Text by Patrick Bell.
In this gallery we are featuring a rash of Nashes and Ramblers. The Nashes were pretty well gone by the time I became aware as I don’t really recall any. But the Ramblers that followed always had a loyal following in limited numbers. I like them because of their quirkiness plus I lean towards the less popular. I have owned a few from the sixties, but they never were common so there were never many available. They can be difficult to ID but I will give it my best shot.
Our first several shots are of the first generation of Airflyte models produced from ’49-’51, and were better known as the ‘bathtub’ Nashes. The Airflytes were so named because they were ‘Far and Away America’s Most Scientific Aerodynamic Design’, or so claimed the ’50 sales brochure. They definitely have a quirkiness factor but I wouldn’t want to drive one much in traffic. This shot from somewhere in New York is a bumped and bruised ’50 Statesman 4 door sedan with a ’58 issue license plate. In front of it is a ’56 Chevrolet, behind it is a ’50 Oldsmobile, and across the street is another Oldsmobile, a ’57 Golden Rocket 88 convertible. Everything on the street in the background is pretty blurred, but I do see a white over black ’53-’55 Studebaker coupe.
In ’51 the bathtubs grew tail fins as you can see on this Ambassador Custom 4 door sedan. The Ambassador’s had a longer wheelbase (9 inches in this generation) which was all in the cowl area. That and the little bumperettes on the corners of both bumpers were the only exterior difference between the Ambassador and Statesman. Following is a ’55 Mercury Custom wagon.
Here is another (or perhaps the same) ’51 Ambassador Custom 4 door sedan, this one in living color.
Now we are off to the beach with a ’51 Statesman 2 door in a nice shade of blue. There is a sign of some sort leaning against the bumper that I can’t read. The man next to it is watching the people in the water, and someone is leaning in the open door. In the lower left is a ’54 Mercury Monterey Special Custom Coupe where a man is taking a photo of his lady. In the upper right is a ’51 or ’52 Pontiac De Luxe Catalina. I can’t help but wonder where the photographer of this shot is located.
Our next stop is in Yellowstone National Park to see the bears. Those two fellers in the light shirts sure are watching over their shoulders as they walk away. Up front is a ’55 Rambler Custom Cross Country wagon from Teton County where the seat is Jackson and is equipped with a fancy bug screen. Nash revived the Rambler name for their new compact car in 1950, and were about a decade ahead of their time. I have always liked the looks of these wagons. Following is a ’57 Thunderbird in pink, white over red ’54 Dodge, and perhaps a white over orchid ’57 Chevrolet. On the left side is a white ’57 Cadillac Series Sixty Special Fleetwood Sedan, white over black ’55 or ’56 Buick 4 door Riviera, green ’51 Plymouth 4 door sedan, and a light gray ’53 Ford Customline Fordor.
Another blue ’51 Ambassador 4 door sedan in a campground in the desert, possibly in California. To the right is a ’51 or ’52 Buick Super Estate Wagon.
Let’s jump over to San Diego and see what is on the Crown City ferry that ran to and from Coronado Island. On the right is a white over red ’56 Ambassador with the same color combo as the ’55 Buick behind it. On the left a black ’56 Ford Fairlane, ’62 Chevrolet C series box van, and a white ’60 or ’61 Ford Falcon. Both the Ambassador and the Ford are at least seven years old in this photo going by the black license plate that was first issued in ’63.
In ’56 the compact was dropped and this new mid-sized body was introduced with the Rambler name. This Super Cross Country wagon is visiting Yosemite National Park.
The Metropolitan was a quirky car from a quirky car company. It was built in England and imported / marketed by American Motors from ’54-’62 in both coupe and convertible. This one with ’66 Ohio plates has vent windows so I am going to call it a ’59-’62 model.
This ’56 Ambasador Super 4 door sedan visiting the boat yard looks like it has been around the block a few times. Apparently they have had problems with gas thieves so they invested in a locking gas cap.
Here we have a medium brown ’59 Custom 4 door sedan with a ’64 Illinois license plate. It is parked likely on a highway passing through a tourist type town with a sportswear store called Vacationland. On this side of the street you can buy food and shoes. On the other side you have a choice in gas brands, and can shop for sportswear and Ramblers. I don’t see a building that looks like a dealership so it may be down the driveway. Behind the Rambler is a ’61 Buick Electra 4 door hardtop and in front is a ’61 Ford Galaxie, possibly a ’58 or ’59 Lincoln, and further down a white ’63 Oldsmobile full size. Across the street is a white ’62 Chevrolet 4 door sedan under the ‘Rambler’ sign, and further up at one of the gas stations is a ’64 Classic 2 door hardtop.
In ’61 the Ambassador had unique looking front sheet metal only for that year. This well worn Custom 4 door sedan wears a New York plate used from ’66-’72. I had a great uncle who was a Rambler man and bought one of these new. His was pink and white. They are very unique and collectible to the right person now.
A photo of a photographer about to take a photo. This top of the line ’65 Classic 770 Cross Country six passenger wagon already has a load and how many more people are going to climb in?
Thanks for rambling along with us today and to all good day!
The kid in the Ambassador seems to be wishing his dad owned a less “unique-looking” car!
I’m a fan of early Ramblers, including the ’55 wagon and the ’56-’57s, which many folks can’t warm up to due to the grille with the close-in headlights. It was a very refreshing and somewhat adventurous departure from the typical high-headlights-in-fender style almost universal at the time. The new ’58 front end was retrograde.
Always impressed by the detailed cutlines, Patrick generates. They are captivating, with the extra details, and anecdotes he includes.
Nash bathtub styling was so original, and futuristic. It would have been well-serving, if these had an alternate power source, like electricity. Complimenting their unique looks.
My Aunt Gert and her partner Lori bought a used 1948 Nash when they lived in downtown Boston around 1951. They nicknamed it “the Nashcan” Later with more income they traded the old girl for a new 1953 Ford convertible.
There was a 1965 Rambler Ambassador who did a cameo as a police car in an episode of The Fugitive.
https://www.imcdb.org/v001284839.html
Saw a movie not long ago (b/w flick) with “60’s Rambler”, police cruisers. Believe there was a “65ish, Perry Mason”, episode with them too.
Would be interesting to know the year with that “hideoulsy, rusted 56” model.
I don’t know about the year, but I think I’ve found the location. Looks to me like it’s Menemsha Harbor, which is a fishing village on the western side of Martha’s Vineyard. The building in the back looks like a New England Coast Guard station, and there was a station that matched that description in Menemsha (it burned and has been rebuilt, though the new structure looks slightly different). The background buildings and landscape look like they match Menemsha too.
Interesting. Never been to/near “Martha’s Vineyard”. Thanks.
To answer the question of where the photographer is located in the beach photo, I would guess that it is from a lifeguard chair?
That is probably all it could be but I didn’t think they were that close to the water.
I like the ‘Hovercar’ feel of the Airflyte Nash models. It’s a shame they are made of unobtainium. As far as I can see the only one you could have a sporting chance of running regularly would be the Metropolitan.
Wish you had a photo of a 57 Nash, last of the make. Quad stacked headlights, lightening- bolt side trim, fully open front wheels, a wonderful design!
I too am fond of most of the 1950’s Nash & Rambler station wagons, good looking if odd .
Good road cars as it turns out .
A friend of nice owns a gigantic 1951 Hash four door, I’ve driven it and it’s a decent driver .
-Nate
Didn’t Nash import a sports car from the UK? I remember episodes of The Adventures of Superman” where Clark Kent drives up in a sports car. You have to wonder how his reporter character could afford a sports car on a reporter’s salary. Granted, a movie studio did pick up a series of his stories and made them into a movie( a real story line in a first season episode, but the sports car appeared in the 2nd and 3rd episodes. I wonder of the Auditing firm for the Daily Planet was wondering how much Clark Kent was claiming for travel expenses, considering that he wasn’t seen too often at airports unless he had a fellow Planet reporter in tow.
Yes, that was the Nash-Healey when Nash sponsored the first seasons while they switched to Chrysler during the later seasons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash-Healey
https://imcdb.org/vehicle_55761-Nash-Healey-1952.html
I’m 16. My dad’s car was a new ’70 Monaco. My moms car was a ’66 rambler classic 660 with the fold flat front seats. I put an 8 track player in the Rambler. If that ride could talk
That was the newest of the Coronado ferries. Used to be able to jump on it as a passenger for a dime and leave Mayberry by the sea and be in downtown San Diego in about ten minutes. Later, it was sixty cents for my 65 corvair.
There’s no wonder why they aren’t in business… competing with the stylish GM vehicles of the time. I can remember as a kid… Nash vehicles were a big joke.
Some friends of mine had a father who was a rural mail carrier, he drove a right hand drive 60 rambler. They joked a lot about the car and called it a rumbler, but it was fun driving on the wrong side of the car.
Among the many various cars he owned, around 1961 .my father bought a 1953 Rambler 2 door hardtop, red top with gray body and a continental spare tire for his only vehicle. This for a family with 5 kids. A neighbor had a blue and white 57 Nash wagon. After I went away to college my father bought a 65 or 66 Ambassador wagon. A college friend had a Metropolitan.
One of the season one Highway Patrol episodes has a sheriff depart using Nashes
I especially liked that latter scene where you had all different makes of cars . Loved that ’61 Buick sedan , a truly beautiful car ! That ’64 Rambler was leaving an American Oil station . They were in business until the early seventies . where I lived near Seattle , Wa.
You either love ‘em or hate ‘em, I’m in the latter. Yuck !!
My car went into passing gear
And we took off with gust
Soon we were doing 90
Must’ve left him in the dust
When I peeked in the mirror of my car
I couldn’t believe my eyes
The little Nash Rambler was right behind
I think that guy could fly
Beep, beep, beep, beep
His horn went beep, beep, beep
I remember my 6th grade teacher sweeping into the school parking lot in his old Nash like a giant bar of blue soap.
I had friend in the 90s who daily drove a 53 Ambassador. This was slightly less striking than his 49 that he took to car shows.
My 1949 Nash Airflyte 600 Super, has less than 19,000 miles on it an is a very nice survior!
The were very well made automobiles and whole interior folded flat like a big full size bedroom on wheels. I remember riding in them as a young boy the speedometers went 1 thru 12 and the heater said weather eye on the dash. They roomy inside and came in many exciting 2 tone paint scemes at the height of the 50’s and early 60’s. I remember them well. Some had dual carberaters. There was a time when Hudsons and Nashes looked the same, I guess they had a merger back then. Any way these were nice cars and considered a quality product with a loyal following.
Funny that Menemsha & Martha’s Vineyard are mentioned this time ’round. My parents had a 64 Rambler Cross Country wagon, and with my sister and myself we would head to the Vineyard from NJ every summer, from when I was a toddler to almost 30! That Rambler NEVER had any issues. We’d catch either the Islander; Nantucket/Naushon; or the Uncatena (both post AND pre jumbo-ized!) ferrys to get to the island. Menemsha was where “Quint” launched the Orca from in Jaws. And yes – I DID get a minor part as an extra in that movie. We coincidentally lived just down the street from the people who had the Rolls Royce in the ferry scene. Karma!
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t Nash/Hudson the FIRST car to have 4 headlights, on their early ’57 models? I think they beat everyone else, including Lincoln. That was their last year (before AMC) so maybe management said: “Screw the states that don’t allow cars with ‘4-eyes’; we’re putting ’em on anyway. We’re outta here!”. Or maybe not…..
Funny that there is a picture taken in Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard Ma because coincidentally the ferry “Crown City” that was in service in San Diego is now in service between Woods Hole Ma and Martha’s Vineyard Ma under the ownership of the The Steamship Authority and her name is now the “Governor” celebrating her 70th year in 2024
The photo with the ’61 Electra behind the Lincoln. It then looks like a ’63 full size Chevy, the Oldsmobile and another 63 Chevy.