This is not just any other Hudson Hornet you know, this is the particular Hudson Hornet where racing legend Mario Andretti began his career. This is Mario Andretti's "first love", and with the help from the Gran Turismo community, the "First Love" of the legendary driver has been restored to its former glory and we now had the chance to try it out in Gran Turismo 6.
Back in 1957, when Andretti was just 17 years old, he, his twin brother Aldo, and his pals began building his first race car based on a 1948 Hudson Hornet. The reason why he picked the Hudson because of its legendary reputation of being...well, legendary in the world of NASCAR.
Just what is a Hudson Hornet? Simple really, this legendary machine raked 40 out of 48 wins because of its straight-six Twin-H power engine, making it truly an innovator and race champion. If you're under 12, then to you, this car is Doc Hudson from the Disney Pixar movie, Cars.
Anyway, back to the story. They got the parts, a new engine, and rebuilt the car from scratch and then, two years later, the #7 Hudson stock car was born and the Andretti brothers won their first two races.
This engine was bought from Whitney & Company, a company specializes in race-spec engines for Hudson stock cars and it was engineered with a single carbureted straight-six design. With the combination of this engine as well as its sleek aerodynamics of the Hudson stock car, it became the foreground to Mario Andretti's legendary career that blessed him several motorsports such as F1, Indycar, NASCAR, and the World Sportscar Championship. Because of his longevity and success, the Associated Press and RACER Magazine named him "Driver of the Century". Today, Mario Andretti's living at the age of 73.
Sony Computer Entertainment America started Gran Turismo 6's FIRST LOVE campaign where the producers and the help of the GT community restore Mario Andretti's 1948 Hudson stock car to its former glory. Oh yeah, if you want to relive the "First Love" story, go to http://playstation.gt6firstlove.com/ and look back at the story of Mario Andretti and the car that started it all.
From restoration, recreation, 3D scanning, sound recording, the producers spend most of the day doing their best to resurrect the legendary Hudson stock car to its former glory and a week after its complete restoration, Andretti and his "First Love", the car that started his career, have finally been reunited at last and as a reward for all the hard work we've done, his car is ours in GT6 via an update. We even had a chance to try out a Special Event where we can drive Mario Andretti's 1948 Hudson round the "Streets of Willow" segment of Willow Springs International Raceway. This legend served as a courtesy car and if whoever reaches the Bronze trophy target or better will be rewarded with Mario Andretti's 1948 Hudson as a prize.
It's been quite an honor to drive a legendary car which served as the maiden voyage for the living legend. Although it maybe a stock car, it's still the fabulous Hudson Hornet. It's first love never dies especially when petrolheads showing their love for cars and for this car, it feels like I'm rekindling to my past selves. When racers driving legendary vintage racers like this, their instincts are reconnecting to their predecessors and in theory, that makes them motivated to the road ahead. Sadly for me, my past isn't quite perfect for me so...I'm not really more of a man I am but ever since I spent the last 15 years playing the Gran Turismo series, here I am now, continuing the legacy in a new era. Wow, looks like the irony is not lost from me but still worth entertaining.
This 1948 Hudson stock car that Mario Andretti started his racing career back then really does asked us a question that we all have answers. As a petrolhead, what car served us as our "first love"? A car isn't just more than just a piece of transportation or racing machines. It's made for storing up memories no matter how good or bad memories are. Recollection, that's what that is and when you look around people asking about what's their first car they drove when they got their driver's license, the good times, the bad times, they'll always response in a touching kind of way.
Just remember, when you're busy taking the wheel of Andretti's Hudson in GT6, you are worth remembering about how "First Love" never dies in a true spirit of car enthusiasm.
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