Hudson Jet History

The Jet was Hudson's entry into the early-1950s compact market, launched for 1953 with a 202-cubic-inch six and, like the bigger Hudsons, available with Twin H-Power for genuinely lively performance. Reviewers praised its build quality and handling.

Commercially it was a disaster. Conservative, upright styling (reportedly compromised by management's preferences) failed to attract buyers, and the heavy investment in unique Jet tooling drained the cash-strapped company — a major factor pushing Hudson toward the 1954 Nash merger. The Jet was dropped after 1954, the first model cut once AMC was formed.