Humble in every way, this Nash Rambler awaits a new owner to bring her back to her glamorous beginnings. Originally conceived as a compact economy car, the 1950 Nash broke new ground, offering a lush list of standard equipment. Turn signals, a clock, a radio, and the “Weather Eye” heater – all were on the menu. The only body style available at launch was a three-position convertible. George Mason was gambling that the fully-loaded landau would establish a strong reputation right off the bat, leaving him with a lighter lift in his marketing endeavors against bigger competitors. Here on facebook Marketplace is a 1950 Nash Rambler Landau convertible with an asking price of $4750. After rambling from Nevada to Arizona, she is now garaged in Woodville, Ohio. Thanks to Zappenduster for the great tip!
In 1950, Nash had staked its future on its Airflyte construction – a monocoque envelop body welded onto the frame. Wheel coverings completed the streamlined look. The car rode low, ingress was easy. This photo shows the simple two-bar grille with its “nose cone” in the center – an influence from the aircraft styling craze that was infecting everything from tail lights to dash components. In the end, the bathtub look proved extremely difficult to update without completely retooling its factories, leaving Nash behind when customers moved on to the next styling fad.
Meanwhile, the company was still soldiering on with a 172 cu. in. flathead six-cylinder, good for 82 hp. The offset to sluggish performance was great gas mileage, but that was not enough to save the company either, as the postwar recovery kindled buyers’ desires for larger, more powerful cars. Our seller notes that this engine is in unknown condition, though the three-speed manual does move through all its gears. The odometer is quoted at around 77,000 miles.
The interior needs work! Nash was providing deep cushioned seating in 1950 as part of its luxury approach to a small car; the new owner will need to recreate those from the parts seen here. The floors and trunk are said to be decent, but minor rust repair will still be needed. Nash was using a one-piece windshield by now; combined with the slender pillars and generous door glass, visibility was a strong suit. The instrument panel was nearly barren, but it wasn’t worse than other economy cars of the time.
I find these cars weirdly appealing. The framed drop-top is so unusual; the dumpling body qualifies as adorable. I’m sure it was seen as dowdy after a few years, but today, I pine for something graciously and differently styled. The sweep of the curve from the tail light to the front, the deep trunk embossed down its center – it’s all of a piece, with each element harmonizing with the next. Here’s an example of a restored 1950 Nash; it sold five years ago for only $13,200. But this blue ’50 brought $33k three years ago! What’s the right price for this project car?
Not faster than a speeding bullet, or stronger than a locomotive, Lois Lane had no choice, Nash was paying the bills. With 0-60 in 28 seconds, and the 1/4 mile,,aw who cares, even Clark Kent could beat her to the story. I read, Lois Lane didn’t make much as a reporter, some sites say about $37/week in 1950. This car was a pricey model, about $1808 new, the convertible adding almost $300, hardly a car for a low paid reporter, but that’s a Hollywood.
Like all these projects, Superman is a distant memory, so no provenance there and aside from someone completely doing a resto mod with yep, an LS motor, and be extremely cool, but as is, I don’t see anyone taking this on. Images show a mix of original and custom, so maybe.
I was just wondering what condition her weekend car is in. It shows up in the latest Superman movie,in a retraux grayscale picture of her posing on the hood, framed on her desk in the newsroom. Toyota paid the product placement bill this time so her work car’s a bz4x.
How was the steering with the tires being inside the fender, maybe I,m missing something but I just cant see how it worked but I understand it to be a popular car at one time.
Everytime I see one of these the `50s song “Beep Beep” from “The Playmates” pops up in my head ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayTJtVzHOLs
Great song! Thanks for the memories.
Well, if the thing runs, you’ll get lots of airflow driving it, because besides the missing top, you’ll get full-flow ventilation from all the rust holes in the body. This car is long gone beyond a worthwhile restoration but would make a nice parts mule.
Are you kidding? Sure some rust, but a rare impossible to find convertible. If this were a Mustang in this condition, would be worth double or triple, and for a ordinary common model that we all see daily to our boredom.
Not true Terry. There’s enough of this car left to save it in some way, shape, or form. With the exception of the canvas top, the car looks to be all there. If you wanna keep it all AMC, and a 6 cylinder, there’s the 199, 232, or
the 258 cube sixes. Anyone of which would give this car more
oomph than it came with originally. As you have said long ago, Howard, these cars would need an extensive amount of surgery to even mount a small V-8 let alone a screaming LS. And
really folks, does everything have to have a monster motor in it? No. This car would do just fine with an updated 6 for power and
an auto tranny to shift the gears.
Ditch the torque tube and go to an open rear axle to save a lot of grief when changing the U-joints
or servicing the tranny. Any good
upholstery shop can stitch you up
a decent looking top and interior
for this car, but it may not be cheap. One thing’s for sure though, you’ll have the only one
at your next car show!
No torque tube on these, that was reserved for the “big” Ramblers. This car has a leaf-sprung axle with open driveline.
AMC’s seven main bearing sixes (199/232/258/4.0) are too long to fit under the hood. Their earlier OHV 195.6 is not exactly a powerhouse but would fit and be an upgrade. Some have reported that Falcon six-cylinder engines are short enough to fit.
AMC continued with this platform through to the 1963 Rambler American.
The 196 lasted thru 1966. I drove the L head version in a 1964 American.
I had three Rambler Americans in the 70’s, all with the 195.6 flat 6. The 1959 American was the bathtub style while the 1962 and 63 were the square style. I did not know until recently that the overhead valve 6 was used concurrently with the flat 6 for the higher priced and convertible Americans. Good cars as long as you don’t expect fast acceleration.
When AMC decided that the Pacer had to have a V8, to be competitive with something, a lab took the 258 six, put a mild cam, headers and big 2bbl on it and would smoke the V8. Management had no clue…
Ken, I was enamored of a ’59 Ambassador that came out of Texas, don’t know why. Clearly it must have been in the sun & wind forever, was full of sand to boot! Had a torque tube, treadle vac, oil bath air clearner, and other interesting mechanicals that I had never seen before. Oh yeah, also had a Continental Kit spare on the back. The Pink Lady, as she was named after getting new paint, was a lesson to me. And OMG, what a money pit it was!
Louisville KY was full of Nash vehicles in the 60’s and 70’s. Mostly Metropolitans and usually teal or red trimmed in white…many convertibles.
With female drivers donning scarfs and sunglasses, teachers and librarians! Where did all those cars go?
Before 100k miles, the scrapyard. Most cars did that!
Mercy! These things are ugly.
You really need to understand auto history from 1940 on to appreciate these. They were the forward design look of ’40s. Not nearly as radical as a cybertruck and far more mainstream.
This car would be the biggest hit at any car show or parade.
“Glamour Puss”
Love it!!
I bought one and would never again before inspecting its unit body for dangerous structural rust. Hidden bondo and patch repairs must be investigated for with a magnet and icepick. The rusting of these may have inspired AMC’s latter dipping of their unit bodies in electrically charged primer tanks.
Lois Lane of Superman series – sold for serious money 10 years ago!
This one could be an instant nostalgia hit!!
Its so ugly its COOL
Chris is right about the rust. An in-person inspection is a must!
Parts for these Ramblers are hard to find.
I always had a dislike for fender skirts, even more so, at all four corners. Yuck.
That was streamlining, the modern way to achieve high mpg.
We have 2 of these and mechanical parts are easy to find, body parts not so much. Our’s were just filmed in the new AMC documentary American Motors the Last Independent Automaker. When we bring them to a show the crowds gather around. Buy the way they are not as slow as you might think. Very light cars.
Nash did not sponcer the Adventures of Superman, it was Kelloggs.