Nothing defines the 1950s for me better than a Nash in black and pink. And, is that a spotlight that I see on the driver’s side mirror? Even better. This 1954 Nash Ambassador Custom can be found here on eBay in Summerville, South Carolina and there is a single bid of $1,000 and no reserve.
I don’t like to ever see a car sitting outside for even a few weeks, let alone however long this Nash has been sitting outside. It has literally sunk into the ground and that is never good, but it’s especially bad for a unibody, or unit-body car such as this Nash Ambassador. The seller doesn’t mention the rust condition at all but there absolutely has to be something brewing under this beauty. I hope that I’m wrong, but South Carolina isn’t exactly a desert climate and having leaves collect around and on a vehicle parked outside in a damp environment does nothing good for the condition of vehicles.
Speaking of leaves collecting on a car. I don’t know about you, but I would have at the very, very, very least brushed those leaves off of this car before taking photos. It’s basically showing that the current owner either doesn’t have time or there is another reason why it has been left to the elements like this. And it happens, people keep getting older each day and I get it. Projects get out of hand and life has a way of coming at us full speed. It sure is a shame to see this once-great car in this condition, though. The Continental spare tire is yet another classic and defining 1950s element on this Nash. In this case, it defines this example as a top-of-the-line Custom model.
The interior looks much better than the exterior does, but I’m still worried about the floors. It appears that there has been some work done inside at some point, it’s far too nice and there is a telltale sign of the red dash panel having been recovered. Not that any of that is a bad thing at all, it looks period correct if not an exact match of what would have been in this car when it left the factory in Kenosha, WI in 1954. If it is the original interior, it would be amazing.
The engine should be a 252.6 cubic-inch inline-six which had 130 hp in 1954, the year that Nash and Hudson merged to create American Motors Corporation. It was also reportedly the first year for an American vehicle to have a front-mounted heating and air-conditioning system all in one unit under the hood. Previously, vehicles with air-conditioning had the components in the trunk. This car doesn’t appear to have AC, but it looks like the engine bay could be cleaned up and detailed in a solid weekend. The seller says that this one needs brakes and a starter but there’s no word as to if it runs or not. I’m assuming not, given the “out-back” appearance of the car, in general. Have any of you owned a Nash Ambassador?
Neat ol Nash, but you KNOW that has to be the Flintstone Flyer. What a shame.
So sad that it was left outside in the dirt. I will guarantee the bottom is gone.
Sunk !!
“B3. I sank your battleship…er…I mean your Nash”
Love it! It’s complete and “unmolested” other than the coil sitting on the front seat. All windows shut and intact. Other than the rear bumper I don’t see any rust but the leaves are a bad thing. I was expecting an OHV Nash engine. Also I thought Nash engines were green. Was this one rebuilt perhaps?
I was born while my dad worked at Nash-Kelvinator in Detroit. Came home from the hospital in a 1949 Ambassador, two-tone dark green over light green. I love everything about this car and I can only hope that it’s not trash from the rockers down.
The proportions are perfect and the styling cues and details, from the indents below the side windows to the beautiful cowl vents and from the perfect grille to the elegant taillights, this car is pure class.
The Nash script on the hubcaps recall the heritage and the Nash emblem itself is indelibly etched in American automotive DNA.
It’s not a Ford, nor a Chevy, nor a Dodge and for that reason alone it should be preserved. Floors are pretty much hidden so if they need to be fabbed it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
ccrvtt
Went to Detroit about 10 years ago to meet several guys who worked at AMC on Plymouth Rd aka the old Nash Kelvinator building.
We had done a bit of urban exploration at the Packard earlier in the day. That was amazing. Walked on the very overpass that recently fell. We had intended on seeing the old AMC hq before we left the D.
When I mentioned this the first response was why? They said under no circumstances go. Perplexed at our response they finally said OK if you go DO NOT STOP KEEP MOVING. It is a very very tough area. We were driving an old Crown Vic that looked a lot like a patrol car. I didn’t feel we would have a prob.
They said in the 1990’s it was not uncommon to hear gun shots fired on the grounds. We took their advice didn’t go. A few years ago the once beautiful building was photographed as it is in ruin. Everything of value was scrapped. Very sad.
With the floor gone its a great candidate to swap in an entire floor pan and suspension from a late donor .. .
Not sure this is an Ambassador. Flathead says Statesman. Also, no Ambassador emblems on it. Has overdrive, by the way.
Scotty, this is a Custom, but it’s not an Ambassador which has a 121 1/4″ wheelbase rather than the 114 1/4″ wheelbase of the Statesman. Difference is easily spotted in the shorter distance from the front fender wheel opening (it’s not all enclosed) to the front door vs the 7 inch longer Ambassador. Flathead six is correct.
Interior appears to be original minus dash covering. Summerville is only about 40 kilometers from Charleston. Up country cars are likely to be dry southern machines, but less likely for the down country and “costal” areas.
I have good news and bad news.
First the good Nash was a pioneer of unitized body construction.
Bad news. Those rockers and pans are part of the frame.
My experience with Ramblers and old Nash’s the picture of this in the wild is not too promising that it is saveable. While the body looks good these rust where you can’t see from the top side. Putting on a lift will reveal the damage. Pull the wheels and front fenders.
Several years ago I had one like this and we put it on bags. It was cool. It would sit safely on the ground much like this. The seats lay back and the top of the front fits flush with the rear. Big mattress for when you um……you know. Need to sleep in the car.
The Continental Tire kit on the rear is an amazing plus. That is a rare option indeed. At that bid I would be comfortable. If all else fails it’s a great parts car.
The Nash is somewhat popular now but to the masses it has taken years. Way too long. The Nash purests knew but the rest of the world looked away. Many nice examples were past up junk scrapped in the 70’s-1990’s What was saved mostly has Chevy engines.
Now they are very uncommon. Interesting factoid. This car shares the same type of ribbed aluminum door window frames as the 75-78 Matador sedan. Nash cars had the Weather Eye heating and vent system. The name carried over to AMC’s in the 70’s and 80’s.
The seller got his starting bid, but that may be it. I wonder how much more $$ he could have made if he took a broom to the leaves and rolled it out of the ruts? At least there isn’t a deteriorating tarp hanging off it.
We had a ’53 Statesman sedan on the early ’60s. My Mom was a single mom back then and she could appreciate the
outstanding service and economy that
this car gave her. My sister and I? We
really dug those reclining front seats!
They were a great place to take a nap on
wither going to, or coming from Grandma’s house or my aunt and uncle’s
farm. Mom wound up trading it off in ’62
when a mechanic friend of hers advised
her to get rid of it as spare parts were
getting to be non existent by then. In fact,
the last tune up he did on the Nash was with parts he scrounged from local junk
yards as our local parts stores stopped
selling replacement AMC tune up parts
for them. Sounds like the same thing went on in South Carolina. A lot of oddball cars like this Nash were either
crushed or put out to pasture in the South
because of a lack of parts and mechanics who were able to repair them.
That’s why we don’t see too many of them here in Florida.
A lil sweep 🧹 and red neck approach placing on blocks would have brought a couple more grand.
In defense of the author, I know they can’t be experts on every car, and many times, just go by what the seller says. That’s what’s great about this site, and possibly the author knows, someone will fill in the details. Nobody mentioned these cars were styled by Pininfarina, a well known Italian car designer( badge on C pillar), but didn’t do much for sales. This one is odd enough, and complete enough, someone may restore it. For any appeal today, it has to be nicer. It, however, was able to catch the bad guys in “The Adventures of Superman”. The Metrpolis police used 4 doors like this. Nash was the sponsor at the time.
https://www.imcdb.org/v499887.html
And,
The reporter, Lois Lane, drove a Nash Custom Convertible ~ google it, it’s a faboulous car with a cloth sun roof, not a true convertible .
This if rusted, looks like a great candidate for sourcing a stripped good shell from the South West and restoring it using the myriad correct bits and bobs from this one .
-Nate
Pinin Farina was under contract to provide design prototypes to Nash, but the design for the ’52 Nash incurred substantial modification in house by the Nash stylists much to Farina’s displeasure. The front and rear sloping decks were elevated to create a straight line front to rear along with changes to the grille and eliminating the quarter window behind the rear door, but they did retain the reverse-slant C pillar for the wrap around rear window.
Short answer: Pinin Farina did not specifically design the ’52 – ’54 Nash even though they do wear an inexpensive Nash manufactured Farina emblem. Heck, Farina even appeared in a Nash commercial and is featured in the ’54 brochure. Money talks so to speak.
I’ don’t have a photo of the Farina design prototype from 1950 to share, but Hemmings’ has a full article on the 1955 prototype and it’s a beauty:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/italian-airflyte-1955-nash-pinin-farina/
As a Colorado resident you can easily zip over over to visit Terry Gale’s Rambler Ranch museum where it now resides. The museum has an extensive Nash AMC collection.
Rambler Ranch video on following comment.
The Rambler Ranch Vimeo video:
https://vimeo.com/359099872
There’s a cameo snippet of the ’55 prototype at the 2:15 mark on this less than 3 min presentation.
More info at rambler ranch dot com.
I had a ’51 Nash coupe,with an OHV 6 engine.It also had a rear screen wiper,operated by a trunk mounted vacuum motor.Never seen one before or since.
Looks like the gas cap is inside the right taillight. I thought only ’56 Chevs had that, on the left.
Needs the Petty hood ornament
Agreed .
? Did you know his wife was the model ? .
-Nate
Pininfarina. That explains so much. The aesthetics of this are so beautiful and futuristic for its day. Its a shame with so many manufacturers today, and the fact that instead of venturing out with a unique styling design, that they all look like variations of the same thing and all blend into obscurity. Not this though. In its day, popular or not, you knew what it was from a mile away. Im glad I was there then.
Man, this is a roach-coach! These had fully reclining seats though. Made a good roving cathouse!
Thanks for the info, everyone. The seller didn’t include a VIN and I didn’t expect to see any badges on the car being in the location and condition that it’s in.
Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane?
I’d trash the drivetrain for a small block & power glide just for dependability.
All black primer including the chrome bumpers. I’d tub this as well and it would get a Ford 9″ rear end. New steel pans and rockers/subframes.
I’d run stock exhaust manifolds and a nice quiet muffler to retain a modicum of respectability vis-a-vis conservative curb appeal. I’d have to have power windows too & AC.
It would be a FUN car for road trips & reefers too.
Bob
Or something like this, at great expense. It can be done.
It looks to be a Nash Statesman with the usual 85HP flathead. An option would be a Dual Fire (2 carb) setup at 90HP, still a flathead, I had one of these. The Ambassador used an OHV engine starting at 196 Cu in., plus side trim showing this model. The local drive-in wouldnt allow this car in no matter who was driving, guess the drop down bed feature worried them, or the springs squeaked too much.
Haha. never heard a Drive inn barring anyone for that reason.
Lots of that stuff went on in back seats.
Guess the Drive Inn owner was a nut bar.
Half the Americans born in the 50s were conceived at Drive Inns 🤣😂
I owned this car back in 08 and it was beautiful. Wish I could post a pic in these comments.