Jay Leno's Hudson Hornets
Written by Keith Fudge

It’s always a pleasure for Dennis and the My Classic Car crew to travel to California, because it usually means that Dennis will have the opportunity to visit with automotive enthusiast Jay Leno and spend some time in Jay’s Garage!  Well, as luck would have it, Dennis caught Jay at his favorite hangout.  You won’t believe what he was working on:  an 1866 steam engine!  Jay told Dennis that this 11-ton monster was designed when Abraham Lincoln was President.  This massive piece makes 125 horsepower (a significant output for the era) and was made with one casting and moved with block and tackle and by horse and wagon.  The amazing thing is how smoothly and efficiently it still runs today!  Jay also showed Dennis another vintage steam engine built in 1832 that he is in the process of having restored.  While these pieces are truly amazing, the real story at Jay’s Garage is always where the rubber meets the road.  During this visit, we turn back the clock to the “nifty fifties” for a look at a pair of glorious Hudson Hornets!

Jay began by telling Dennis that Hudson was known as one of the best handling cars of its day.  In fact, it won all the NASCAR races in the early 1950s.  Jay referred to the Hudson as a “driver’s car” where one could truly feel the sensation of the “wheel to the road.”  This first car is the family model, a 1951 four-door sedan.  Jay said that this model is equivalent in some aspects to the Oldsmobile and was typically a family driver.  Dennis noted the extensive detail and exquisite finish on the car, particularly in the interior where the metal was actually painted to resemble wood grain!  Under the hood is a Flathead 6 with the patented “Twin H Power” consisting of two one-barrel carburetors!  One cool option on this particular car is the large metal visor located above the windshield.  Jay said that these devices kept the car much cooler than one would imagine.  Next, is the really cool ride, a 1953 Hudson Hornet Club Coupe!  Jay said that this car has “the” suspension and is equipped with a three-speed overdrive transmission.  As they walked around the car, Jay noted that the Hudson displays “huge” emblems and a ton of chrome!  Inside the car, Jay noted the “Wurlitzer dash” and talked about the great attention to detail that was paid to these cars.  In addition, Jay said that there is a very active Hudson club and that there are many original parts available for restorations.  Concerning what is under the hood, Jay commented that this car also has the same 160 horsepower model engine that the ’51 Hornet had.  Another thing Jay remembers about Hudson automobiles when he was growing up is that Hudsons were big cars.  All of the advertisements showed that the Hudson could carry entire families wherever they wanted to go.  Well, as always, Jay wanted to take a spin.  Dennis couldn’t wait, so they hopped in the Club Coupe and went for a cruise on the California freeway!  Jay and Dennis talked about the technical aspects of the car in terms of handling and performance.  Perhaps the coolest part of the conversation occurred when the talk turned nostalgic as Jay reminisced that one thing that has become lost in our culture is the concept of “the Sunday drive,” when after lunch the entire family would go for a cruise through the countryside. 

As always, it was a pleasure to visit with Jay.  We can’t wait to see what will be in store for us the next time we see him.  That’s it from sunny California and Jay Leno’s Garage.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”