Every car enthusiast knows about the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Let’s get acquainted with its junior companion model, the Wasp.

When the Hudson Motor Car Company introduced the Hornet in September of 1950, the sales results were fabulous. More than 43,000 were produced, better than a third of the Detroit company’s volume for the 1951 model year. Hudson had landed on a winning combination of features, price, and performance, so it was only natural for the company to follow it up with a companion model for 1952, the Wasp. But we could just as easily assume the Wasp was already in the works before the Hornet’s success.

1952 Hudson Hornet Sedan 

Just as in the flying insect world, Hudson’s Wasp was a bit smaller than the Hornet. The Wasp was based on the same Step-Down platform as the bottom-of-the-line Pacemaker with a 119-in wheelbase, 5 inches shorter than the Hornet. However, the interior appointments and exterior trim were more similar to the nicely turned-out Hornet, a noticeable upgrade from the Pacemaker.

Along with the wheelbase, another significant difference was in the engine. Instead of the mighty 308 cubic-inch H-145 six of the Hornet, the Wasp was equipped with a smaller version of the Hudson L-head six. Borrowed from the Commodore, this inline six displaced 262 cubic inches and was designated the H-127, indicating its rated output of 127 horsepower. General Motors’ Hydra-Matic transmission was a $176 option.

1954 Super Wasp Hollywood 

For 1953 the Wasp line was split in two, Wasp and Super Wasp. The Super Wasp continued with the 262 CID six, while the 232 CID six from the discontinued Pacemaker was standard in the Wasp. A full field of body styles was offered: For the Wasp, a Four-Door Sedan, a Two-Door Sedan, and a Club Coupe, while the Super Wasp line added a Hollywood pillarless hardtop and a Convertible (rare with only 50 produced).

The Wasp and Super Wasp lines continued much as before in 1954, though with an update in styling to square up the Step-Down body’s bathtub lines. A major change came in ’55 following the merger of Hudson and Nash to form American Motors. With the Step-Down line discontinued only the Wasp and Hornet remained, and the Wasp was moved over to a 114.3-in wheelbase platform shared with the Nash Statesman. And now the sole engine available in the Wasp was the 202 CID six from the discontinued Hudson Jet, though a dual-carburetor Twin-H version with 120 hp was optional.

1955 Wasp Custom Sedan

For 1956 the Wasp was carried forward on the shared Nash Statesman platform, still with the 202 CID Jet engine, but now there was just a single body style and trim level, a Four-Door Sedan. With barely 2,500 Wasps produced that year, the end was at hand. In 1957, there was no Wasp, only the Hornet, and in 1958 there was no Hudson. American Motors was now focused solely on the Rambler brand,

1956 Wasp Sedan