This car is a six-cylinder 1923 Nash Touring on Facebook Marketplace, located in Rogers, Arkansas, and it’s basically in tatters—especially the roof. The owner says it’s “not bad for a 103-year-old car,” and while that’s correct, it’s in very challenging condition. Thanks for the tip, Terry. The photos are rather odd, taken at strange angles and not really showing the full interior or the engine. The car has “been sitting in a barn for years,” but apparently the motor was running a year ago. The factory wood-spoke wheels aren’t bad, and the body panels look straight, but the complicated top needs a full rework. The owner claims a good title, but adds that the car was a trade-in that he’s too busy to restore.
Nash was a pretty healthy company in 1923, producing 56,569 cars. Charles Nash’s slogan in this period was “Give the customer more than he has paid for,” and that took the form of technical innovation, such as a straight-eight with overhead valves, twin spark plugs, and, by 1930, nine main bearings. In 1932 the Ambassador Eight boasted synchro transmission, free-wheeling, automatic chassis lubrication, and suspension adjustable from within the car. Nash was an early proponent of four-wheel brakes.
But this car is from before all that. The Six Touring was upscale from the Four Touring in 1923, and sold for $1,240, a not inconsiderable sum at the time. It came in five- and seven-passenger versions—this looks like the latter. These bread-and-butter cars aren’t worth much, even considering they’re more than 100 years old. Hagerty values a 1923 Nash collector vehicle between $16,000 and $28,000, depending on body style and condition. A convertible would be the most sought-after, not this big sedan.
The sad truth is that a restorer of this car will quickly go underwater. But they’d have a nice, technically advanced car when it’s done. Are you up for the task?
like the rest of us oldies, wrinkles and parts missing.
That’s right up my alley!