The Hudson Hornet Club Coupe offered here is a sparkling, eye-catching example of one of America’s great performance cars of the 1950s. This stylish coupe is a showcase of Hudson’s innovative “step-down” design with its dropped floor pan that positions the lower passenger compartment within the depth of the car’s frame. The result of this progressive approach was improved interior comfort along with a lower roofline and center of gravity, improving the ride and handling.

The Hudson Hornet presents a potent combination of performance qualities: a 160 hp, six-cylinder engine – one of the most powerful on the market at the time – with twin carburetors, tremendous torque, Hydra-Matic transmission, road-gripping suspension, and distinctive aerodynamic styling. These impressive features promised a speed potential that was realized on the racetrack where the Hornet was a dominating force in the early 1950s. The extremely competitive Hornet captured the checkered flag in numerous NASCAR stock car races in the days when NASCAR truly raced stock cars.

This Hornet Club Coupe was restored as a part of the famed Art Astor collection and has been faithfully maintained in a private California collection for the past 10 years. A family favorite within the collection, this Hudson is finished in a lively version of Hudson’s robin’s egg blue, accented by a white roof. The color scheme is echoed by the two-tone leather interior, and the famous Hudson dash and instrument binnacle truly sparkle. Showing just over 500 miles on its odometer, since restoration, the Hornet has recently received attention to the dual-range Hydra-Matic transmission, new wire wheels and tires, and a new electric fuel pump.

As one of the most stylish and powerful cars on American roads in the 1950s, the Hornet’s alluring silhouette is as intriguing now as when it first debuted, and this coupe is a shining example of the company’s forward-thinking engineering.