Hudson Hornet

Few things that occurred when you were 3 years old are clearly remembered when you're "all grown up", but the memory of the day my dad, Primo, bought his first brand-new car is vividly clear, and I'll tell you why.  I was just 3 years old when my dad took me with him to the Hudson Dealership on Gratiot and Joann in Detroit in the fall of 1951 when the new 1952 models arrived. I remember the new-car smell and the salesman dressed in professional 1950's style with a dark suit and shiny wing-tip shoes.  Dad, an engineer, was engaged in a discussion of the cars statistics that were Greek to me.  As they talked, I tugged relentlessly on my dad's pant leg.  He kept telling me to be patient, we were almost done.  Soon the mystery of my urgent tugging became startlingly clear to him, when a small puddle began to form around my shoes.  Dad's first new car was personally christened by his number-one son, right there in the middle of the showroom.  The dealership was only a few blocks from our house and for several years, the story would be repeated each time we passed ... driving in our spiffy Hudson Hornet.  Here's a picture of Dad, 89-years old, when we discovered a restored 1952 green Hudson Hornet, just like dad's first new car. This time, no one is tugging on his pant leg.