Hudson lover

Sat., Nov. 26, 2005

Greg Zyla King Features Syndicate

Q: Greg, I’m a fan of Hudson automobiles, especially those from the early ‘50s. I’m considering purchasing a Wasp or Hornet, and I want to know what a fair price would be for a car in either good original condition or restored. — Ken H., Spokane, Wash.

A: Ken, there are some really great Hudsons from the ‘50s, so for the sake of easily answering your question, we’ll look at pricing for the 1952 Hudson Hornet line and the 1954 Wasp offerings. A good to excellent condition ‘52 Hornet two-door Club Coupe would probably run in the neighborhood of $4,000 to $7,500, with a restored show-condition model running $11,000 or more. Expect to pay a little less if it’s a four-door model.

On the other side of the coin is the ‘52 Hornet Convertible Brougham, which would run you from $23,000 to $31,000 in good to excellent condition, and about $40,000 for a restored, show-condition Brougham. The other Hornet model that year was the Hollywood Hardtop, which fetches from around $9,500 in good condition to $18,000 for a show-ready example.

As for the Wasp, a 1954 Super Wasp would cost less in all categories, with the ragtop fetching $6,200 to $9,700 for a four-door in good to excellent condition to a high of $31,000 in show condition. These pricings are the latest available from sources like www.ClassicCars.com, Hemmings Motor News and Auto Roundup Magazine.

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