Looking like it has taken a trip to the sandblaster, this 1950 Nash Ambassador is wearing some pretty peculiar patina. It’s especially noteworthy when spread across this Nash’s very distinctive streamlined, Airflyte shape. The seller makes a big deal about the hood ornament – more on that to follow. This one’s a project and missing a bunch of parts, so let’s see what’s left. Located in Bozeman, Montana, jonny found the listing for this bygone model. It’s available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $4,995. There is a make-an-offer option too.
You know a Nash Airflyte (’49-’51) when you see one. Referred to as a “bathtub”, a “torpedo”, a “zeppelin”, or a “submarine”, the blimpo shape is instantly recognizable. It was a forward-thinking, low drag coefficient design and somewhat of an acquired taste. This Airflyte, being an Ambassador, resembles the smaller Nash Statesman, but rode on a wheelbase that was ten inches longer. It’s a bit ungainly looking but the animal print finish may have something to do with that. The seller states, “Survivor Paint – replaced hood & left rear door” which explains the pinto look, and then adds, “Roof Never Jumped On – $1,500 bonus” – good to know, I’m sold!
This big Ambassador is powered by a 115 HP, 234 CI, in-line six-cylinder engine (no image provided) anchored to a GM Hydramatic automatic transmission. OK, sounds good except for the statement, “Engine complete except for missing short block assembly, Automatic Transmission missing, Radiator missing” (explains the nose-up attitude). I’m not sure how an engine can be complete except for its short block assembly, as that basically is the engine. So, what we have is a collection of engine parts.
Inside’s a mess, the upholstery is really shredded (the back seat looks like some lion taming was going on in there) but the good news is that I found the engine, sans the short block. The floors aren’t completely shot but they do have a bit of a swiss-cheese thing going on. The dash is rusted and the door panels are dissolving but the cool Nash uni-pod gauge is still positioned front and center.
Now, the matter of the hood ornament. The seller goes on about how it was designed from a drawing by American pin-up artist George Petty, the illustrator famous for scantily clad women who often adorned WWII planes such as the Memphis Belle. The mistake is that no image was included in the listing. Originally sold by Nash, I found the above example on Etsy and you can buy one on eBay for $250 to $350 – probably more than this car is worth (Did I actually say that?).
An Airflyte Nash, especially an Ambassador, is a memorable, collectible car. This example, however, has probably seen its best days – the missing powertrain, and overall general condition are obstacles. If I were in the market for one of these (I’m not, I can’t get around the styling), I’d probably keep looking, how about you?
I should have had that hood ornament on the hood of my semi, you know, “on a lonely stretch of highway, east of Omaha”. I see no future whatsoever for this car. I read, the “uni-pod” was discontinued as was deemed too creepy. Sci-fi movies being a hit at the box office. I read, 1949 and 1950 only. Most of these “went missing” as soon as the car hit the boneyard. I’m surprised this one is still there, and probably the most valuable thing on the car. While a classy car for the post war era, it quickly became old fashioned, and couldn’t compete with GM. Nash struggled on, the Superman TV series helped some, but never lost that frumpy Nash image, well into the Rambler years. I see little,if any appeal here.
These Nashes are growing on me. Some of them had front seats that could lay flat to make a bed I think that’s a great feature. I’d restore but use a 300-6 Ford and AOD transmission. They are asking too much, might be worth 1/2 that.
It’s a unit bodied car with significant rust throughout, that’s missing most of its drivetrain. Therefor: $1K, TOPS !
It’d be easier to use a Jeep 4.0L with a 4.2L crank & rods, matched-up to either an Aisin, or a Mopar A518 automatic: equally bulletproof as the 4.9L Ford, and with a much more reliable tranny. (I drive a Lincoln TC with a 4L70W, and my previous Cougar had the AOD.)
Super hard pass on this one. Save your cash, and buy the best restored one you can find.
Sound Advice Big C. Buy ’em done unless you come across a one off classic and then think long and hard before taking the plunge
I’m going to take an opposing view. I like it! Yes, at half the asking price, but that will turn heads everywhere it goes. His last pic shows what it could be, which is beautiful.
The power train is a blank slate and opens up all options. Goodness, there’s certainly enough room under that hood for anything the mind can imagine. And a strong motor/tranny combo will pull that beast down the highway all day long. “An LS swap” is no trite joke here. Or an old school SBC with an RV cam.
Same thing with the interior. Gut it and head to the junk yard for bucket seats and a center console. Queen size bed in the back??
What does. the underside look like? Hmmm.
Oh, for time and money! If I had enough of both I might be all over this.
I had a 49 or 50 back in the day just like this one, black 4 door. I thought it was pretty cool and unusual. What I hated was the 6 volt system and the automatic trans. Mine had the OHV six and it seemed the flatheads I saw had the 3 speed with overdrive and the OHVs had the hydromatic’s but not sure. Had a few of those early 4 speed auto transmissions in 50s cars, they would be in 3 gear by the time you hit 10 mph, total jerky dog trans, I hated them.
My friend back in the 60’s bought a mint 50 Nash 2 door off a little old lady neighbor for $50.00. I remember that car being a low mileage beauty. Unfortunately he destroyed that nice Nash within 6 months.
I see this car powered by a 231 GM
V-6 mated to a 700R4 from a late ’90s
S-10 or something on that order. That
drive line, along with its slippery shape, should propel this car well over 100 MPH while giving the owner
between maybe 25-30 MPG. With a
little imagination and a bit of work,
you could wind up with a really nice
and unique vehicle.
Attack of the Patina Monster!
I’ve heard stories about taking these to the drive-in movies, I’ll bet nobody watched the movie…
Guy’s girlfriends dad hated anyone picking up their daughter on a date in one of these!!
Looks like my mom’s family hauler.
Tow it out to southern California and watch it get resto-modded in about half a second. This could be a cool ride if modernized…and no chopping or channeling please.
its cool in a odd kinda way… i like it but wouldnt own it… love the rear end, grille , and it does have shiney hub caps… i owned a nash metro for 15 years… finally let her go…
I had 3 restored Metropolitan’s and sold them all off and made a ton of money. Easy money. We have my son’s ’56 convertible left. He’s had it since 1979. That one’s a keeper.
You could park all 3 of those metros in this car
Now, there are thousands, in CA alone, who have to live in their cars, given the price of housing. One of the pharmacists at the local chain had to live in his car for weeks at a time last winter. What better car to live in? Lots of space, “Weather-eye” heater that had a thermostatic control – even the Chevy Silverado I rented a few months ago did not have that. And, up here in the mountains, you have to move your vehicle to a different part of the federal land every two weeks, so, any engine would do.
The novel The Last Time I Saw Alice by ahem: ME prominently features a ’50 Ambassador called The Mulholland Rocket on the cover and is central to the plot. The first two chapters are available FREE on Amazon. At least don’t miss the freebee guys,
Shameless plug. I Like it!
Well read the damn thing Dave. Thanks, Rich. And hey, the whole softbound is only twelve bucks. Got to be the only novel about a ’50 Ambassador.
“I can’t get around the styling.”
Nor could I– ever– even when these cars were relatively new. Yet as the expression goes, there’s a chair for every butt. Besides, there’s no gainsay arguing taste.
My friend Jack loves these!
Had one in high school and couldn’t get a date to save my sole. Seems a lot of mothers knew about that front seat. Finally my girlfriend said we could go out if we took her Mom’s car.
Incidentally Guys this looks like a ’49 with a ’51 grille. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Wrong. The ’51 had its tail lights moved from the truck lid out onto slab sided fins. Also no Uniscope on the ’51, its dash was more conventional.
Sorry Richard, I miss-read your comment.
GT I said the grill looks like a ’51 and the uniscope a ’49. Did uniscope change from ’49 to ’51? I swear that grille is a ’51 transplanted to and earlier car.
This appears to be a 1950 with a 1951 grill and front bumper. The rest of the car is definitely a 1950 (see gas cap cover) and parking lights/turn signals (49-50). This one also may have 1951 headlight bezels.
Rich, I thought the same thing. A ’50 Nash grille is inverted, not like this one. Also, a ’50 has different parking lights.
Yeah Bob. lotta transplanting here. This is a thousand-dollar car tops with all the deterioration and missing parts. Incidentally, read the first two chapters of THE LAST TIME I SAW ALICE, story of a ’50 Nash and its dark secrets that morph into deadly events free on Amazon. Hopefully it’ll hook you into buying the novel by ahem ME. Better than Steven King’s FROM A BUICK EIGHT and of course I would know.
I think American Pickers have one of these or a similar one, at their Iowa store. My first car when I was 15 was a ’50 Nash Rambler wagon. Had a paper route for the wagon part and visions of girl friends for the reclining seats part. Ah, to be young and dumb again!
It seems like that the Ambassadors extra 10″ is all in the front end. I think AMC also did this in the 60’s with the Classic and Rebel being shorter and the Ambassador having a longer front end. As for this one, how about a Jeep 4.0 straight six.Not many of these left, in the 60’s nobody wanted them. I think we all would like to walk around a junkyard from the 60’s
Interesting that both Hudson and Nash who would soon be bedmates made this futuristic plunge into body design and engineering while offering older powerplants because of the R&D costs. Good thing that they were very good engines to start with.
Both the ’49 Nash and the ’48 Step down Hudsons were great, noble efforts and terrific cars that should be cherished and preserved. Hey guys, don’t forget to read the first two chapters of THE LAST TIME I SAW ALICE free on Amazom, by ahem: ME.
I remember back in 1965 my Dad got a 50 Nash and two Packard Clippers for $2.58 worth of gas at his Flying A station. When my Mom showed up, she took one look at the three cars and said to him’ Honey” you got took to the cleaners!