Nash Motors

Nash Motors was a United States based automobile manufacturer.

Nash Motors was founded in 1916 by Charles W. Nash, initially absorbing the earlier Rambler Motor Car Company. For decades it successfully marketed reliable but generally unremarkable mid-priced cars for middle class buyers.

In 1924 Nash absorbed LaFayette Motors.

1938 saw one of Nash's few automotive innovations by the generally technically conservative company, when optional air conditioning was first offered in non-luxury cars.

The Nash 600, a fastback made before and after World War II, was the first mass-produced unibody construction automobile made in the United States. Its lighter weight compared to body on frame automobiles and lower air drag helped it to achieve excellent gas mileage for its day. The 600 was the first of what some would call the "bathtub" cars from Nash, so called because its sheetmetal design, when flipped over, seemed to resemble a common bathtub. (Alternatively, some saw it as a "bathtub" on tires upside down.) The "bathtub" designs would continue on in Nash cars until the early 1950's.

In 1954 Nash merged with Hudson Motor Car and formed American Motors (AMC). The Nash make of automobiles was continued as a line of AMC cars through 1957. The small Metropolitan of this period was an early example of a captive import and one of the few small car successes of its time.

The Rambler make was then revived and used as late as 1969 (Rambler American). The AMC make began to be used in its place beginning with the 1967 models because its customers began to associate the term "Rambler" with stodginess - not a help in selling its cars. By the 1970 model year, all models were referred to as AMC makes.