Hudson Motor Car Company

Hudson's 1954 merger with Nash (forming AMC) ended independence for a company that had pioneered unitized body construction. Hudson Hornets dominated NASCAR in 1951-54 but the company couldn't afford post-war factory retooling. The merger saved the brand briefly, but Hudson-badged Nashes convinced no one. The last Hudson rolled off in 1957. Hudson demonstrated that technical innovation doesn't substitute for capital in capital-intensive industries.