Vehicle sighting - 1953ish Nash Airflyte

[Number_35]

We were out for a bike ride this afternoon and stopped for a hot drink. Spotted this rare beast through the chain-link fence of a storage compound. I hope the owner restores it - it has potential. Anyone able to put a definite model year on this?

No doubt that rakish rear side window inspired the designers of the latest-gen Honda CRV.

 

[daves87rs]

Cool!!!

 

[wag123]

That would be a 1951 or 1952 Nash Rambler Country Club hardtop coupe. The two year models look the same. The fresh air intake scoop on the cowl went away in 1953. Unfortunately, the car would not be worth enough to warrant the expense of a professional restoration.
Back in the day, those cars were coveted by teen drivers because of the fully reclining front seats, their excellent "Weather Eye" heaters, and reliable economical operation. But, they were notorious rust buckets, and most of them were run straight into the ground.

 

[Aredeeem]

Love the dog warning sign on the fence. Cleverly worded. Too bad we can't see the interior/dash. Can you back tonight?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by Aredeeem
...... Too bad we can't see the interior/dash. Can you back tonight?


Ahh. Nash, Mitt Romney's dad's company.

That' a unitbody. Likely unrepairable and not worth too much.

I have a "hotrodded" Rambler down the street from me with a 390V8

Its been sitting in the weeds for over a decade.
They are not very good looking and don't have much cache,so it didn't jump.

Through the Magic of the WWW :

 

[PimTac]

Pretty much any vehicle with a metal dashboard is historic these days.

Thanks for sharing. This is a car you don't see much of anywhere.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by Aredeeem
...... Too bad we can't see the interior/dash. Can you back tonight?


Ahh. Nash, Mitt Romney's dad's company.

That' a unitbody. Likely unrepairable and not worth too much.

I have a "hotrodded" Rambler down the street from me with a 390V8

Its been sitting in the weeds for over a decade.
They are not very good looking and don't have much cache,so it didn't jump.

Through the Magic of the WWW :

That interior design was way ahead of its time. Sleek, uncluttered and some interesting design features. A bit of Art Deco.

 

[Aredeeem]

That orange/red handle is the parking brake? People must have been a lot skinnier back then.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by PimTac
That interior design was way ahead of its time. Sleek, uncluttered and some interesting design features. A bit of Art Deco.

Agreed I love Elegant Simplicity in Industrial Design.

Very Beetle-esque
_____________

Late 50's VW Beetle dashboard"

 

[Saabist]

Yes, it is an early 1950s Nash Rambler. In their day these were the only really successful postwar compact car in the U.S. Others like the Henry J, Hudson Jet, and Willys Aero (all built by the independents) didn't sell very well, and the Big 3 were not interested in small cars at the time.

The Nash Rambler was sold by from 1950 through 1955, discontinued, then resurrected 1958 through 1963 as the Rambler American by AMC. There was a squared-off reskinning of exterior panels in '61 but it was still the same underneath. By the end of its run it was obsolete even by the standards of the early 1960s; engineering was strictly 1940s-vintage.

To paraphrase Jean Shepard: Some men are Baptists, others Catholics - my father was a Nash man. We always had Nash and AMC products in the family back when they were current and I've owned a few myself so I am quite familiar with them.

 

[CincyDavid]

My grandfather used to say "Nash today, trash tomorrow" but then he turned around and bought AMCs during the 70s.

 

[Saabist]

There's a pretty nice one for sale on barnfinds.com right now.

https://barnfinds.com/no-reserve-1953-nash-rambler-airflyte/

 

[dishdude]

That is one goofy looking car, it looks like a bathtub!

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by dishdude
That is one goofy looking car, it looks like a bathtub!


That's what people called them, "bathtub Nashes". Back in the day they were considered to be quite futuristic-looking. Love 'em or hate 'em they were certainly distinctive. Cars just did not look like this in 1949!