Quote:
Mahoning63 wrote:
The Jet and Clipper tailights and backlight were somewhat similar, could probably have lived together happily in the 1955 Hudson showroom as a Jet and Hornet. Or perhaps the 122" Clipper could have become the Wasp, with standard Hudson 308 Six or optional Packard 320 V8, and a new 127" wheelbase car with the Patrician's longer body readied as a Hornet with V8 only. The challenge would have been tying the Clipper rear fenders and tailights to the Patrician body, which might have involved additional tooling. Ditto the Executive, it needed the Patrician's catherdral tailights and side trim. One thing is for sure, Nance would have finally gotten his long wanted Depression-proof little entry car, the Jet being one good redesign away from taking off. No more need to contemplate buying Austin or the like, and the Jet would have come in handy in 1958 when the recession finally came. On this, Nance had good vision.
Actually, by reports the Jet's backlight was copied from Ford and the taillights copied from Olds. I had always thought the Jet looked OK in photos. Then I saw one in the metal. OMG that is one tall, narrow car. It just looks bogus. Even in it's first year, Jet sales were far below first year sales for the Aero and Henry J, the J being no styling masterpiece either. Keeping it alive after moving the senior Hudsons to the Clipper platform would probably be impossible as it would involve keeping Jefferson assembly open for a tiny production flow, and keeping the 202 engine line going for an equally tiny production flow.
I wouldn't bother with a 127" wb Hudson as that would move the Hudson brand against the senior Packards. We know how that worked out for Chrysler and DeSoto. I'd keep both the Hornet and Wasp names on the 122" wb, differentiating them with trim and powertrain, phasing the V8s into the Hornets first. I wouldn't bother shortening the existing Clipper platform the way the Wasp was shortened due to cost and an already rather old platform. A shorter wheelbase Wasp might be a possibility when a new platform became available.
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