Well, sorta. Paul posted a few years back about wanting to find an end-of-the-line 1957 Nash Ambassador; is this 1956 close enough? If so, let’s give EricClem a big cyber hug for this minty-green gift. But in the case this fails to cut the mustard, let me preemptively say, we’re very disappointed. Don’t come back until you find a proper ’57, and while we’re young, please!
I’m obviously joking, but such a nasty reaction would mirror the public’s reception of Nash’s biggest, ritziest models, despite excellent efforts to win buyers over with fully integrated A/C, up-to-date suspensions and a reputation for quality. You gotta feel a little sorry for them; no, this isn’t the most successfully styled car, but it’s pretty cool looking in its own way and has plenty to redeem it.
It just goes to show, you sell people what they want, and maybe dictate to them what that is, but please, don’t sell them anything they actually need. No, the rounded dash with its minimum of protruding metal parts just won’t do, nor will the car’s apparent durability (with these seat covers and that dent in the driver’s door, it isn’t a garage queen).
I will pardon buyers who passed the Ambassador of the era over in favor of other cars based on its looks, however. As a rule, the styling of cars from the ’50s does not appeal to me at all; I’ll never understand the ostentation they embody alongside the very stark, minimalist architecture that was going up in most places (Googie excepted), but even with that said, this car is a bit overdone. It began life with a more subtle look, inspired by none other than Pininfarina, but as interest waned, on went the jewelry and makeup.
Even Googie architecture was more restrained than this, and all this decoration actually makes the car look smaller than expected. Every trick was thrown at it, including the external spare. This car fairly begs for validation, and it’s always sad whenever someone (or something) tries extra hard to achieve it. But even with the deepest sympathy, in real life we usually don’t care to give such sad types much attention anyway; it’s too painful.
It’s especially upsetting when the desperation hides genuine substance and integrity. Such would be the case here, with this car’s thoroughly modern overhead valve V8. Being an Ambassador Custom, and not an Ambassador Special, it has a 352 CID Packard unit routing power through a two-speed-plus-torque converter Packard Ultramatic and not the latter’s new AMC 250 V8/Hydramatic (this transmission was also used with the Ambassador Six). The final year 1957s would receive a 327 CID version of the AMC unit with 9.1 compression and a four-barrel car to go along with the Hydramatic, along with slightly more conservative styling. Maybe that’s why Paul wants to find one so much.
But even with all the improvements, 1956 production still plunged 2/3s from the prior year’s numbers, and as a relatively well-trimmed example with plenty of bizarre design flourishes, this car is quite uncommon, especially since it appears to be in regular use. If anyone is underwhelmed by this find (not likely!), I would not be one of them.
Note: A rerun of an older post.
Related CC reading:
Car Show Classic: 1953 Nash Statesman – AMC’s DNA
Curbside Classic: 1956 Hudson Hornet – Waiting For Death In A Borrowed Four-Tone Suit
Here’s A CC I’d Like To Find: 1957 Nash Ambassador – The End Of The Road
Moving the headlights to the fender pods was such a no brainer and would have made the car so much less odd looking one wonders why they didn’t do it from the get-go. The Hudson version had the Packard 352 in ’55, I think most of these had the new and excellent AMC 327 (?), or was that ’57?
I have an original ’57 showroom poster, big and pink. Must be kinda rare, if I were home I’d show a pic. Not sure what I’ll do with it.
Funny, but I actually think the straight ahead view is its best angle
My grandmother owned a pink 1959 Ambassador. The difference between that car and this one just three years older is astonishing.
It was a huge difference. Saving the AMBASSADOR name, it became smaller and was really a gussied up Rambler Classic. It was advertised as The Ambassador by Rambler beginning in 58. The 58 and 69 Ambassadors were IMO pretty decent looking cars.
I can’t get past this car’s looks, it’s, I don’t know, just shaped wrong. I ditto what Randerson said about headlamp placement. So many more appealing choices from the Big 3 in 1956.
Didn’t Packard do something to the engines they sold to AMC to make them slightly less powerful? Spiteful, imo.
Nash was in deep 💩 financially. Like Studebaker styling was restricted to altering existing designs with whatever minor changes budgets allowed. Also dual headlamps weren’t legally approved when the 56 models were designed.
Packard initially tried to get AMC to take a two-barrel carburetor rather than a four-barrel, but AMC balked, so it didn’t happen.
I still read all over the internet though that the Packard V8s sold to AMC were detuned a bit, had lower compression or some such, supposedly because James Nance didn’t want the lighter Nashes and Hudsons outperforming the Clipper. I’m far from expert enough to know if any of that is true.
This was such an over the top design when new it’s amazing, no wonder tey were loosing market share .
-Nate
Same problem the 57 Chevy had, overload of lipstick on a tired old pig and the potential customers saw straight thru it at the ancient car underneath and bought something else
This is one work of art. Tasteful or not is debatable, but a lot of effort certainly went in to making all these curves and swoops and angles. I don’t think even a different colour would help the final outcome of this. However here it is, some 50 or so years or more after it left the factory. Amazing.
It was as ugly as a bucket of assholes in 1956, and it has not aged well.
Fascinating. This model was a complete unknown to me. Big blank spot I never knew I had. This particular car is a CC deluxe, though. I’m rooting for it and the owner.
Our neighbors growing up had a Rambler Nash dealership and I was a teen in the 1960s and they would drive home in trade-ins like the 1956. I swear our neighbor opened the hood on a pink and white 1956 v8 model and it boasted a 327 cubic inch with a big carb and posi-traction rear end. Neighbor’s 17 year old son challenged chevys and beat them every time. UGLY BUT FAST!
An ‘outer space, mobile”.That continental spare was the worst call though.
Who would have wanted one ???
It was ugly then. Time has not been kind.