True favorite is a Hudson of a different color

OK, these pictures are not the faded and once-bronze 1954 Hudson Hornet I said I would be writing about this week, although it is a Hudson. You see, I’m not always in the driver’s seat when it comes to My Favorite Ride.

“I really like this car better,” owner Tim Lloyd told me, sending along some pictures. So, the 1954 green Hudson Hornet Sedan c’est l’automobile du jour.

Oops, not just green. Palm Beach Green. Just ask Lloyd’s grandson, Hudson – yes, Hudson – who rides in the car just about every day and knows a thing or two about it.

“When people ask a question about that green car, Hudson is quick to point out that it is a Palm Beach green Hudson Hornet,” Lloyd said. There were three different shades of green paint available on the 1954 Hudson – Spring Green, Pasture Green and Palm Beach Green, which has a teal tint. Hudson cars were also offered in one shade each of blue, yellow and red. You could get silver or bronze, too, but not white.

Hmmm. For the past decade or so, white has been the most popular car color in North America and green, alas, all shades, has moved to the bottom of the list of preferred car colors. A 2012 paint manufacturers’ survey showed that about 22 percent of cars purchased in North America that year were white, and just 3 percent were green.

But from 1994 through 1997, green/teal/aqua topped the car color list, followed by red, then white. Silver took over as the most popular color through 2005, but it’s been white ever since.

Enough about color. Back to the Hudson.

There were three squared-off models produced in 1954: the Hornet, Wasp and Jet. The grille was simpler than in previous model years, and a cool functional hood scoop and one-piece curved windshield were added, as were chrome fender accents, redesigned taillights and a new dashboard instrument cluster described as “surprisingly modern.”

Lloyd’s green Hudson features an automatic transmission and two carburetors. It does not have power steering, making sharp turns a challenge for weaklings. There is lots of chrome, inside and out.

It’s his favorite car — the Bloomington man has several Hudson classics — and his everyday driver the past two years. “Sure, I sometimes drive one of my other Hudsons, or even my wife Marcia’s modern car. But this Hudson,” he said, “proves that you still can use a 63-year-old car for everyday transportation.”

“We are often asked if we will restore this car and make it look like new again. If we did, I don’t think we would have near the fun we have using it for our daily rides.”