Nash: The Smartest Cars Ever Built in Detroit

It was a unique hybrid. The Nash Metropolitan was designed in the United States by Nash, but it was manufactured in England by Austin (BMC).

It is arguably the first "captive import." It used an Austin engine and running gear, allowing Nash to sell a fuel-efficient subcompact car in America without investing millions in retooling their US factories.

Nash is famous for its "Airliner Reclining Seats" that could fold completely flat to form a bed.

Introduced in the late 1930s and perfected in the post-war era, this allowed the front seat back to drop down flush with the rear seat cushion. It was marketed heavily to sportsmen and campers, effectively turning the sedan into a mobile sleeping quarter.

"Bathtub Nash" is the affectionate nickname for the Airflyte models produced from 1949 to 1951.

Designed in a wind tunnel, these cars featured enclosed front and rear wheels and a smooth, rounded shape to minimize wind resistance. While controversial styling-wise, they were more aerodynamic than most modern cars, resulting in excellent fuel economy and a quiet ride.

Nash was the pioneer of mass-produced unibody construction in the US with the 1941 Nash 600.

Instead of bolting a body onto a heavy steel frame (like Ford or Chevy), Nash welded the body and frame into a single "Unitized" structure. This made the car lighter, stiffer, and safer, a method that is now the standard for almost all modern passenger cars.

The Weather Eye was the industry's first modern heating and ventilation system.

Leveraging technology from its sister company, Kelvinator (a refrigerator manufacturer), Nash introduced a system in 1938 that filtered fresh outside air and pressurized the cabin. It set the standard for how all modern car climate control systems operate today.

The Nash-Healey (1951-1954) was America's first post-war sports car, beating the Corvette to market by two years.

It was a global collaboration: the powertrain came from Nash (USA), the chassis from Donald Healey (UK), and the body styling from Pinin Farina (Italy). It was expensive and rare, but it finished 3rd overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952.

In 1954, Nash-Kelvinator merged with the Hudson Motor Car Company to form American Motors Corporation (AMC).

The goal was to create a "fourth big" automaker to compete with GM, Ford, and Chrysler. The Nash name was eventually phased out in 1957 in favor of the Rambler brand, which had become the company's best-selling line.

Yes, the 1950 Nash Rambler is widely credited as the first successful modern American compact car.

Unlike previous small cars that were cheap and stripped-down ("economy cars"), the Rambler was well-equipped with radios and heaters as standard equipment. It proved that Americans would buy smaller cars if they were high-quality and stylish.

The enclosed wheel wells (skirted fenders) on models like the Airflyte and the Rambler were an engineering choice for aerodynamics.

By covering the wheels, Nash reduced air turbulence along the side of the vehicle. This improved high-speed stability and fuel efficiency, though it did make changing a flat tire significantly more difficult.

Yes, Nash was a safety pioneer. In 1949, they became the first American manufacturer to offer seat belts as a factory option.

Unfortunately, the public was not yet safety-conscious, and very few buyers ordered them. Dealers famously discouraged them, fearing that installing seat belts would imply the car was unsafe.