A Hudson Hornet and a Chrysler turbocharged car are listed on the National Register of Historic Vehicles.
The Hagerty Drivers Foundation announced that the 1952 Hudson Hornet "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" and Chrysler Turbine Car have been added to the National Register of Historic Vehicles. The registry is the only federally recognized program that documents the historical and cultural significance of automobiles. [Jonathan Klinger, executive director of the Haggerty Drivers Foundation, said, "Taking these historically significant vehicles and telling their stories at events throughout 2022 is a way to fulfill our mission to inform and educate the public about the cultural significance of the automobile This is a way to fulfill our mission of educating and informing the public about the cultural significance of the automobile."
The 1952 Hudson Hornet, known as the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet," raced in NASCAR from 1951 to 1955, driven by Marshall Teague, Herb Thomas and Dick Rathman. Smokey Yunick prepared the car for races, and Thomas drove the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" to 78 podium finishes.
This is the only Hudson in existence to have campaigned in NASCAR. The "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" is owned by Al Schultz and is on display at the National Hudson Motor Car Company Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Equipped with a turbine jet engine and gear body, Chrysler built 55 of these cars as part of its development of gas turbine automobiles for the masses. The turbine cars were distributed to households across the United States as part of a consumer research project that ran from 1963 to 1966.
The car is one of only nine from that program and is owned by the Stahls Automotive Collection. It is on display at the Automotive Museum in Chesterfield, Michigan.
The "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" can be seen at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance in Greenwich, Connecticut, June 3-5; the 1952 Hudson Hornet will be there from September 2-6, the Chrysler Turbine from September 7 Cars at the Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from September 7 to 11.
This article, written by David P. Castro, originally appeared on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.