One to Buy: Unrestored ex-Steve McQueen 1952 Hudson Wasp Twin H-Power Two-Door Brougham Coupe
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During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, American styling was at the forefront of automotive design thanks to the integration of Jet Age features such as fully enveloped airflow bodies, wraparound glass canopies, finned fender lines and elaborately sculpted exterior trim.
At the vanguard of this cutting edge design was the Hudson Motor Car Company which was also one of the leading lights in the burgeoning NASCAR scene; with the newly released Hornet, Hudson scored no less than 81 victories and delivered multiple championships between 1951 and ‘55.
For the 1952 model year, Hudson introduced the Wasp as a junior model to the Hornet. It featured the company’s Monobilt unitary-type construction and was offered in a choice of body styles, the most handsome of which was the Two-Door Brougham Coupe as depicted here.
Perhaps the most famous Wasp owner was actor and film maker Steve McQueen who became legendary for his love of all things motoring.
At RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale in Pennsylvania scheduled for October 8th and 9th, McQueen’s remarkably original Wasp, chassis 188454, will be going under the hammer.
Optioned with the rarely seen Power Dome cylinder head, Twin H-Power carburettors and Hydra-Matic Drive four-speed automatic transmission, McQueen’s wife Barbara Minty recalled the actor had a deep affection for his Wasp, frequently using the car around Santa Paula and for trips to church on Sundays.
McQueen retained chassis 188454 until his untimely death in 1980. It was subsequently offered as part of his estate sale at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas during November 1984 and since 2006 has formed part of the renowned Peterson Automotive Museum. Understood to retain ‘mostly original paint and interior’, the matching numbers chassis 188454 is being offered with a little over 63,000 miles on the odometer.
