Designed by Frank Spring with input from Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Carrozzeria Touring, and introduced on 14 January 1954,[3] the Italia was based on the Hudson Jet platform and running gear featuring a unique body and interior.

[4] During the early-1950s, Hudson began several product development programs that included the Hornet, a six-cylinder engine, the Jet, and the project that became the Italia.

[4][7] The original idea "was to create a fast, sporty car, based on the hotfooted Hudson Hornet" and also for competition in the Carrera Panamericana.

[8] A flagship European-inspired experimental sports coupe that might rival Corvette, Nash Healey, Kaiser Darrin, or the Ford Thunderbird, which was then not yet marketed.

[9] He wanted to design a sports coupe that might rival the first six-cylinder Chevrolet Corvette, but with European-inspired flair and grand touring luxury.

[9] Lacking sufficient capital to develop a new model, Hudson reached an agreement for a prototype to be built in Milan by Carrozzeria Touring.

[17] The car was shipped to the United States to be displayed at numerous Hudson dealerships across the country by late 1953, and it received positive customer reactions.

[22][23] Carrozzeria Touring's construction technique of a thin wall tubing superstructure covered by hand-formed aluminum panels was used by several European automakers for their lightweight racing models; however, the Hudson's Jet unit construction required using the regular car's production floorpan and cowl, thus effectively negating any weight savings for the Italia.

In the back of the car, the tail, directional, and back-up lamps tipped the ends of three stacked chrome tubes per side, emerging from scalloped cut-outs in the rear quarter panels.

[13] The Italia was powered by Hudson's "Twin H" 202 cu in (3.3 L) L-head straight 6, with a higher (8:1) compression and dual one-barrel (single choke) downdraft carburetors, producing 114 hp (85 kW; 116 PS).

[18] Hudson commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to build what is believed to have been a total of 50 cars and sent the needed "Super Jet" components to Italy.

[1] Despite lower labor costs in Italy, the hand-built[13] car's price tag was US$4,350 at the New York port of entry (POE) according to an AMC press release (undated) or $4,800 FOB Detroit, per a letter Hudson sent on 23 September 1953, to dealers and as listed in the Motor Trend October 1954 issue.

The newly formed automaker sent letters to all Hudson dealers announcing a deadline for pre-paid orders from customers for the cars assembled in Italy.

[1] The managers of the newly merged automakers at AMC had no intentions to expand marketing for the Italia, and further problems cropped up when Carrozzeria Touring refused to supply spare body and trim parts.

[1] For example, one of the last cars built, serial #24, was purchased by Trevor James Constable who changed the original I6 and three-speed transmission with column-mounted shifter to a Chevrolet V8 engine and a floor-shifted four-speed manual gearbox.

"[12] Hudson Italias are invited to numerous prestigious car shows, including Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and regularly earn special awards.

[41] A Hudson Italia with chassis number 11 was formerly part of the Harrah Collection, which was acquired in 1971, reportedly from Liberace, finished in silver with red and black leather upholstery.

[45] A Hudson Italia with serial number 003 that underwent a ground-up concours level restoration that took from September 2009 to December 2010, was a class award winner at Pebble Beach in 2011, was priced at $500,000 in 2013.