Did Dodge make the Hudson Hornet?
No. The Hudson Hornet was built by the Hudson Motor Car Company in the early 1950s, not by Dodge. After Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954 to form American Motors Corporation (AMC), the Hudson name faded from the automotive landscape. The Hornet name would later reappear under AMC for a different model in the 1970s, and in modern times the Dodge brand has used the Hornet name for a separate, unrelated vehicle.
Historical background of the Hudson Hornet
The following timeline highlights the key points about the Hudson Hornet and its corporate lineage.
- 1951: Hudson introduces the Hornet, notable for its step-down design that lowered the passenger floor and improved handling for its era.
- 1954: Hudson merges with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation (AMC), ending Hudson as an independent brand.
- Late 1950s–1970s: The "Hornet" name resurfaces under AMC for a different Rambler-based model, unrelated to the original Hudson Hornet.
Note: The historical Hornet is rooted in the Hudson lineage and is not a Dodge product; this is a common point of confusion among car enthusiasts due to later name reuse.
Was there any involvement from Dodge?
No. Dodge—the long-running Chrysler brand—did not build, market, or own the Hudson Hornet. The car remained a Hudson product until the Hudson marque ceased to exist following the AMC formation. The only connection is that later decades saw separate uses of the "Hornet" name across different brands, but none of those reuses involved Dodge manufacturing the original Hudson Hornet.
Clarifying the name today
To avoid confusion, it's helpful to distinguish the historical Hudson Hornet from later uses of the "Hornet" name. The original Hudson Hornet (1951–1954) is a Hudson model; the 1970s AMC Hornet is a different car from a different corporate lineage; and any current Dodge vehicle bearing the Hornet name is unrelated to the historical Hudson Hornet.
Summary
Did Dodge make the Hudson Hornet? No. The Hudson Hornet was built by Hudson Motor Car Company in the early 1950s, and Dodge never produced it. Hudson joined with Nash-Kelvinator to form AMC in 1954, ending the Hudson brand. The Hornet name lived on in AMC’s lineup in a later era, and today the Dodge brand uses the Hornet name on a separate, unrelated model.
