Nash Rambler
Encyclopedia
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
.
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 (2,540 mm) wheelbase
, and power came from Nash's proven 173 CID L-head (flathead
) Straight-6 cylinder engine that produced 82 hp.
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. 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.
". 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 tire
s, full wheel covers
, electric clock
, and even a pushbutton AM
radio.
hardtop
— designated the Country Club. Both the hardtop and convertible models included additional safety features.
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 (0–96.6 km/h) in 21.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25.2 mpgimp was recorded. The test car was reported as costing $1,808 in the U.S., British sales had not at the time started.
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."
, designed by George Petty
was optional.
The standard engines were increased with manual transmission cars receiving a 184 CID I6 producing 85 hp, while a 90 hp 195.6 CID I6
powered cars with the optional "Hydra-Matic" automatic purchased from GM.
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.
sedan. Also, Rambler introduced an industry first, a four-door hardtop station wagon.
that started in 1957 to revive the small 100 in (2,540 mm) wheelbase Rambler. The automaker had retained the old tooling and the old model would fit between the bigger 108 in (2,743.2 mm) wheelbase family-sized Ramblers and the imported two-seat 85 in (2,159 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
.
factory that continued to be AMC's main production plant."
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." The Big Three domestic automakers exited the entry-level car market to foreign makes starting in the early 1950s. 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."
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
produced by the Nash Motors
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
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
Compact car
A compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
.
Development
Nash-Kelvinator's President George W. MasonGeorge W. Mason
George Walter Mason was an American industrialist. During his career Mason served as the Chairman and CEO of the Kelvinator Corporation , Chairman and CEO of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation , and Chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation .- Early life :George W. Mason was born in Valley...
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
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. 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 (2,540 mm) wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
, and power came from Nash's proven 173 CID L-head (flathead
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
) Straight-6 cylinder engine that produced 82 hp.
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
Fender skirts
Fender skirts, known in Australia and the United Kingdom as spats, are pieces of bodywork on the fender that cover the upper portions of the rear tires of an automobile.-Functions:...
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
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
. 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
Crosley
The Crosley was an automobile manufactured by the Crosley Corporation and later by Crosley Motors Incorporated in the United States from 1939 to 1952.-History:...
was just finding out with its line of mini cars, and what the Henry J
Henry J
The Henry J was an American automobile built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and named after its chairman, Henry J. Kaiser. Production of six-cylinder models began in July 1950, and four-cylinder production started shortly after Labor Day, 1950. Official public introduction was September 28, 1950....
would teach Kaiser Motors
Kaiser Motors
Kaiser Motors Corporation made automobiles at Willow Run, Michigan, United States, from 1945 to 1953. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors Incorporated, moving its production operations to the Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio...
; 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
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
(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
Nash Statesman
The Nash Statesman was the lower-priced version of the two main Nash Motors' automobile series, and was priced below the top-line Nash Ambassador....
, and the Ambassador
Nash Ambassador
Ambassador was the model name applied to the senior line of Nash automobiles from 1932 until 1957. From 1958 until the end of the 1974 model year, the Ambassador was the product of American Motors Corporation , which continued to use the Ambassador model name on its top-of-the-line models...
remained the flagship line. When it was learned that Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
had already reserved the Diplomat
Dodge Diplomat
The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car made from 1977 to 1989. It is substantially identical to the Chrysler- and Plymouth-branded versions of Chrysler's M-body cars, including the Chrysler LeBaron and New Yorker Fifth Avenue and the Plymouth Gran Fury in the U.S. market and the Plymouth...
name for a planned two-door hardtop body style, Nash delved into its own past, and resurrected the Rambler
Rambler (automobile)
Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954, and finally by Nash's successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969...
name from an 1897 prototype and its first production model, in 1902. Rambler was also one of the popular early American automobile brands.
Additional historical context of the Nash Rambler, along with the Nash-Healey
Nash-Healey
The Nash-Healey is a two-seat sports car that was produced for the American market between 1951 and 1954. Marketed by Nash-Kelvinator Corporation with a Nash Ambassador drivetrain and a European chassis and body, it served as a halo vehicle for the automaker to promote the sales of the other Nash...
and the Metropolitan
Nash Metropolitan
The Nash Metropolitan is a car that was sold, initially only in the United States and Canada, from 1954–1962.It conforms to two classes of vehicle: economy car and subcompact car. In today’s terminology the Metropolitan is a “subcompact”, but this category had not yet come into use when the car was...
, 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
, Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical...
, and Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer noted for being chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her state wardrobe in the 1960s....
models.
1950
The Nash Rambler was introduced on April 13, 1950, in the middle of the model year. The new Rambler was available only as an upmarket two-door convertible — designated the "LandauLandau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
". 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
Marketing mix
The term "marketing mix" was coined in 1953 by Neil Borden in his American Marketing Association presidential address. However, this was actually a reformulation of an earlier idea by his associate, James Culliton, who in 1948 described the role of the marketing manager as a "mixer of ingredients",...
were the limited steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
supplies during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, as well as the strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
for profit maximization
Profit maximization
In economics, profit maximization is the process by which a firm determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit. There are several approaches to this problem...
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
Value (marketing)
The value of a product is the mental estimation a consumer makes of it. Formally it may be conceptualized as the relationship between the consumer's perceived benefits in relation to the perceived costs of receiving these benefits...
to buyers, the car was well equipped compared to the competition and included items such as whitewall tire
Whitewall tire
Whitewall tires or white sidewall tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber.-Background:Early automobile tires were made entirely of natural white rubber. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient traction and endurance, so carbon black was added to the rubber...
s, full wheel covers
Hubcap
A hubcap, wheel cover or wheel trim is a decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel. Cars with stamped steel wheels often use a full wheel cover that conceals the entire wheel. Cars with alloy wheels or styled steel wheels generally use smaller...
, electric clock
Electric clock
An electric clock is a clock that is powered by electricity instead of powered manually or by other sources of energy, specifically in order to wind the mainspring or to drive the pendulum or oscillator.-Classification:...
, and even a pushbutton AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
radio.
1951
In 1951, the Rambler line was enlarged to include a two-door station wagon and a two-door pillarlessPillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
— designated the Country Club. Both the hardtop and convertible models included additional safety features.
Two levels of trim were available: "Custom" and "Super".
A car tested by the British magazine The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1951 had a top speed of 80.9 mph (130.2 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (0–96.6 km/h) in 21.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25.2 mpgimp was recorded. The test car was reported as costing $1,808 in the U.S., British sales had not at the time started.
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."
1953
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 ornamentHood ornament
A hood/bonnet ornament, or radiator cap, or car mascot is a specially crafted model of something which symbolizes a car company like a badge, located on the front center portion of the hood...
, designed by George Petty
George Petty
George Brown Petty IV was an American pin-up artist. His pin-up art appeared primarily in Esquire and Fawcett Publications's True but was also in calendars marketed by Esquire, True and Ridgid Tool Company. Petty's Esquire gatefolds originated and popularized the magazine device of centerfold...
was optional.
The standard engines were increased with manual transmission cars receiving a 184 CID I6 producing 85 hp, while a 90 hp 195.6 CID I6
AMC Straight-6 engine
The American Motors Corporation straight-6 family of engines was used by a number of AMC and Jeep vehicles from 1964 through 2006.-195.6:American Motors' first straight-six engine was the...
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 (2,743.2 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
Hudson Motor Car Company
The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form American Motors. The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was dropped.- Company strategy...
merged, and the successor corporation was named American Motors Corporation
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
(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.
Replacement
Production of the compact 100 in (2,540 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 (2,743.2 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 hardtopHardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
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 recessionRecession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
that started in 1957 to revive the small 100 in (2,540 mm) wheelbase Rambler. The automaker had retained the old tooling and the old model would fit between the bigger 108 in (2,743.2 mm) wheelbase family-sized Ramblers and the imported two-seat 85 in (2,159 mm) wheelbase Nash Metropolitan
Nash Metropolitan
The Nash Metropolitan is a car that was sold, initially only in the United States and Canada, from 1954–1962.It conforms to two classes of vehicle: economy car and subcompact car. In today’s terminology the Metropolitan is a “subcompact”, but this category had not yet come into use when the car was...
. 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
Rambler American
The Rambler American is an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC's forerunner Nash Motors second-generation Rambler compact that was sold under the Nash and Hudson Motors marques from 1954 and 1955.The...
.
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, WisconsinKenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
factory that continued to be AMC's main production plant."
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." The Big Three domestic automakers exited the entry-level car market to foreign makes starting in the early 1950s. 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."