The first-generation Hudson Hornets featured a functional "step-down" design with dropped floorpan and a chassis with a lower center of gravity than contemporary vehicles that helped the car handle well – a bonus for racing. The Hornet's lower and sleeker look was accentuated by streamlined styling, sometimes called "ponton" styling. The car's "unique, low slung appearance and silky handling earned Hudson an image that – for many buyers – eclipsed luxury marques like Cadillac.
The chrome-alloy block engine 308 cu.in. with its high-compression aluminum "Power Dome" cylinder head, it made 145hp at 3,800 rpm. The bump in displacement and compression made this the largest, most powerful six-cylinder engine available in an American car in 1951.
Franklin in the year 1990 has released a very accurate and beautifully made die-cast model of the car in its current form that’s as gorgeous as the original. The "Green Metaloid" paint is excellent and every piece of window trim, side trim, even the tiny Hudson badges and Hornet emblems, is done with plated parts. Curved windshield with center crossbar and the antenna in the middle of the window.
If it’s visible in photos, its visible—and to scale—on the model! Interior detail is done to the same level, with accurate upholstery, silver-painted relief interior handles, fully detailed instruments, pedals, and a steering wheel. This is a beautiful model of a drop-dead gorgeous car. One of the nicest.
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| 1951 Hudson Hornet Club Coupe by Franklin Mint |
| Manufacturer: | Franklin Mint |
| Scale: | 1/43 |
| Year of Production: | 1980 |
| Part Number: | UK12 |
| Material: | DieCast |
| Rating: | 10/10 |
