This beautiful and rare 1956 Hudson Hornet Special Super 8 is for sale in Salem, OR. In its final two years of production, the Hornet became a product of the newly formed American Motors Corporation (AMC). The Detroit plant was closed and Hudson Models were shifted to Nash’s Kenosha Wisconsin facility. The Hudsons would be based on the senior Nash models but would have exclusive Hudson Styling. 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. Hudson was the first automobile manufacturer to get involved in stock car racing. The Hornet dominated stock car racing in the early-1950s, when stock car racers actually raced stock cars. Overall, Hudson won 27 of the 34 NASCAR Grand National races in 1952, followed by 22 wins of 37 in 1953, and capturing 17 of the 37 races in 1954 — "an incredible accomplishment, especially from a car that had some legitimate luxury credentials." This Hornet is one of the nicer ones still being driven. I was surprised to find out that this 1956 Hudson Hornet Special Super 8 was American Motors’ way of introducing their own V8 for the first time. Under the hood is the original AMC 250 V-8. It's an unusual car since that was a mid-year introduction in 1956 and didn't carry over into 1957. With a little more than 1,500 four-doors produced, that makes this car very uncommon. All cylinders test out fine using the compression test and the engine starts and runs just fine. The engine has been treated to a new water pump, new battery, and the fuel tank has been replaced. The exterior has a blue and silver color scheme. The interior is plush. If you have been looking for a clean classic but don’t want to bust the bank, this Hornet is an excellent choice. Options on this 1956 Hudson Hornet Special Super 8 include AM Radio, Vinyl Interior with Cloth Inserts, and Hub Caps with Steel Wheels wrapped in White Wall Radial Tires.
