Nash Motors
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Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors Corporation
Image:NashMotorsLogo.jpg Nash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Nash production continued from 1954 to 1957 after the creation of American Motors Corporation.
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History
Nash Motors was founded in 1916 by former General Motors executive Charles W. Nash who acquired the Thomas B. Jeffery Company. Jeffery's best known automobile was the Rambler. Nash enjoyed decades of success by marketing mid-priced cars for middle class buyers.
Much of the early success of the company was owed to Charlie Nash's faith in engineer Nils Erik Wahlberg. Wahlberg was an early proponent of wind tunnel testing for vehicles. Wahlberg is also credited with helping to design modern flow-through ventilation, a process by which fresh, outside air enters a car's air-circulating system, is warmed (or cooled), and exits through rearward placed vents. The process also helped to reduce humidity and equalize the slight pressure differential between the outside and inside of a moving vehicle.
Nash's slogan from the late 1920s and 1930s was "Give the customer more than he has paid for" and the cars pretty much lived up to it. Innovations included a straight-eight engine with overhead valves, twin spark plugs, and nine crankshaft bearings. The 1932 Ambassador had synchromesh transmissions and a freewheel, and its suspension was adjustable from within the car.
Creation of the Ajax
For the 1925 model year, Nash introduced an entry-level marque named the Ajax. The Ajax was produced in the newly acquired Mitchell Motors Company plant in Racine, Wisconsin. Mitchell was the manufacturer of Mitchell-brand automobiles between 1903-1923. Sales of Ajax automobiles were insufficient to warrant a separate make, and Ajax became the "Nash Light Six" in June, 1926.
Acquisition of LaFayette
In 1924 Nash absorbed LaFayette Motors of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and converted its production lines to produce Nash automobiles. The LaFayette name was reintroduced in 1934 as a lower priced companion make to Nash. LaFayette ceased to be an independent marque with the introduction of the 1937 models. From 1937 through 1940, the Nash LaFayette was the lowest priced Nash and was replaced by the new unibody Nash 600 for the 1941 model year.
Era of George Mason and Nash Kelvinator
Before retiring, Charlie Nash chose Kelvinator Corporation head George W. Mason to succeed him. Mason accepted, but placed one condition on the job: Nash would acquire controlling interest in Kelvinator, which at the time was the leading manufacturer of high-end refrigerators and kitchen appliances in the United States. The resulting company, as of January 4, 1937, was known as the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Nash as a brand name continued to represent automobiles for Nash-Kelvinator.
In 1938 Nash introduced an optional conditioned air heating/ventilating system, an outcome of the expertise shared between Kelvinator and Nash. Also in 1938, Nash, along with other car manufacturers like Studebaker and Graham, offered vacuum-assist shifting, an early attempt at reducing clutching and shifting. Automobiles equipped with vacuum-assist shifting had their selector mounted on the lower dashboard. 1938 also marked the introduction of fully reclinable front seats, which allowed the car's interior to be converted into a sleeping compartment.
The 1939 and 1940 Nash streamlined cars were designed by George Walker and Associates and free lance body stylist Don Mortrude. They were available in three series- LaFayette, Ambassador Six and Ambassador Eight.
The 1941 Nash 600 was the first mass-produced unibody construction automobile made in the United States. Its lighter weight compared to body-on-frame automobiles and lower air drag helped it to achieve excellent gas mileage for its day. The design was improved by new front ends, upholstery, and chrome trim from 1942 to 1948.
Introduction of the Nash Airflyte
The aerodynamic 1949 Nash "Airflyte" was the first car of an advanced design introduced by the company after the war. Its aerodynamic body shape was developed in a wind tunnel. Nils Wahlberg's theories on reducing an automobile body's drag coefficient resulted in a smooth shape and enclosed front fenders. Wide and low, the automobile featured more interior room than its 1948 predecessor. Due to its enclosed front fenders Nash automobiles had a larger turning radius than most other cars in its price range.
Nash-Kelvinator's President George Mason felt Nash had the best chance of reaching a larger market in building small cars. He directed Nash towards the development of the first compact of the post war era, the 1950 Rambler, which was marketed as an up-market, feature-laden convertible. Mason also arranged for the introduction of the Austin-built small Metropolitan from Britain.
Mason also worked with British car enthusiast Donald Healey to create the Nash Healey in 1951 — the first American sports car built since the depression. Under the original agreement, both firms would contribute to the project. However in the second year of production the body was redesigned and built by Italian designer Pinin Farina, who supplied the bodies to Healey. Nash running components were shipped from Nash to Britain, where Donald Healey's concern assembled the vehicles and returned them to the United States for sale. The high cost of the vehicle and Nash's focus on the Rambler line resulted in the termination of Nash Healey production in 1954 after 506 automobiles were produced. George Mason commissioned Farina to design the successor to the Nash Healey, which was designated the Nash Palm Beach, but the project never went beyond the prototype showcar. The 1953 Le Mans race lists a number of Nash Healey's entered and one Nash Palm Beach that was entered by Allard. The Nash Healey's finished first and second in class (Sports 3000 — the same class as the Austin Healey), all entered in the 3000 class finished the 24-hour race, but the news went to the bigger-engined cars of Jaguar (Sports 5000) and Cunningham (Sports 8000). The only Nash Healey with a larger 5000cc engine to compete with Jaguar and Ferrari did not finish due to oil-pressure problems.
Creation of American Motors
In January 1954 Nash announced the acquistion Hudson Motor Car Company as a friendly merger, creating American Motors Corporation (AMC). To improve the financial performance of the combined companies, all production beginning with the 1955 Nash and Hudson models would happen at Nash's Kenosha plant. Nash would focus most of its marketing dollars on its smaller Rambler models, and Hudson would focus its marketing dollars on its full-sized cars.
For 1955, all senior Hudson and Nash automobiles were based on a shared common body shell but with individual powertrains and separate, non-interchangeable body parts a la the Big Three's longtime practise of manufacturing economy. The Metropolitan, which had been marketed under both the Nash and Hudson brands, became a make unto its own in 1956. Rambler eventually overtook Nash and Hudson as the leading nameplate manufactured by AMC.
Soon after the 1954 merger, CEO George Mason died. Mason's successor, George Romney, pinned the future of the company on an expanded Rambler line, and began the process of phasing the Nash and Hudson nameplates out by the end of the 1957 model year, and Nash and Hudson production ended on June 25, 1957. From 1958 to 1965, Rambler was the only marque sold by AMC. Under the tenure of Roy Abernethy, the Rambler name was phased out beginning in 1965 and discontinued by 1969.
In 1971, American Motors acquired Kaiser Jeep and its Toledo, Ohio based manufacturing facilities. In the early 1980s, AMC entered into a partnership with Renault which was looking for an entrée into the American market in the 1980s. AMC was ultimately acquired by Chrysler Corporation in 1987.
Nash automobile brands
Nash automobiles
References
Gunnell, John (editor) (1987). The Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1946-1975. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87341-096-3.