Moebius Models 1/25 1954 Hudson Hornet Special Kit First Look

By Ken Kitchen, Front Range Auto Modelers (FRAM)

First Look

Whenever I review a new kit I always try and do a Google search to see what I can find for background info. To me learning something new about a subject is part of the hobby. And as usual I wasn’t letdown; there is an incredible amount of information about these fascinating cars available on the internet. The Hornet was first introduced in 1951 with the final model produced by Hudson in 1954. The nameplate continued several more years but they were really restyled Nash’s carrying the Hudson name. I’ll let you do your own research but needless to say what is available should keep you busy for awhile.

The latest Hudson subject from Moebius, the 1954 Hornet Special, represents the last of the true Hornets before the merger with American Motors. The first thing to catch your eye with this kit is the box art; Moebius really knows how to reel you in. I’m not sure if the art was copied from an old sales brochure or not but that’s what it puts me in mind of. When I opened the box I was struck with how full it was. Moebius more than any other model company I’m aware of seems to go the extra mile when designing their packaging, carefully packaging all the parts in plastic bags protecting each part from shipping damage.

This kit is molded in light gray, red and clear styrene with four vinyl tires. A metal rod is also included for the rear tires to attach to the axle. There are 6 trees of gray, 1 of clear, 3 chromed and the taillights in clear red.

This is a highly detailed kit which shares many similar parts with Moebius’ 1954 Hudson Hornet Club (kit #1213), including the engine and running gear, chassis and much of the interior panels. What’s new here is primarily the body. With this kit I think Moebius stole a march on the resin casters by offering a different version of the body.

The body is nicely molded with good detail, including lettering on the front fenders that will benefit from some foil or silver paint. However the engraving is fairly light so I’d suggest you either foil them before painting or sand them off and use the included decals. What few mold seams there are, are light and easily taken care of. Unlike some other Moebius kits the body seems to be fully polished and ready for paint.

Also of note is the instruction sheet. It follows Moebius’ usual approach of several pages of exploded views resembling engineering drawings with part name callouts. The final two pages of the instruction sheet include full color pictures of the painted engine, interior, chassis & body. This really helps when it comes to understanding how to paint the various subassemblies. It also includes color suggestions for the various parts as well as providing the color names and codes for both Ditzler and Hudson paints.

Once again Moebius Models has produced an excellent model of an iconic automotive subject, and one I am looking forward to adding to my completed list.

Thanks go to Moebius Models for the review sample.