The 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia was Hudson ’s entry in the red - hot sport - model market of the mid-1950s .
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In the 1950s , anybody who was anybody in theautomobilebusiness demand a special variation " sports " model . For Chevrolet it was the Corvette , for Ford the Thunderbird , for Kaiser the Darrin , for Nash the Nash - Healey – and for Hudson the Italia . There were , however , these difference : The Italia held four rather than two rider and , more than just a sports car , it was destine to trigger off a unexampled generation of Hudsons .
Like the other sports models mentioned above , the Hudson Italia ’s underparts came " off - the - shelf , " in this case mainly from the Hudson Jet , in ordering to keep its cost down . In the remnant , it did n’t matter , because Hudson fuse with Nash and the combined American Motors put its religion in Nash design for the future . Hudson sell only 26 Italias , including the prototype .
The man who had to sell them was Roy D. Chapin , Jr. , subsequently board chair of AMC , who said : " Well , I got rid of them ! " When told that the 26 Hudson Italias allegedly paid for themselves , Chapin chuckled : " Shows what a good salesman I was , but I do n’t think it . The enquiry and development figure for the Italia [ sources had cite $ 28,000 ] sound like our racing budget in those days . "
The Hudson Italia was the dream of Hudson ’s well-thought-of main hairdresser Frank Spring . Writer Michael Lamm once suggested that it come as a " reprieve " for Spring , who " had been terribly disappointed with the Jet . " Added Chapin : " Another rationality is that somebody get to [ Hudson president Edward ] Barit and win over him that we had to have a more modern mental image . The old Step - down was in production too long ; we had to do something to dramatize Hudson . "
The Hudson Italia was indeed striking , endure 10 column inch shorter than the full-grown Hudsons but retain their lowly center of gravity and granitic durability . Notable features include a stylishly wrapped windscreen ; functional , bracken - cool down wing scoops ; doorway trim into the roof for easy entry ; scads of interior space ; and the industry ’s first flow - through ventilation system ( forfend release windows ) .
The Department of the Interior of the Hudson Italia romp the most anatomically correct car seats thus far design , adjustable fore / aft and for rake , with two separate leather covered seat cushion of varying tightness for the back and butt .
For more on the interior and other design detail of the 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia , continue read .
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Possibly the most vendable aspect of the 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia was that it was , of course , Italian – a good thing to be in those day of enthrallment with Pinin Farina and his like .
Built out of sheet aluminum by Carrozzeria Touring , the Italia took shape in what Ed Barit ’s son remembered as " a pickle - in - the - wall operation down a narrow Torino side street , with a variety of product line snaking through a serial publication of old dilapidated building . " Now that ’s Italian !
Announced in August 1953 , the Hudson Italia prototype tour car shows and dealerships and received a warm reception along the manner . With the exception of its conjuring trick taillights , built into triple set of external dummy exhaust system pipes , and the " praying mantid " front bumper , it was a effective , sporty design , bristling with interesting feature film : esoteric , unexpected , aircraft - invigorate , and unlike anything else on the market .
Hudson commissioned a rivulet of 25 " production " Hudson Italias and priced them at $ 4,350 . At this price ( a 1954 Cadillac started at $ 3,838 ) , initial enthusiasm go down , and mill sources state that only 19 orders were receive . Some Hudson collectors say this was actually a figure for initial deliveries , since many possible buyers tried to place Italia at the rime and were turned away by dealer , who think of it as a one - off tobacco pipe dream .
High price conflate with lackluster operation ( despite the atomic number 13 body , it weigh over 2,700 Ezra Loomis Pound ) to hard hamper the Hudson Italia ’s collection . But Hudson never put much religion in it as a sales event weapon ; its tangible purpose was to act as an advance Cartesian product for future Hudson passenger cars .
One of these , called X-161 ( Spring ’s 161st observational prototype ) was a four - door derivation with the Hornet engine ; it delivered good if not blinding performance . Hindsight is cheap , but many now believe that Hudson should have found the X-161 instead of the Jet in 1953 – that it would have sold much better than the jet-propelled plane did .
Roy Chapin sums up the Hudson Italia and X-161 project this direction : " Of course , today it is dated – but it ’s still a terrific physical exercise in automotive design . Again , the problem was much the same with the other Hudsons . It was a very costly car to make and could n’t command the price you had to get for it – coupled with the fact that the decision was made to put nothing but a six - piston chamber railway locomotive in it . "
Keep show to learn about the specification of the 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia .
1954-1955 Hudson Italia Specifications
The 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia had a wad going for it – attentive , fashionable intent , a mutation - car recording label , and , of course of study , Italian inspiration . contain out the 1954 - 1955 Hudson Italia specifications below .
Specifications
Engine : sidevalve I-6 , 202.0 cid ( 3.00 × 4.75 ) , 106 bhp ; 114 bhp optional
Transmission:3 - speed manual of arms
intermission , front : autonomous , coil springs , pipe impact
Suspension , rearward : live axle , leaf springs , tube shocks
brake : front / rearward drums
Wheelbase ( in.):105.0
weightiness ( lbs):2,710
Top speed ( mph):90
0 - 60 mph ( sec):14.0 - 15.0
