In another thread, 103tHUNDER talks about how his "69" Runner was restored by guys who specialize in Hudsons. I just had to say that My Dad's Family car was a 1951 Hudson Pacemaker that he bought used in 1952. We used that thing until 1966 when Dad popped for a used 1963 Buick LeSabre station wagon.
The Hudson was a stripper model, two doors, three on the tree and rubber flooring. It had the standard 232, one barrel motor. Dad was so taken with it, that when my older sister reached 16, he purchased another 1951 Hudson for her 1st car. It was a Commodore 6. A four door, 262 motor, again with one barrel. It was equipped pretty upscale, automatic, carpeting and all the chromey glitz of the 50's. It never was as reliable as the first.
My favorite memory with the 1st Hudson was the evening one of the guys in my class bought a new six cylinder Camaro and the Hudson blew his doors off.
My Dad never worried about the family transportation too much. He was an Illinois State trooper and every two years the state bought him a new vehicle for work. He couldn't use it for family transport. Some states can but Illinois wouldn't allow it. He had Fords until 1963, he got his 1st Plymouth and it had a hot motor in it. It was just a 383 but ran like a lot more. One kid did leave him in the dust one night in a "64" Ford with a 427 and dual fours. The kid didn't outrun the radio or the semi roadblock.
In my opinion the high point of Illinois squad cars was in 1967. Dad got a Fury I with a 375 horse 440 in it. It was the same motor that was in the GTX that year. That car came with rubber floor covering too. The same year, they used Chevy's too. That's the car I would like to have. A "67" Biscayne with 425 horse 427. I wonder where all those ended up. Can you imagine a stripper, four door Biscayne with all them ponies.
Enough of memory lane, hope I didn't bore you.