Nash-Healey
The Nash-Healey was a two-seat sports car, built in partnership between Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and British auto enthusiast Donald Healey between 1951 and '54. Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator CEO George Mason met on a ship going from the United States to Great Britain. Donald Healey was returning to Great Britain after his attempt to purchase engines from Cadillac, but they declined his idea. The two met over dinner and a production plan ensued during the remainder of the voyage. George Mason and Donald Healey became friends because they were both into photography. Mason had a 3-D camera that intrigued Healey.
As originally conceived, Nash Motors would supply the Ambassador's inline six cylinder engines and differentials to Great Britain for installation into handcrafted aluminum bodied sports cars designed and built by Healey. (Nash already had many inroads into Europe with its appliance division; Kelvinator, named after Lord Kelvin of England, who pioneered modern refrigeration.) Healey's suspension components and multi-carburetor systems were fitted in passionate sports car tradition. The cars returned to the United States for sale through the Nash dealership network.
Perhaps for increased production rate, and perhaps for his associated manufacturing esteem, in 1952, Italian designer Pinin Farina was brought in to restyle Healey's original body design. Carrozzeria Pininfarina was contracted to build the bodies, which were now fabricated of steel. Nevertheless, from Italy, the bodies were shipped to Healey were the suspension systems and the power trains were installed.
For the 1954 model year, a hardtop version supplanted the convertible model, which was built on a slightly longer wheelbase.
By '54, the Nash-Healey had acquired a resume of racing trophies. Plausibly for its expense in production and lower sales from its higher price tag, the Nash sports car passion was changed after a series of racing accidents where a certain competitor's cars made several fireball crashes into the grandstands full of spectators. Nash corporate conscience took up a new advertising slogan; "The only race we're interested in is the human race." Hence, the Rambler image was conceived in thought, and Nash set about to replace the Nash-Healey with a different fun small car; the Nash Metropolitan. Slightly more than 500 Nash Healey sports cars were built in the four year model run. For contextual comparison, the Nash-Healey is framed in U.S. auto history with the Kaiser Darrin, '54 Chevrolet Corvette and '55 Ford Thunderbird.