Hudson Wasp

Hudson Wasp
1954 Hudson Super Wasp Hollywood Hardtop
Overview
Manufacturer	Hudson Motor Car Company American Motors Corporation
Production	1951–1956
Model years	1952–1956
Assembly	United States Australia
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size car
Body style	2 door sedan 4 door sedan 2 door coupe 2 door hardtop 2 door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	short-wheelbase Hudson (1952-1954) "senior" Nash (1955-1956)
Powertrain
Engine	202 cu in (3.3 L) I6 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6 262 cu in (4.3 L) I6

The Hudson Wasp is an automobile that was built and marketed by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from the 1952 through the 1956 model years. It was also assembled in Australia from complete knock down (CKD) kits. After Hudson merged with Nash Motors, the Wasp was then built by American Motors Corporation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and marketed under its Hudson marque for model years 1955 and 1956.

The Hudson Wasp can be classified by two distinct model year generations: from 1952 to 1954 when it used Hudson's existing short-wheelbase platform, and in 1955 and 1956 when it was built on the full-sized Nash platform, with completely different designs for each of these two model years.

The Wasp (Series 58) was introduced by Hudson for the 1952 model year as an upgraded version of the Hudson Pacemaker, replacing the Hudson Super Custom models from 1951. The Wasp was available in two- and four-door sedan, convertible, and a 2-door hardtop designated the Hollywood. The Wasp was built on Hudson's shorter 119-inch (3,023 mm) wheelbase using the company's unitized, "mono-bilt" step-down chassis design with an overall length of 201.5 inches (5,118 mm). Hudson's mono-built unitized structure used a perimeter frame which provided a rigid structure, low center of gravity and side-impact protection for passengers.

The base Hudson Wasp used the 202 cu in (3.3 L) L-Head straight six from the Pacemaker. Hudson also offered the Super Wasp which used improved interior materials and a more powerful Hudson 6-cylinder engine. Instead of using the Pacemaker's 232 cu in (3.8 L) straight 6, the Super Wasp used Hudson's 262 cu in (4.3 L) L-Head six fed by a 2-barrel carburetor. The 262 cu in (4.3 L) engine was rated at 127 hp (95 kW; 129 PS) (with single 2-barrel carburetor) while the top-of-the-line Hudson Commodore Custom Eight's 254 cu in (4.2 L) straight 8 was rated at 128 hp (95 kW; 130 PS). The 262 cu in (4.3 L) six's power was underrated so it would not outshine Hudson's flagship 128 hp (95 kW; 130 PS) straight 8 engine. The narrow block 262 cu in (4.3 L) engine was the basis for the stroked and reinforced Hornet 308 cu in (5.0 L) 6-cylinder engine first introduced in 1951 which dominated NASCAR racing events from 1952 to 1954. The Super Wasp was also offered with an aluminum "twin H" manifold and twin 2-barrel carburetors. Super Wasp performance with the "twin H" induction matched the performance of the big 2-barrel 308 cu in (5.0 L) equipped, but heavier, Hudson Hornet.