Abandoned Dealership Hides Hudson Hornet Survivors, 1970 AMC Javelin

I say "were" because the said vehicles had since been auctioned off and removed. Our host purchased only the Super Six pickup conversion, but he was nice enough to share footage with the full walkaround of the dealership. And if you're a fan of Hudson classics, it's quite interesting.

The building was home to two more Hudsons in addition to the modified Super Six. Both were first-generation Hornets, and both had been parked for decades. The footage kicks off with a 1954 version. The iconic Hornet went into production for the 1951 model year and remained in showrooms through 1954, which makes this four-door sedan a final-year car.

Yes, the fact that it has four doors makes it less desirable than a two-door hardtop or convertible, but at least it's still in one piece. And it looks like it still has the original engine under the hood. The Hornet, by the way, was powered by a 308-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) inline-six.

Straight-six mills were a bit old-fashioned in the mid-1950s, when most automakers were already offering V8s. However, Hudson's rather massive inline-six was plenty potent. It debuted with 145 horsepower on tap, but output increased to 170 horsepower by 1954. This oomph was enough to give V8-powered competitors a run for their money.

The Twin H-Power engine was also powerful enough to make the Hornet the car to beat in NASCAR. Hudson dominated the series from 1952 to 1954, winning over 60% of the races it entered.

The second Hudson was also a four-door sedan, but it's a 1952 version. The old license plate suggests that it was last registered in 1965. If it was indeed parked for 61 years, this Hornet is frankly in outstanding condition. Don't let the thick dust fool you; this light blue sedan will clean up nicely. And like its red 1954 sibling, it also has the original inline-six.

The building also housed a Flathead-equipped 1953 Ford, but the really big highlight was the 1970 AMC Javelin. This blue-on-blue coupe looks like a fully-fledged survivor, and I'm sure it fetched the bigger bucks at the auction.

The Javelin debuted for the 1968 model year as AMC's belated answer to the pony car market. Styled by Dick Teague, the Javelin was produced over two generations, 1968-1970 and 1971-1974. Much like the competition, it was available with anything from economy-minded inline-six engines to high-performance V8 powerplants.

This Javelin has a V8. It appears to be the optional 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) mill, which was introduced in 1970 as a replacement for the old 343-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) powerplant. The 360 delivered 245 horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor and 285 horsepower with a four-barrel setup. This car is also an SST, which makes it one of 19,714 units produced.