THE ITALIA: HUDSON’S DREAM CAR FOR THE PUBLIC

Always one for creative thinking, Hudson designer Frank Spring thought he had just the right idea to improve sales of the small Jet, a compact automobile introduced in the early fifties to compete with the Nash Rambler. Spring worked with Italian coachbuilder Touring to design the Super Jet, a prototype that looked like nothing else on American roads in 1953, with its wraparound windshield, doors cut into the roof, deep air scoops in the front fenders, and a futuristic interior with ergonomic front bucket seats, not to mention jet fighter exhaust-inspired taillights. Under the hood was the Jet’s small six-cylinder engine, with the famous Hudson Twin H carburetors.

The Super Jet was enough of a sensation that it was put into limited production the following season with very few styling changes and dubbed the Italia. Unfortunately, the Italia had the bad luck of being rolled out—at a formidable but nonetheless money-losing $4,800—just as Hudson merged with Nash to form American Motors in 1954. The new management ceased the project after just 25 production cars had been built, putting an end to the brief life of the sexiest, most unusual Hudson of all time.

Fortunately, the Italia’s dramatic, unforgettable styling and limited production resulted in the model being widely appreciated in the decades that followed. Historians have tracked the surviving cars since the 1970s, and today no collection of American sports cars is complete without an Italia in its ranks.

NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES: ITALIA IT10015

Chassis number IT10015, offered here, was the fifteenth production Italia. Harry Ballard Stover of Annandale, Virginia, is long believed to have been its original owner, acquiring it from Old Dominion Motors, the Hudson dealer in Alexandria. He appears to have first titled it to his name in 1959, indicating that it may have remained unsold and in inventory for some years. Mr. Stover was an aeronautical engineer and naval architect and was designing atomic-powered craft for the United States Division of Nuclear Activities at the time of his acquisition of the Italia. One easily understands why this car appealed to him: Seldom have an owner and an automobile been so aptly matched. Amazingly, Mr. Stover thought to take photographs of the car in the showroom before delivery, and these are included in the file.

In 1972, Mr. Stover’s son sold the Italia to Wayne R. Graefen, then of Palos Park, Illinois. Mr. Graefen corresponded avidly with his fellow owners, eventually establishing one of the first registers of known Italias in 1973. It was through his efforts that much of the past of these individual cars was uncovered and documented, and the idiosyncrasies of their construction studied enough to enable modern restorations. Indeed, it was the historian’s hope that this would enable him to restore his own car, which the performance-seeking Mr. Stover had modified with a Corvette drivetrain. In the end, Mr. Graefen did not get around to restoring the Italia, which was instead returned to its present condition by the next owner, Don Talon.

In 1991, the car was acquired by the current owner and consignor, Dr. Paul Sable. Well-known in the international concours community as a prolific judge at events from coast to coast, Dr. Sable has made something of a personal specialty of limited-production sports and grand touring cars of the Jet Age, becoming one of the leading historians of his two favorite automobiles, the Dual Ghia and the Hudson Italia. Appropriate for a judge’s automobile, the Sable Italia was exhibited in 1994 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where Carlo Felice Anderloni of Touring was present and happily autographed one of his firm’s creations. Other than a later display at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the car has otherwise remained in the climate-controlled garage of its owner, and aside from small areas of delamination on the windshield and paint flaws, remains in excellent condition as it was restored, with recent detailing to the engine compartment improving it further.

A superb example of Hudson’s “dream car for the public,” this Italia is proudly offered today from over three decades of dedicated enthusiast/historian ownership. It still stands as a statement of audacious design brilliance, encapsulating 1950s Detroit (and Italy) at their most creative.