, 1960, but they were sold as 1961 and 1962 cars until the inventory was depleted completely. Mets wree available only as a coupe or a ragtop. There are two custom-built prototype Met wagons that exist.



Nearly ALL of the Met production was for the US and Canada markets. In fact, RHD Mets were not available for sale at all in England until 1958 (as Austins), and then in very few numbers. A small handful of RHD drive cars were also sold in South Africa, Australia, and Jamaica.



I owned two Mets (one '58 parts car and a '59 driver), which I traded four years ago for a '52 Wasp, which in turn, went to SoCal. The Mets are in Nebraska.

Unknown

66 Patrick you know the Mets pretty well , did the Hudson Mets have different hub caps , heard Hudson Mets had orange tail lites too ??

[Deleted User]

The Hudson Mets had an "H" embossed on the cap, Nash had a stylized "N", and from around '56 or so on, they had an "M" for Metropolitan.

Unknown

Thanks for the info. - this one has the M on its caps - something else to look for

[Deleted User]

One thing is that only the earliest cars had the H or the N on them. Most cars you are likely to encounter, Hudson, Nash, or Metropolitan, are going to have the "M" caps, so do not let that alone be your determining factor.

Unknown

Guess I didnt mention its a real early 55 or a late 54 built car, it has orange tail lites , Hudson grille emblem and doesnt have the usual Metro side trim on it either .

[Deleted User]

1953 First cars were named "NKI" (Nash Kelvinator International) 270 cars made

1954 12,443 cars made

1955 7,294 cars made

1956 8,169 cars made

1957 15,348 cars made

1958 13,323 cars made

1959 21,040 cars made

1960 15,548 cars made

1961 1,216 cars made



Total Production 94,968

Total Hardtops 75,569

Total Convertibles 19,399



Total sold by Hudson Dealers

with the "Hudson" emblem 4,358



Total sold by Nash Dealers

with the "Nash" emblem 15,644



(The remainder of the cars were sold with the familiar "M" emblem)



--- From the www.hoosiermets.com website - LOTS of great info over there! BTW, the early Mets (like yours) have the "propeller" grille and NO side trim. The '56-up cars have the "eggcrate" grille and the "s" side trim, and had two-tone paint.

Unknown

Thanks again !!