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| American Motors was created by the merger
of Nash and Hudson in 1954. Hudson was the weaker partner
in the merger, and its Detroit factory was shut down so
production could be consolidated in Nash's Kenosha
plants. Beginning with the 1955 model year, the new
corporation sold similar lines of cars through separate
Nash and Hudson dealerships. By the time of the merger, Nash's compact Rambler models (first introduced in 1950) had begun to outsell the full-size cars, and beginning in 1955 Hudson dealers had Ramblers in their showrooms as well. The full-sized Nash and Hudson lines suffered from severely dwindling sales, so in the 1958 model year the Nash and Hudson names were dropped and Rambler became the sole AMC marque. The Nash Collectors page includes good background information on Nash and the formation of American Motors. |
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| Nash | ||
 1956 Nash Ambassador LeMans |
Nash's full-sized lines at the time of the merger included the Ambassador (a name that had been used since 1932 on Nash's biggest and most luxurious models) and the Statesman. The two cars shared similar styling dating from the 1952 "Golden Anniversary" model year. The 1955 Ambassador rode on a 121 inch wheelbase, and the Statesman's was 114". The Statesman lasted only through 1956, but the Ambassador continued as the company's flagship through the 1974 model year. Photo above by Robert Kirkley, who reports that his car "has 7 main bearing Ambassador six (252 cid) with the dual carburetor head used on the Nash-Healey." An equally stunning rear view is also available. | |
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| Hudson | ||
| The old Hudson Wasp and Hornet names were carried over after the merger, but on thinly disguised Nash platforms. Some Hudson parts were used, including engines and instrumentation. |  1956 Hudson |
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| Rambler | ||
 1950 Rambler |
The Nash Rambler, originally introduced in March 1950, was the first successful compact car of the postwar era. The original 1950 Rambler was a "convertible landau" model built on a 100-inch wheelbase; it featured fixed roof rails and a retractable canvas top. Station wagon, hardtop and sedan models were later added, all with two doors, on the same short wheelbase. In 1954, four-door sedan and wagon models were added on a longer 108-inch wheelbase. | |
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| Nash-Healey | ||
| The Nash-Healey sports car can be considered just barely an AMC model: introduced as a 1951 model, the last was produced in August 1954, just a few months after the creation of AMC. 1951 models combined Nash drivetrains and some Ambassador body and trim items with chassis, interiors and bodies by Healey in Warwick, England. Later models combined the Nash drivetrains and Healey chassis with body work by Pinin Farina in Turin, Italy. Click here for in-depth historical information and specifications. |  1951 Nash-Healey |
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| Metropolitan | ||
 1960 Metropolitan |
The Metropolitan was engineered and styled by Nash, but built in England by Austin. Introduced in 1954 as a Nash model, the tiny car was sold in Nash, Hudson, and Rambler dealerships through 1962 in both coupe and convertible models. A station wagon prototype never saw production. A reader reports that a friend of his wife carried eight people in a Metropolitan on an 18-hour drive to Florida for spring break: "This was in the early seventies so you can imagine the 'lubricants' used to squeeze them in." In recent years the Metropolitan has become a fairly popular collector car. Photo above by Lonnie Roberts of Dr. Lila F. Roberts' 1960 Metropolitan, featured on Lila's Met Page. | |
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| Next: Part 2: The Rambler Years | ||
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