Nash Rambler

Nash Rambler
Nash Rambler
1950 Nash Rambler Custom Landau Convertible Coupe. 1950 Nash Rambler Custom Landau convertible
Manufacturer Nash Motors
Production 1950–55
Assembly Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
El Segundo, California[1]
Successor Rambler American
Class Compact
Layout FR layout
Designer Meade Moore: chief engineer
Theodore (Ted) Ulrich: body & styling

The Nash Rambler was a North American automobile produced by the Nash Motors division of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation from 1950–55.

The Nash Rambler established a new segment in the automobile market and is widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact car.[2]

Contents

Development

Nash-Kelvinator's President George W. Mason saw that the company needed to compete more effectively and insisted a new car had to be different from the existing models in the market offered by the "Big Three" US automakers. The Rambler was designed to be smaller than contemporary cars, yet still accommodate five passengers comfortably.

The new model was the company's entry in the lower-price segment dominated by models from Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. The Rambler was designed to be lighter and have smaller dimensions than the other popular cars. A strategy of efficiency, Nash could save on materials in its production while owners would have better fuel economy (up to 30 MPG with the convertible). The car rode on a 100 in (2,500 mm) wheelbase, and power came from Nash's proven 173 cu in (2.83 L) L-head (flathead) Straight-6 cylinder engine that produced 82 hp (61 kW).

Following the design of the larger "senior" Nash models, the compact Rambler's styling was rounded in form and also had an envelope body with fender skirts that also enclosed the front wheels. This design feature did not impair the car's cornering ability significantly.

The compact Rambler line was designed with several body styles, but the inaugural year was limited to a single model: a fully equipped 2-door convertible. The decision to bring the new car out first in a higher market segment with more standard features was a calculated risk by Mason. Foremost in this strategy was the need to give the new Rambler a positive public image. Mason knew the car would fail if seen by the public as a "cheap little car". He knew what Crosley was just finding out with its line of mini cars, and what the Henry J would teach Kaiser Motors; namely, that Americans would rather buy a nice used car than a new car that is perceived as inferior or substandard.

Unlike almost all traditional convertibles of the era that used frame-free side windows, the Rambler retained the fixed roof structure above the car's doors and rear-side window frames. This metal structure served as the side guides or rails for the retractable waterproof canvas top. This design allowed Nash to utilize its monocoque (unibody) construction on its new compact. It made the Rambler body very rigid for an open-top car, without the additional bracing required in other convertible models.

In developing this new car, Nash had originally planned to call it the Diplomat. This name would have rounded out the Nash family of cars; as for 1950, the 600 line was renamed the Statesman, and the Ambassador remained the flagship line. When it was learned that Dodge had already reserved the Diplomat name for a planned two-door hardtop body style, Nash delved into its own past, and resurrected the Rambler name from an 1897 prototype and its first production model, in 1902.[3] Rambler was also one of the popular early American automobile brands.

Additional historical context of the Nash Rambler, along with the Nash-Healey and the Metropolitan, was that US citizens were exposed to and gained experience with the smaller, more efficient compact and sporty European cars during the Second World War. Along with styling cues of European design, that input of enjoying more compact cars was also an effect of Kelvinator having a wide market overseas. This influence is seen directly in the Pinin Farina designed models. AMC would later continue to import European design and styling flair for its products, such as the Gucci, Pierre Cardin, and Oleg Cassini models.

Model years

1950

1950–52
1951 Nash "Country Club" 2-door hardtop 1951 Nash "Country Club" 2-door hardtop
Body style 2-door convertible
2-door sedan
2-door station wagon
Engine 173 cu in (2.83 L) I6
Wheelbase 100 in (2,500 mm)
Length 176 in (4,500 mm)

The Nash Rambler was introduced on April 13, 1950, in the middle of the model year.[4] The new Rambler was available only as an upmarket two-door convertible — designated the "Landau". Without the weight of a roof, and with a low wind resistance body design for the time, the inline 6-cylinder engine could deliver solid performance and still turn in up to 30 MPG fuel consumption. In the first year of production, 9,330 convertibles were sold. Other factors incorporated into the compact Rambler's marketing mix were the limited steel supplies during the Korean War, as well as the strategy for profit maximization from the new Rambler. The new Rambler covertible, with its base price of $1,808, cost slightly less than the base models of convertibles from its intended competition. To further increase the value to buyers, the car was well equipped compared to the competition and included items such as whitewall tires, full wheel covers, electric clock, and even a pushbutton AM radio.

1952 Nash Rambler "Custom Greenbrier" 2-door wagon

1951

In 1951, the Rambler line was enlarged to include a two-door station wagon and a two-door pillarless hardtop — designated the Country Club. Both the hardtop and convertible models included additional safety features.[5]

Two levels of trim were available: "Custom" and "Super".

A car tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1951 had a top speed of 80.9 mph (130.2 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 21.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25.2 mpg-imp (11.2 L/100 km; 21.0 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car was reported as costing $1,808 in the U.S., British sales had not at the time started.[6]

1952

The 1952 model year included a new "Deliveryman" 2-door utility wagon.

The 1950-1952 Nash Ramblers "gained instant popularity with buyers who liked its looks, as well as loyalty among customers who appreciated its quality engineering and performance."[1]

1953

1953-1955
1955 Nash Rambler 4-door Cross Country wagon 1955 Nash Rambler 4-door Cross Country wagon
Body style 2-door convertible
2-door sedan
2-door station wagon
4-door sedan
4-door station wagon
Engine 184 cu in (3.02 L) I6 (manual)
195.6 cu in (3.205 L) I6 (automatic)
Wheelbase 100 in (2,500 mm) all 2-door models
108 in (2,700 mm) 4-door sedan & wagon
Length 176 in (4,500 mm) all 2-door models
186.4 in (4,730 mm) 4-door sedan & wagon

The Rambler received its first restyling in 1953, and resembled the "senior" Nash models that had received all-new "Airflyte" styling the year before. The hood line was lowered and a new hood ornament, designed by George Petty was optional.

The standard engines were increased with manual transmission cars receiving a 184 cu in (3.02 L) I6 producing 85 hp (63 kW), while a 90 hp (67 kW) 195.6 cu in (3.205 L) I6 powered cars with the optional "Hydra-Matic" automatic purchased from GM.

1954

For 1954, a four-door sedan and a four-door station wagon — designated the Cross Country — were added. These four-door body styles used a 108 in (2,700 mm) wheelbase. Following the industry practice at the time, the heater and radio were now made optional. Added to the option list was Nash's integrated air conditioning.

On May 1, 1954, Nash and Hudson Motor Car Company merged, and the successor corporation was named American Motors Corporation (AMC). Following the merger, Hudson dealers began receiving Ramblers that were badged as Hudson brand cars. The Hudson Ramblers and Nash Ramblers were identical, save for the brand name and minor badging.

1955

For the 1955 model year, the traditional enclosed front wheel wells were opened.

Replacement

Production of the compact 100 in (2,500 mm) wheelbase Rambler ended after as American Motors designed an all-new Rambler Six and V8 for the 1956 model year using a 108 in (2,700 mm) wheelbase and were larger cars. The bigger Rambler was also sold under the Nash and Hudson brand names. The new Ramblers came only as four-door models. Along with the usual four-door sedan and station wagon was a new four-door hardtop sedan. Also, Rambler introduced an industry first, a four-door hardtop station wagon.

Revival

With AMC's focus on economical automobiles, management saw an opportunity during the economic recession that started in 1957 to revive the small 100 in (2,500 mm) wheelbase Rambler.[7] The automaker had retained the old tooling and the old model would fit between the bigger 108 in (2,700 mm) wheelbase family-sized Ramblers and the imported two-seat 85 in (2,200 mm) wheelbase Nash Metropolitan. This would be a smaller and more efficient alternative to the standard-sized cars that were marketed by the domestic Big Three at that time. The old Nash design was slightly modified and used for AMC's "new" 1958 Rambler American.[8]

Epilogue

In the 1960s, American Motors "prospered on the back of the Nash Rambler, the compact that recalled the name of the vehicle Thomas B. Jeffrey built in 1902 at the Kenosha, Wisconsin factory that continued to be AMC's main production plant."[9]

The Nash Rambler succeeded where others "tried to entice US consumers looking for practical, economical automobiles" during an era "when all Detroit had to offer were pricey, ostentatious behemoths."[10] The Big Three domestic automakers exited the entry-level car market to foreign makes starting in the early 1950s.[10] Nash was the only American manufacturer to get the compact formula right by offering Rambler "well equipped and priced sensibly"; "styling that was fresh, distinctive, and attractive"; and for "the original Rambler’s run in 1950–55 was that there was a full line of Ramblers in many body styles, including a jaunty convertible."[10]

References

Inline

  1. ^ a b Auto Editors of Consumer Guide (28 August 2007). "1950-1952 Nash Rambler Specifications". howstuffworks com. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1950-1952-rambler5.htm. Retrieved 11 August 2010. 
  2. ^ The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2005. p. 333. ISBN 9781593392369. "first modern American compact car, the Rambler" 
  3. ^ Witzenburg, Gary (April 1984). "The Name Game". Motor Trend: 86. 
  4. ^ "The 1950 Nash Rambler Convertible". The New York Times: p. 20. 14 April 1950. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C13FF385C10728DDDAD0994DC405B8089F1D3&scp. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  5. ^ "The New Nash Rambler Country Club Car". The New York Times: p. 34. 28 June 1951. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20813F93D55167A93CAAB178DD85F458585F9&scp. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  6. ^ "The Nash Rambler". The Motor. 18 April 1951. 
  7. ^ Auto Editors of Consumer Guide (6 November 2007). "1958-1960 Rambler American". http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1958-1960-rambler-american.htm. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  8. ^ Ingraham, Joseph C. (3 October 1957). "100-inch Rambler Revived for 1958; American Motors to Stress Smallest Sizes--Line to Appear This Month". The New York Times: p. 60. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E16F73B5A177B93C1A9178BD95F438585F9&scp. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  9. ^ Feder, Barnaby J (10 March 1987). "AMC's Long, Hard Struggle". The Wall Street Journal. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/10/business/amc-s-long-hard-struggle.html?scp. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 
  10. ^ a b c Sass, Rob (11 December 2008). "Detroit's Small Packages Arrived, and Left, Early". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/automobiles/collectibles/14CHEAPO.html?scp=6&sq=%22Nash%20Rambler%22&st=cse. Retrieved 10 August 2010. 

General

  • Conde, John A. (1987). The American Motors Family Album. American Motors Corporation. OCLC 3185581. 
  • Gunnell, John, ed (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 9780873410960. 

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