October 16, 1951
Hudson's Hornet stings
In 1948, Hudson launched its new Monobuilt design, an innovation that is still found in most cars to this day. The Monobuilt design consisted of a chassis & frame that was combined in a unified passenger compartment, producing a strong, light-weight design, & a beneficial lower center of gravity that didn't affect road clearance. Hudson coined this innovation "step-down design" because, for the 1st time, passengers had to step down in order to get into a car. Most cars today are still based on the step-down premise. On this day in 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet, & put some sting into the step-down design. The Hornet was built w/a 308 ci flat head in-line 6-cylinder motor, producing generous torque & a substantial amount of hp. And it was w/this popular model that Hudson 1st entered stock car racing in 1951. After ending their 1st season in a respectable 3rd place, Hudson began a 3-year domination of the racing event. In 1952 alone, Hudson won 29 of the 34 events. A key factor in Hudson's racing success was the innovative step-down design of their cars. Because of their lower centers of gravity, Hornets would glide around corners w/relative ease, leaving their clunky & unstable competitors in the dust.
October 16, 1958
A muscle car for the urban cowboy
Chevrolet introduced the El Camino on this day, a sedan-pickup created to compete w/Ford's popular Ranchero model. Built on the full-size Chevrolet chassis, the big El Camino failed to steal the Ranchero's market & was discontinued after 2 years. But 4 years later, in 1964, the El Camino was given a 2nd life as a derivative of the Chevelle series, a line of cars commonly termed "muscle cars." The Chevelles were stylish & powerful vehicles that reflected the youthful energy of the '60s & early '70s, & sold well. The Chevelle Malibu Super Sport was the archetypal muscle car, featuring a V8 as large as 454 ci, or 7.4L. Chevelles came in sedans, wagons, convertibles & hardtops, &, w/the reintroduction of the El Camino in 1964, as a truck. The station wagon-based El Camino sedan-pickup had a successful run during its 2nd manifestation as a Chevelle, & proved an attractive conveyance for urban cowboys & the horsey set.
