In 1938, Barit proposed a plan to reduce used-car inventories as a method to stimulate not only the national economy, but also help employment and sales in the automobile industry.

[6] However, the domestic automobile industry was fiercely competitive with many once-famous firms such as Hupmobile, Chandler, Peerless, Winton, and Pierce-Arrow going bankrupt and Hudson facing a similar fate as it posted a loss of $1.5 million in 1940.

Hudson made antiaircraft guns, engines for landing barges, and aircraft parts netting an average of nearly $2 million a year during the war.

[7] When combined with the firm's Twin-H straight-6, Hudson's corporate-sponsored race teams, headed by Marshall Teague, dominated the NASCAR circuit from 1951 through 1954.

[8] Moran fancied the 1952 Ford's wrap-around rear window and roofline, thus influenced Barit to introduce a similar design for the new car.

[9] The final result was that the car's styling closely mimicked the larger 1952-1954 Ford in many respects which emerged as the antithesis of the low-slung step-down bodies.

George W. Romney, AMC's president, felt that Hudson and Nash were no longer relevant players in the automotive market and retired both names at the end of the 1957 model year production to make way for the new Rambler brand.