Nash Airflyte

The Nash Airflyte was Nash Motors' first attempt to produce a streamlined passenger car in Kenosha , Wisconsin . At the same time it is the first redesign of the car manufacturer after the Second World War . After the theories of Nils Wahlberg an aerodynamic pontoon body was developed in the wind tunnel. It had round shapes and integrated front fenders and was significantly wider and lower than the bodies of the previously manufactured cars. Even the wheel cutouts were missing, so as not to give the passing air any edge for turbulence.

First series, 1949-1951 

As the first model was from 1949, the Nash 600 equipped with this hatchback body. Compared to the previous year, the new car offered much more space and had a windscreen without center bar. All four doors were hinged at the front. Even the larger Ambassador got the new body. The vehicles were also popularly called Nash Bathtub because of their round shapes, which clearly resembled a recessed bathtub .

In 1950, the Type 600 was renamed Statesman . In addition, came out with the Nash Rambler, a new, compact model, which had only two doors and smaller engines. The company's president, George Mason , figured out better market opportunities overall. In the following year, a 3-door station wagon called Greenbrier was added.

Second Series, 1952-1954 

1952, the Airflyte concept was revised: The grille was larger, the entire body angular and at the end grew first, small tail fins. The panoramic rear window , which had some Rambler models as early as 1951, was also adopted for the larger cars. They had also lost their hatchback in favor of a more classic notchback shape. The new cars were marketed as Golden Airflytes in light of the company's 50th anniversary (if you include the years of its predecessor Thomas B. Jeffrey Company ) .

In comparable styling appeared 1954 as the first real American small car of the Nash Metropolitan . His Airflyte body came from American spring, while the mechanics came from the UK of Austin . In Britain, the car was also built and imported to the US.

Third Series, 1955-1960

1955 and 1956, the appearance of the Airflyte models was changed again. The most noticeable change was the new wheel cutouts in the front fenders, later also in the rear. Although the complete coverage of the wheels in the previous versions lowered the air resistance, but also hindered the impact of the wheels, so that the Airflyte models had a much larger turning circle than all other car models of their time.

As early as 1954, the merger with Hudson Motor Car Co., the new company American Motors Corporation was created, but initially made cars under the brand names Nash and Hudson. So also the last Hudson models were able to enjoy the Airflyte styling. Even the first Rambler American of the year 1958 still had echoes of the (modernized) Airflyte styling, before the early 1960s, these round shapes were completely out of fashion.