Who could have imagined that the storied name Nash would disappear so quickly? Ironically, the merger of Nash and Hudson killed both nameplates, leaving Rambler to take up the battle to carve out an existence in a brutally competitive market. The 1957 Nash Ambassador was the last, but not the least: 327 cubic inch V8, 255 hp, Hydramatic, and those famous reclining seats. No wonder a friend of mine in Iowa was so thrilled to find one in 1973.
image: velocityjournal.com
On the return from one of my many wanderings, he proudly showed me his latest ride, a ’57 Ambassador, with an even more garish three-tone paint job than this one. Back in the early seventies, old farmers’ cream puff going-to-church-on-Sunday cars were still easy and cheap to come by. And what a fine ride it was: that powerful new 327 AMV V8 backed by a “Flashaway” Hydramatic. Bet he wishes he’d kept it. Only 3600 big Nashes were sold in 1957 before the plug was pulled.
In my monopoly money fantasies I am always attracted to automotive oddballs. These Nashes rank high on my list for a restoration of body and interior with modernized mechanicals. With them already having GM transmissions it wouldn’t quite be the same level of sacrilege involved in giving it a modern engine and transmission, and since Nash pioneered seat belts in a production car it wouldn’t be that outside the box to make sure the car had decent restraints for everyone.
Not sure I agree with you, there…the most-outdated drivetrain component was that Hydramatic bang-shift automatic. Get rid of the GM transmission! The Borg-Warner 3spd automatic AMC bought beginning in the late 1950s (“Flash-O-Matic”) was a great fit in both 1965 Ambys I drove (the 287 4DR sedan family car and my later 327 convertible, 270HP with the 4V carb) and in western New England where snow was pretty much a given five months of the year – locking out first gear was a godsend on many occasions. The Nash 327 was a great engine, notwithstanding its undersquare design. Decent horsepower, and gobs of torque. Retrofitting disc brakes on this critter would be a great update, though. Nash/AMC drum brakes as Mom’s car had left a lot to be desired – especially unpowered, and especially the way this 16-year-old kid drove in 1971. Radials all around, mandatory! Sway bars, too. Three-point belts all around, good idea. No air bags or cameras, please.
Even more interesting…how about the 290/4V (as configured for the 1968 AMX) and the Torqueflite that AMC was buying from Chrysler by 1969? This car was too front-heavy already, I wouldn’t drop a 390 or 401 into it. Overkill.
Sorry for the five-year delay in responding ~
AMC did not begin buying the Torqueflite to replace the B-W automatic until 1973, IIRC.
Also, a little surprised at the hate for the GM Hydra Matic, which was the only really good transmission GM built before the Turbo Hydramatic in the 60s. It was good enough to remain in Cadillacs through at least 1963 and was both a tough unit and one that performed well. But perhaps it was not as well suited to AMCs which were still using a torque tube, thus allowing a lot more of the mechanical activities transmit into the unit body. Cadillac had several other insulation points between the driveline and the passengers.
One of the morning announcers on Bloomberg Radio in NY, Tom Keene, talks about owning this car. I don’t know if he really does or if he just once did and it’s a running joke (he’s older).
Keene says his Ambassador is a 1953.
Cheer up – if there is still one of these rolling around, surely it is in Oregon.
It now occurs to me: It is 1957. You have to buy a new domestic car not made by the big 3. What do you buy? Uggghhh. This, the 57 Hudson, or the Studebaker-Packard twins. Since kitsch is all you have going for you, I guess it would be a Packardbaker with a supercharged 289 for me. No – wait: A Golden Hawk! But then you all knew that. Although I will probably have to acknowedge that the AMC twins were probably better built.
There’s one in Colorado with the 327 for $4200. The ad copy is inaccurate and not very informative, but there it is.
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/2992480529.html
I haven’t seen a ’57, but I have seen a ’56 Ambassador in a fascinatingly garish black and mint green combination.
Goes to show, 1957 was the year when the interesting cars died. By ’58 Nash and Hudson were gone, Packard had one year to go, and Studebaker was in it’s final decade. Shortly it’d be the Big Three. Boring, boring, boring.
There is a white ’57 Nash on Clinton Street in Alameda de-nuded of it’s chorme trim awating a restoration! I have seen photographs of the 117″ wheelbase ’58 “Nash” and “Hudson” and the decision to pull the plug on these two cars was made very late in ’57. In fact, the ’58 Ambassador has the “Hudson” triangularized trim on it and early brochure photographs do not have “Rambler” tags on the cars . . . . .
Same here Paul but still for $10,000 you can buy a top of the line 1955 Nash Ambassador from Hemmings(:D
In some alternate universe 1950’s these would be cool, but they are just too odd, for some reason the front end of these makes me imagine what a 1977 Monte Carlo would have looked liked if it had been designed in the 50’s.
How did Nash get away with quad headlights in 1957? I thought that’s the reason the ‘Forward Look’ Mopars all had the funky headlight/parking light setup because quad lights weren’t yet legal in all states.
Does that mean some states couldn’t sell 1957 Nashs or was there a dual conversion (or maybe a waiver)?
And that would be a bad thing?
The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham would’ve had the same issue, but I always assumed that the single-light pods of the other Cadillac models would fit…or that states simply didn’t mess with the relatively few buyers of $13,074 cars (over $100,000 in today’s dollars).
From looking at the 1957 Imperial brochure, it appears that the LeBaron could simply be fitted with the Southampton’s headlight pods in those states that didn’t allow quads.
As seen on the Mod Squad episode “The Sunday Drivers”, Jan. 7, 1969
In Las Vegas, Linc joins a group of daredevil stunt drivers after he sees a friend killed
in a crash. Someone tampered with Tommy Salido’s car, and investigation shows
Tommy was making big money at something besides driving. Filmed on location.
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_280556.html
Oh the humanity!
So much for the superiority of unit construction over bof. 🙂
WAAAAAAAAAAH! Why did this happen!?
WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Why did this have to happen!?
So much for a Nash-Studie merger…
Gotta love that hood ornament…
I’d like to see one too. Loving this Nash-fest today.
I’ve always liked the final Nashes…the uncovered front wheels and stacked, dual headlights (a good six years ahead of Pontiac on this one) really did improve the looks of these cars.
I remember reading a book titled something to the effect of Cars I Have Owned. One of the cars the author had owned was a brand-new 1957 Ambassador, which he had chosen over a 1957 DeSoto. The Nash turned out to be a gas hog (he was lucky to get 10 mpg with the V-8 and Hydramatic) and a complete lemon.
Shooting a wedding in Langebaan, South Africa, yesterday, I was intrigued by this hulk of steel with a growling V8. I had never seen one like this, and so beautifully restored too.
At first glimpse I thought the emblem was a Caddy, but had never heard of a Caddy Ambassador Custom and this beauty just didn’t look like a Caddy.
Thanks to your site, she had been identified as a Nash Ambassador. Who would have thought that she would pop up as a RHD so many 1000’s of miles away from her roots.
What a lovely classic though.
I have a 57 4dr ambassador ,rusty but complete 327w/od. I would sell it to the right person for parts. Definitly wont scrap this icon !
Do u still have the Nash?
Would you sell the front grille badge?
Hay my name is Alex i live in cali. I have a 57 Nash ambassador custom. Im looking for a frouunt windshield but im on a budget so the more inexpensive the better also the fount hood ornament lf someone can point me in the right direction that would b grate thanks..
Rodriguezal1977@gmail.com