We don’t normally feature cars that have been photographed in a studio, but when we stumbled across this 1953 Hudson Italia on eBay, we knew we had to feature it. This breath-taking car is the actual prototype that resulted from a joint venture between Hudson and Carrozzeria Touring of Italy. Hudson’s styling director Frank Spring was the mastermind of the Italia and out of fear of seeing his beloved prototype destroyed, hid the car shortly after Hudson was bought by Nash. It has seen one respray, but is otherwise original.

During the 1950’s, American auto manufactures were in a battle to produce the most futuristic and over the top prototypes they could. They were also highly involved in racing, which got potential customers into the doors of dealerships. Being a much smaller company then the big three it competed with, Hudson didn’t have the means to fund a racing team and creating prototypes was costly and time consuming. That being said, Mr. Spring knew that Hudson needed a sportier and flashier car to win over much needed customers, so he set about designing the Italia prototype and then convinced executives to give him the funds and resources he needed to build his dream. It was based on the Jet platform, but the tubular chassis, superleggera aluminum body, and interior were custom made by Touring. The cost of building the Italia meant that only 26 were ever built.

Looking at the exterior of this car, it looks like a highly restored trailer queen, but the interior says otherwise. This elegant and sporty interior is showing all its original materials and plenty of wear. The leather seats feature varying density bolsters for added comfort and support, the carpets are made of deep pile wool, the steering wheel is from the Alfa Romeo parts bin, and the gauges and radio are from the Jet. While most prototypes look great, few are built to the high standards that this one was. Mr. Spring was highly involved in its construction, which could help explain the build quality. It’s no wonder he hid the car, we wouldn’t want to see it destroyed either.

While much of the car was built by Touring, the engine is straight from Hudson’s Jet. This 202 cui straight six is the original unit sent to Italy and has never been taken apart. It is a little on the weak side for a sports car, with only 114 horsepower. The lightweight construction and 3-speed with overdrive help performance some and allow a top speed of 95 mph.

We are glad this amazing car was saved, but sadly we will never be able to afford it. Let’s just hope the next owner doesn’t hide it from the world. Of the 26 built, five are still unaccounted for and are presumed to be in Europe. Who knows, one of these lost cars could have made it into a barn in your own town. We will be sure to keep our eyes open!