Production
Hudson commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to build what is believed to have been a total of 50 cars, and sent the needed "Super Jet" components to Italy. Despite lower labor costs in Italy, the hand-built car's price tag was USD$4,350 at the New York port of entry (POE) according to an AMC press release (undated) or $4,800 FOB Detroit, per a September 23, 1953, Hudson letter to dealers and as listed in the Motor Trend October 1954 issue. This was more than the a price of a Cadillac at that time (the Sixty-Two Coupe de Ville started at $3,995).
Hudson dealers began taking orders on September 23, 1953, but the response was lukewarm with only 18 or 19 firm orders. The Italia's price was high and dealers were disappointed that the more powerful Hornet engine was not offered.
On January 14, 1954, Hudson Motors and Nash-Kelvinator Corporation announced a merger to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). Hudson's prospects as a stand-alone independent marque ended with full consolidation under AMC by May 1954. The newly formed automaker sent letters to all Hudson dealers announcing a deadline for pre-paid orders from customers for the cars assembled in Italy. Because "orphan" branded cars, such as the Nash and Hudson, were shunned by customers and depreciated quickly, orders were almost nonexistent and AMC committed to have only another 15 Italias built.
Read more about this topic: Hudson Italia
Famous quotes containing the word production:
“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”
—Karl Marx (18181883)
“Perestroika basically is creating material incentives for the individual. Some of the comrades deny that, but I cant see it any other way. In that sense human nature kinda goes backwards. Its a step backwards. You have to realize the people werent quite ready for a socialist production system.”
—Gus Hall (b. 1910)
“From the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
—Charles Darwin (18091882)