1952 Nash Roadster
1953 Nash Coupe
British-American hybrid sports cars are nothing new, think Cobra, Tiger, Allard to name but a few. One of the earliest, best-looking, and least-known, though, has to be the Nash Healey. Utilizing the Nash Ambassador’s straight six with a custom high-compression head allied with a modified Healey Silverstone chassis, the Nash Healey featured a simple but elegant aluminum body penned by that British firm but incorporating several Nash elements such as the grille, bumpers, and other pieces.
Though built in England, finished cars were sold exclusively in America through the existing Nash dealership network. Only 507 were built over a four year span, largely due to the car’s relatively exorbitant price—a 1954 model (the last year of production, incidentally) cost nearly $6,000, compared to roughly half that for a similarly sporty and stylish Corvette or Thunderbird.
Today, Nash Healey’s are quite collectible, though quite reasonably priced when you factor in their rarity and unique history. This week we feature not one but two of these fantastic old Anglo-American mishmashes, a roadster and an even scarcer coupe, which is somehow the less expensive of the duo. Either one is family-heirloom-quality stuff, and would likely gain you instant and enthusiastic access to any number of Concours, vintage shows, and rallies for both domestic and foreign machines.
Top down or roof up, which is your preference?
