1951 Nash-Healey: Rare roadster dream car gets second chance
The sporty roadster that carried the Nash-Healey name had an unlikely genesis. A chance meeting of Charles Nash and Donald Healey revealed the two men had a lot in common. In 1951, they introduced the Nash-Healey roadster. It featured a British Healey aluminum body with an overhead valve six-cylinder Nash engine. Without the financial backing of automotive giants, such as General Motors or Ford, their vehicle costs were shaved wherever possible. The grille was lifted right off the Nash Airflyte sedan assembly line. Reggie Nash of Richmond, Virginia, claims no relationship to Charles Nash other than the last name they share. However, the rare Nash-Healey sportscar has long held an attraction for Reggie. Fortune smiled on Nash in 1978 when he found one for sale in Kansas City; he said that only 104 were manufactured. Records indicate the 1951-model-year car, originally painted black, had been assembled in December of 1950 and was the fifth one off the line. When new, the NashHealey had a 90-day or 4,000-mile warranty — not as bad at first glance, because the big Ambassador six-cylinder engine had a reputation for reliability. Without traveling to Kansas City to inspect the car, Nash bought it sight-unseen and had it trucked to a restoration shop in Virginia. He then went to visit his dream car. “I thought it was great,” Nash said. He was not disappointed. The car was as-represented.
He had it disassembled in 2001 explaining, “It did need to be restored completely.” One of the fenders was damaged beyond repair, so a new one was fabricated out of aluminum. Additionally, corrosion grew in the locations where the aluminum body was rolled under and attached to the steel frame.
All of the brightwork was either replated or replaced. After all the bodywork was stripped and smoothed out better than new, Nash and his wife then had the daunting task of selecting the color for the paint and the upholstery. They finally settled on an exterior color paint called Champagne Ivory. A contrasting red leather and matching carpeting is highlighted with white piping.
The original gauges, including the 140-mph speedometer, were spruced up and reinstalled in the instrument panel. A telescoping three-spoke steering wheel can be adjusted for the comfort of drivers of any height. A 360-degree chrome horn ring adds sparkle to the interior. A two-piece glass windshield is at the front while a plastic window at the rear is mounted in the tan fabric top.
The bench seat has a notch interrupting the otherwise smooth upholstery. Nash explains that the notch is necessary to accommodate the floor-mounted gearshift lever as the driver works his way through the threespeed manual transmission with overdrive.
The Dual Jetfire inline six-cylinder engine delivers 124 horsepower, sufficient to propel the 2,600-pound car. When new, the 14-foot, 2-inch-long (with 102-inch wheelbase) Nash-Healey had a price of $3,982.
It took four years of restoration work before Nash finally was able to take his car home from the restoration shop.
“I’ve always wanted a Nash-Healey,” he said, “and now I have one.”