Nash History

Nash

Small company Nash was destined to be in the epicenter of the complex twists and turns of the American car market, while maintaining leadership among independent U.S. automobile manufacturers, becoming the fourth-largest concern "American Motors" and then instantly disappeared without a trace. Its roots go back to the firm Jeffery, which in 1917 acquired the Charles Warren Nash, a former president of the concern, "General Motors", and established there the production of passenger cars of high quality. Since the early 1930s, the most famous among them was a series of Ambassador. In 1937, the merger of firms "Nash" and "Kelvineytor" for the production of household refrigerators, to the leadership of the new company came to an active entrepreneur George Walter Mason (1891-1954 gg.), Through which department "Nash" entered its most glorious period development.



It began shortly after the war, when the employees 'Nash' led Mead Moore with body-schikami by Budd engaged in the development of machines with sleek carrying welded body, made in the style of "Eyrflayt." Their presentation was held in October 1948 in which two basic models, "Nash-600" and "Ambassador" caused a sensation in their appearance, in which America has never seen before. It was incredibly rounded two-volume machine with convex sides, wide smooth the falling back roofline, whole windscreen and surprise all sides, half closes all the wheel wells. The pinnacle of the program was effective "Ambassador", available in three versions with 2 - and 4-door closed body for 5-6 places. Overall width of about 2 m, the instrument panel in the spirit of old-fashioned dresser, cozy, soft and deep sofas, helped to create a very spacious and comfortable interior, reminiscent of a cozy home on wheels, and a long-standing tradition of "Nash" do all seats are displayed allowed to turn it in at night huge bedroom. By the staid and sedate "Ambassador" entirely appropriate term "family car". Unlike most of the other American cars, it was designed for a family of moderate means and middle-aged, offering its members and tranquil home environment as well on the road, and the parking lot. From a technical point of view, the car was a combination of a typical classics with a number of new products. It used in-line 6-cylinder overhead valve engine (3.8 liters, 112 hp), 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive, the main hypoid gear, spring independent front suspension, drum brakes with automatic clearance and 15-inch wheels with white edges. For the season 1950-1951's engine output increased to 115 hp, and the optional automatic transmission offered a Hydra-Matic. So large and massive, slow-moving enough and not too manoeuvrable machine developed a speed not exceeding 135 km / h, but spend a record low gasoline - 7,8-9,4 liters per 100 km.



Over time, the "Ambassador" added new models, as decided in the original style. Among them were shortened "twin brother» Statesman with a 3-liter engine and low-dimensional Rambler, and then - quite unusual for an American Metropolitan subcompact with a 1.5-liter engine, which was collected in the UK. The success of the new series was enormous, and in 1950 for the company, "Our" was happiest. Then she produced a record in its history, the number of cars - 189543 pieces, representing 2.84% of the total production in the United States. And there was even more sold - 191665 cars that defined the 10th position in the U.S. market - the highest achievement "Nash."



Massive and old-fashioned style of cars "Nash" Not all are happy. They sarcastically called loaves or baths, turned upside down. All these speculations denied a famous Italian designer Battista Farina, who visited the company in 1950. He especially liked the covered wheel wells, the idea of ​​which he used in his work. Hand Italian master could guess in the style of the second generation of cars, "Nash" issued on March 14, 1952. Who led his "Ambassador" got tighter and squat three-volume body with a low waist line, rectangular chrome grille, massive bumpers and curved back rack rear door with a panoramic glass, but he gave a special charm to spare wheel, placed in a casing with chrome cover , fastened on the rear bumper. Gamma 6-seater sedan has replenished the most impressive 2-door "hardtop" without intervening door pillar. On the "Ambassador" used the new 6-cylinder engine (4.1 liters, 120 horsepower, with 1954 - 130 hp) and automatic transmission. Commissioned by the firm offered a 140-hp version with two carburetors, power steering, stereo radio system with the "air" antenna, rear window wiper and air conditioning in the cabin.



Prosperity "Nash" was over very quickly, and in the mid-1950s began the difficult times when it is clearly dated products are no longer in demand, and its style has become synonymous with old-fashioned. For joining the fight in the "Big Three" April 22, 1954 it was announced that the merger of firms "Nash" and Hudson in concern "American Motors". But it did not help: in 1954, the two firms have collected almost 64 thousand cars. In the next three years, "Nash" persistently and painfully continued to modernize its range. Every year, the "Ambassador" came into the world with a significantly updated and extended bodies, characterized by its numerous chrome details and two-tone coloring, arched back windscreen pillars, the arrangement of the two or four lights inside the oval grille and front fenders over each other. The same year on "Ambassador" changed and powertrains. In the years 1955-1956 were used engines Packard V8 (5,2-5,8 l, 208-220 hp) with hydraulic valve lifters and automatic transmission. In 1956, used its own engine V8 (4,1 l, 190 hp), and by 1957 the program was the only powerplant V8 (5,3 l, 255 hp). New options have a lot of 1580 - 1720 kg and a maximum speed of 150-170 km / h In fact, they have already moved out of the "family" of the class in the category of the most prestigious cars of America. And when the front wheels of the niches disappeared legendary shields, it became quite clear that the days of the company, "Nash" are numbered. In 1957, the company has produced the latest batch of 3561 cars of the brand "Ambassador".