Most of us know that as of May 1, 1954, Nash + Hudson = AMC. Sometimes it’s confusing as to what to call some of the Nash, Hudson, and/or AMC cars of that era, especially those right at the dividing line like this 1955 Nash Rambler Cross Country. Hey, at least I didn’t say AMC Nash Rambler Cross Country! This cool project wagon can be found here on Craigslist in Chowchilla, California. The seller is asking $1,600 or best offer – this is a lot of car for that price! Thanks to Pat L. for sending in another great tip!
This Cross Country looks like it’ll need a trip to the dentist among other specialists. The seller says, “1955 Nash Cross Country Wagon.. complete..6 cyl. 3 speed..not running.. rolling project..radio.. heater..have pink..a good starter car.” At 2,700 pounds, rolling it won’t be that hard but hopefully it’ll be rolling under its own power again someday. Apparently, this is a really, really early production model as they have the VIN listed as 000-000-000. I’m kidding, of course. It’s like the old Jack Benny joke about his SS# being 000-000-0001. Jack Benny? Hello? He was a comedian from the ol’ days (1930s-1970s).. Is this thing on?.. (crickets). Back to this Rambler.. tough crowd..
1955 was the first year after the 1954 Nash/Hudson merger which created American Motors Corporation and like the Metropolitan, the Nash and Hudson Cross Country wagons were basically different in the grille badge and a couple of other small trim pieces. 1955 would be the last year for the Nash (or, Hudson) Rambler as Rambler became its own make under the new AMC umbrella in 1956. This station wagon design is as close to being perfect as I can imagine. The two-level roofline was similar to the sedan for ease of manufacturing, but then the roofline gets a bit lower in the rear portion and on that lower rear portion is a roof rack. That’s a spot-on cool design, in my opinion. Most of us know that they were designed by Pinin Farina, the famous Italian design firm. One thing that was different with the 1955 models is that the front wheels weren’t half-covered by the front fenders for the first and what would be the last time.
This appears to have been a Coral Red (i.e. pink) car originally due to the pink color under the chipped areas and under the hood unless I’m just seeing things? The interior does look like it’s in good shape for being a car that only has a $1,600 or offer asking price, doesn’t it? The back seat looks good but there are no photos with the rear hatch/tailgate open, unfortunately.
This engine compartment looks like it’s Coral Red, doesn’t it? The engine looks better than what I assumed a $1,600 car would look like under the hood. This should be Nash’s L-Head 195.6 cubic-inch six with 90 hp and it’ll take 18 seconds to get to 60 mph. This car is relatively light at 2,700 pounds and is only 15.5 feet long, less than 4-inches longer than a new Honda Civic! Needless to say, I’d rather have this car and a $10,000 restoration budget over a new Honda Civic, but that’s just me. Are there any mid-1950s Rambler wagon fans out there?
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