1951 Hudson Hornet

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £7,000, then £350 is added, making the total amount payable of £7,350.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

We don’t know much about the whereabouts of this 1951 Hudson Hornet Twin H-Power sedan prior to 25.11.14, when it was sold by a dealer in Wisconsin to a private buyer in Crownsville, Maryland. We know that at the time it was described as ‘running’.

Apart from that, we know from a tax disc on the windscreen that the car was alive and well and going about its business in Texas in 2003.

We believe it was bought by the current vendor for static display in his collection on 26.3.15. It hasn’t turned a wheel since.

The odometer currently reads 62,693 miles.

This remarkable vehicle seems to us to be in very good overall condition, although, as we can’t start or drive it, that opinion is necessarily limited to the car’s cosmetic presentation.

Anyone buying this in 1951 would have been getting a great deal of car for their money.

It’s long, wide, low, dynamic, fast and bristling with technology that wouldn’t turn up on most British cars for decades.

It’s also a stylistic triumph, with more chrome that the Chrysler building

and lines that set the tone for the confident, optimistic, aspirational design aesthetics of post-war America.

The metallic bronze-coloured paintwork is pretty good in most places and has plenty of shine and vibrancy to it.

The chrome work, too, is in very decent all-round nick – which is a good thing, because there’s a lot of it.

The delightful directable spotlights on both sides by the front windows may need some adjustment to respond more faithfully to inputs from the driver and passenger.

The shut lines are tight and even, and the doors slam home with weight and precision. There are very few dinks, dents, creases, folds or warps to speak of.

The wire wheels are in good condition from what we can see (the rears are largely hidden under their spats).

There is some bubbling in places, most notably on the top of the o/s/r wing and below the windscreen.

That aside, this striking car presents extremely well and is, we think, in very strong condition for its age.

The interior is as splendidly redolent of its era as the exterior.

It is a deftly conducted symphony of materials, textures, colours and haptics – all powerfully evocative of a time and place when Harry S. Truman was in the White House and ‘An American in Paris’ was on the big screen.

In the main, the condition is good, with the dark brown dashboard and chrome dials and controls all looking fine for their age.

The steering wheel is relatively untroubled by time or use, as are the column shift controls for the Hydra-Matic Drive auto-box.

The original radio looks ready and willing to launch into a medley of Tony Bennett hits at the merest hint of an invitation.

The carpets are loose in some places and more than a little threadbare in others.

The fabric-covered bench seat in the front is comfortable and undamaged, but could do with being shown a cloth and some soapy water. The leather surrounds to the seats appear to be intact and in decent condition.

The door cards have held up well and the headlining, though discoloured and marked in areas, is not sagging or ripped as far as we can see,

The bench seat in the rear is stained and has a large split in the fabric.

The boot seems to be in decent condition.

The undersides appear to be possessed of a good deal of integrity. Yes, there is rust dust to be found but we haven’t seen anything particularly worrying or indicative of nasty surprises lurking under the surface.

The engine bay (with its coveted Twin H-Powered engine) is clean and dry. From what we can tell, everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

Although we haven’t started the engine, we have turned it by hand to show that it isn’t seized.

The car doesn’t come with a service history or any record of work done.

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We can see how and why the Hudson Hornet earned the sobriquet, ‘Fabulous’.

It was ahead of its time in terms of handling, styling, performance and road ability.

And just look at it.

We think the car we have with us now is a particularly good example and, if the engine and mechanicals turn out to be as strong as the exterior and interior, this could be a very rewarding car to own and drive.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £8,000 - £12,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.