View source for Nash 600

{{short description|Line of cars produced by Nash Motors Corporation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}

{{Infobox automobile
| image = 1946 Nash 600 gray 2-door sedan ny.jpg
| caption = 1946 Nash 600 2-door sedan
| production = 1940–1942 and 1945–1949
| model_years = 1941–1942 and 1946–1949
| predecessor = [[LaFayette Motors|Nash LaFayette]] 
| successor = [[Nash Statesman]]
| assembly = {{unbulleted list | [[United States]] | [[Australia]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Gavin |last=Farmer |title=Great Ideas in Motion, A History of Chrysler in Australia |year=2010 |page=405 |publisher=Ilinga Books |isbn=978-0-9805229-1-4 }}</ref> }}
| body_style = {{unbulleted list | 2-door [[coupé|coupe]] | 2-door [[Sedan (car)|sedan]]<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Kimes |editor-first=Beverly R. |editor2-last=Kowalke |editor2-first=Ron |title=The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 |edition=Fourth |publisher=Krause Publications |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-87341-521-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/standardcatalogo00beve/page/477 477] |url-access=registration |url= https://archive.org/details/standardcatalogo00beve/page/477 }}</ref> | 4-door sedan | 4-door [[fastback]] sedan }}
| wheelbase={{convert|112|in|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="oldcarbrochures1941">{{cite web|url= https://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Nash/1941%20Nash/1941_Nash_Prestige_Brochure/1941%20Nash%20Prestige-15-16-17.html |pages=15, 16, 17 |title=1941 Nash prestige brochure |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>
| length ={{convert|195|in|0|abbr=on}} 1941<ref name="oldcarbrochures1941"/><br> {{convert|201|in|0|abbr=on}} 1949<ref>{{cite book|last=Flory, Jr. |first=J. "Kelly" |title=American Cars, 1946-1959 Every Model Every Year |year=2008 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-3229-5}}</ref>
| width={{convert|77.5|in|0|abbr=on}}
| height={{convert|63|in|0|abbr=on}}
| weight=
| engine= {{convert|172.6|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} ''[[Nash Rambler straight-six engine#173|Nash 600]]'' [[Flathead engine|L-head]] [[Straight-six engine|I6]]
| transmission= {{unbulleted list |3-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]] | 3-speed manual with [[Overdrive (mechanics)|overdrive]]}}
}}

The '''Nash 600''' is an automobile manufactured by the [[Nash-Kelvinator Corporation]] of [[Kenosha, Wisconsin]], for the 1941 through 1949 [[model year]]s, after which the car was renamed the [[Nash Statesman]]. 

The Nash 600 was the first mass-produced unibody-constructed car in the United States and the era's most advanced domestic car design and construction.<ref name="Pioneer">{{cite web|url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1947-nash-super-600-an-early-unibody/ |title=Curbside Classic: 1947 Nash Super 600 – A Unibody Pioneer |first=Saunders |last=David |date=3 January 2024 |website=curbsideclassic.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> The "600" name comes from the car's advertised ability to go {{convert|600|mi|km}} on one tank of gasoline. 

The Nash 600 was [[Positioning (marketing)|positioned]] in the low-priced market segment.<ref name="ps-august45">{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GSEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Elimination+of+the+frame+in+favor+of+a+combined+body-and-chassis+construction+has+reduced+weight+by&pg=PA125 |magazine=Popular Science |title=Ford and Nash show first new cars |page=125 |date=August 1945 |via=Google Books |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> It was effectively the replacement for Nash's [[LaFayette Motors|LaFayette]] line, which was discontinued after 1940.<ref name="Pride">{{cite web|url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/nash-onal-pride |title=Nash-onal Pride |first=Jim |last=Donnelly |date=23 September 2018 |work=Hemmings |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref>

== Innovations ==
[[File:1942 Nash Ambassador X-ray.jpg|thumb|right|[[News release]] drawing of the 1942 Nash 600 showing its [[unibody]] construction]]

Under the leadership of [[George W. Mason]], president of the newly merged [[Nash-Kelvinator]] Corporation, a strategic objective was set: redefine Nash's image in the automotive marketplace.<ref name="Pride"/> The Nash 600, introduced for the 1941 model year was the result of this vision for future cars.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BkBWAAAAMAAJ&q=%22single+unit%22+body+construction.+Weight+savings+realized+on+the+1941+Nash+600+convinced+Mason+that+unibody+was+the+wave+of+the+future.+He+wanted+real+and+distinct+product+advantages |page=33 |title=My Mother's Compact Car: Twenty Years Of Rambler |magazine=Automobile Quarterly |year=1994 |volume=33 |issue=2 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> Nash relied on Theodore (Ted) Ulrich, who worked at the [[Budd Company]], for the innovations in automobile body manufacturing.<ref name="Trendsetter-1941">{{cite web|url= https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/trendsetter-the-1941-nash-600/ |title=Trendsetter: The 1941 Nash 600 |first=Bill |last=McGuire |date=16 December 2021 |website=macsmotorcitygarage.com |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> Ulrich had previously worked with Nash's chief of engineering, Nils Erik Wahlberg, in the development of the all-new and radically styled 1949 Airflyte models.<ref>{{cite book |title=Automobiles of the '50s |year=1993 |publisher=Publications International |page=[https://archive.org/details/automobilesof50s0000unse_o0u4/page/63 63] |isbn=9780785320081 |url= https://archive.org/details/automobilesof50s0000unse_o0u4/page/63 |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>

The car's design and styling heralded a new era for the brand.<ref name="Pride"/> The Nash 600 was a pioneer, boasting several groundbreaking innovations that distinguished it from its contemporaries.<ref name="Trendsetter-1941"/>

The most significant innovation of the Nash 600 was its distinction as the first [[Mass production|mass-produced]] automobile in the United States with [[Vehicle frame#Unibody|unibody]] (unitized body/frame) construction techniques.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=E7KhAwAAQBAJ&q=Unibody+was+the+big+news.+The+600+was+unique&pg=PA27 |page=27 |title=Nash, 1939-1954 |first=Donald J. |last=Narus |publisher=New Albany Books |year=2012 |isbn=9781467521246 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> Unlike the traditional [[body-on-frame]] method, where a car body is bolted onto a separate chassis frame, the Nash 600 featured a design where the car body and frame were welded together as a single, integral unit.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Metropolitan_Story/dTpJvvPP78QC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1941+Nash+600+Unibody&pg=PA12&printsec=frontcover |page=12 |title=The Metropolitan Story |first=Patrick R. |last=Foster |date=2002 |publisher=Olde Milford Press |isbn=9780966201918 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> This revolutionary construction offered numerous advantages that Nash effectively leveraged in its marketing.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LEoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP2&dq=1941+Nash+600&hl=en |title=America Gets a New Kind of Low-Priced Car (advertisement) |magazine=Life |date=14 October 1940 |volume=9 |issue=16 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>

The elimination of a separate heavy frame resulted in a substantial weight reduction of approximately {{convert|500|lb|kg}} compared to conventionally built cars.<ref name="ps-august45"/> The single, welded unit created a more rigid structure, contributing to improved handling and stability. The integrated construction led to a quieter and smoother ride by reducing rattles and squeaks commonly associated with separate body and frame designs.

This pioneering body design, while offering significant manufacturing and performance benefits, it required Nash to invest of $7.5 million for the design and tooling in Nash's Kenosha factory, a substantial amount for the small independent automaker.<ref name="Trendsetter-1941"/> Furthermore, it required the development of innovative techniques for collision repairs, including a new portable body and frame puller tool that quickly gained international acceptance.<ref name="Duffy">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zh94U0W_hwsC&dq=Nash+Company+introduced+its+unitized+body&pg=PA31 |title=Auto Body Repair Technology |first=James E. |last=Duffy |page=31|publisher=Delmar Cengage Learning |edition=Fourth |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7668-6272-2 |access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Pride"/>

Complementing its revolutionary body structure, the Nash 600 incorporated a suspension system that was advanced for its time.<ref name="Pride"/> It featured coil spring suspension at all four wheels and a fully independent front suspension. This combination contributed to the car's notably comfortable ride quality and improved handling characteristics, distinguishing it within its class.

The "600" designation was a marketing strategy reinforcing the automaker's ambitious claim: the car's ability to travel {{convert|600|mi|km|0|}} with a full gasoline tank. This range was a direct result of the car's exceptional fuel economy, which ranged from {{convert|25|to|30|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp|abbr=on}}, combined with a {{convert|20|usgal|L impgal|0|adj=on}} fuel tank.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Nash/1941%20Nash/1941_Nash_Prestige_Brochure/1941%20Nash%20Prestige-14.html |page=14 |title=1941 Nash prestige brochure |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> Its efficiency was further enhanced by the significantly lower weight compared to similar-sized vehicles.

Beyond these core innovations, the Nash 600 also featured spacious and well-appointed interiors for its segment, enhancing its appeal as a modern and practical family car.<ref name="Pride"/><ref name="Trendsetter-1941"/>

==1941: Introduction==
Launched for the 1941 model year, the "Nash Ambassador 600" was a groundbreaking for the automaker. The Nash 600 offered a versatile range of four body versions, all with a streamlined aesthetic that set them apart from the competition. The four-door Slipstream ([[fastback]]) sedan was aerodynamic featuring a smooth, flowing roofline that integrated into the rear, with no protruding lights, running boards, or exposed door hinges, contributing to a modern appearance. The four-door Sedan with built-in trunk ([[notchback]]) was more conventional offered practicality with a distinct trunk compartment at the rear. The two-door Coupe Brougham featured full-width front and rear seating, emphasizing passenger comfort. The two-door Business Coupe was designed for utility with a spacious rear deck cargo compartment for extra storage capacity.<ref name="oldcarbrochures1941"/> 

The 1941 Nash 600 featured a {{convert|172.6|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} L-head [[Nash Rambler straight-six engine#600|straight-six engine]]. This engine, known for its fuel economy, produced {{cvt|75|hp|kW|0}} at 3,600 rpm.<ref name="oldcarbrochures1941"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Dinosaur Cars |first=John |last=Struthers |publisher=Lerner Publishing |year=1977 |isbn=978-0-8225-0416-0 |page=39 }}</ref> A three-speed manual gearbox had an electric overdrive system to enhance efficiency.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-week-1948-nash-super-600 |title=Car of the Week: 1948 Nash Super 600 |date=18 March 2014 |website=oldcarsweekly.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> The car also featured coil springs on all four wheels, contributing to a smooth and comfortable ride. A tight  {{convert|33|ft|m|1|adj=on}} turning circle made it agile for its size.

The Nash 600's fuel efficiency was demonstrated in a 1941 event jointly sponsored by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and Gilmore Oil, a California-based petroleum company. Similar to the [[Mobil Economy Run|Mobilgas Economy Run]], this competition saw the new Nash 600 deliver an {{convert|25.81|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp|abbr=on}} on regular roads, making it "Best in Class" winner.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://theoldmotor.com/?p=74217 |title=1941 Nash Ambassador 600 Wins |date=31 March 2013 |website=theoldmotor.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160805113305/http://theoldmotor.com/?p=74217 |archive-date=5 August 2016 |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> 

Overall production for the 1941 calendar year reached 80,428 units, securing Nash slightly more than 2% of the domestic market share.<ref name="Pride"/>

==1942: Civilian production ends==
For the 1942 model year, the Ambassador 600 continued as one of three distinct series offered by Nash.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.com/new/021110/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit-00-03.html |title=1942 Nash Press Kit |page=1 |website=oldcarbrochures.com |date=8 September 1941 |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> Stylistically, the 1942 models received a refreshed front end, characterized by prominent chrome-plated "NASH" letters integrated into the grille trim. The interior also saw upgrades, including enhanced upholstery and trim.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.com/new/021110/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit-P01.html |title=1942 Nash Press Kit |page=Image #1 |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

As the United States prepared for and entered World War II, automakers rapidly shifted their production focus to defense orders. Nash harbored hopes that the U.S. government would permit the continued, albeit highly restricted, production of the fuel-efficient Nash 600.<ref name="Pride"/> The rationale was to maintain a vital source of new, economical vehicles for civilian use during wartime.<ref name="1941pr2">{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.com/new/021110/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit/1942%20Nash%20Press%20Kit-P02.html |title=1942 Nash Press Kit |page=Image #2 |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> Despite these efforts, approximately 5,400 units of the 1942 Nash 600 were produced before civilian car manufacturing was halted entirely in 1942, as the nation's industrial might was fully redirected towards the war effort.<ref name="Pride"/> Nash received almost $100 million in defense orders by September 1941.<ref name="1941pr2"/>

==Post-war==
Nash began post-World War II car production in the fall of 1945. It was a sellers' market in the late 1940s because many cars on the road were getting old or neglected due to scarcity of parts and lack of mechanics during wartime.<ref name="Perschbacher">{{cite web|url= https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/independents-days-for-carmakers-in-1940s |title=It was 'Independents' Days' for carmakers in 1940s |first=Gerald |last=Perschbacher |date=22 December 2008 |website=oldcarsweekly.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> There was an urgency to build new cars and customers were accepting prewar designs. Nash was one of the "independent automakers" that stood out.<ref name="Perschbacher"/> The Nash advantage was the cars' body structure with over 8,000 spot welds, [[Gusset plate|gussets]] welded within the body structure, and non-removable fenders for additional rigidity.<ref name="Pioneer"/> 

To differentiate the traditional body-on-frame construction, the showroom of Cooke Motor of [[Lexington, Kentucky]], displayed a Nash 600 on its side so customers could see the innovative unibody construction.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://theoldmotor.com/?p=88899 |title=Why You Need a New Nash – Lexington, Kentucky, 1946 |date=6 July 2013 |website=theoldmotor.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

The models were mostly the same except for revised chrome trim and a projecting center section on the lower grille. Norman Bel Geddes designed this new grille and a new dashboard to differentiate the new cars from the pre-war versions.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/Founders_of_American_Industrial_Design/SJgWBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Raymond+Loewy+design+%22Nash%22+Motors&pg=PA131&printsec=frontcover |page=134 |title=Founders of American Industrial Design |first=Carroll |last=Gantz |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476616506 |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>

Unlike using the "Ambassador" nameplate on all three Nash series in 1941 and 1942, the 600 became the Nash 600, while the Ambassador nameplate was reserved for the senior model. 

The 1946 model year "600" featured a rear seat that could be converted into a bed as an option.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Nash/1946%20Nash/1946%20Nash%20600%20Brochure/1946%20Nash%20600-03.html |title=1946 Nash album |page=3 |website=oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> It was possible to sleep with the legs tucked into the trunk area. The engine was updated and power increased to {{cvt|80|hp|kW|0}} at 3,800&nbsp;rpm.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nash: Specifications for 1946 |url= https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1946-Nash-Specs.pdf |pages=4, 14-16 |website=xr793.com |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>

A 1947 Nash 600, driven by Andy Henderson, won the challenging {{convert|300|mi|km|0|}} Death Valley Economy Run, sponsored by Hancock Oil Company of California.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/Official_Gazette_of_the_United_States_Pa/yf2gBmOafM4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Hancock+Oil+Company+California&pg=PA612-IA6&printsec=frontcover |page=iv |title=Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office Volume 676 |publisher=United States Patent Office |date=1953 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref><ref>Hancock was acquired by Signal Oil in 1958 after a major fire at its [https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/it-rained-oil-remembering-the-explosive-1958-hancock-refinery-fire-in-signal-hill|Signal Hill refinery] and the brand was discontinued after [[Humble Oil]] bought Signal.</ref> Henderson achieved {{convert|28.6|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp|abbr=on}} while maintaining an average speed of {{convert|36.7|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} driving steep mountains and through America's hottest desert.<ref name="DesertRun">{{cite book|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_History_of_AMC_Motorsports/Chd-CwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1947+Nash+Ambassador&pg=PA17&printsec=frontcover |page=17 |title=History of AMC Motorsports - Trans Am, NASCAR, Land Speed and Off-Road Racing |first=Bob |last=McClurg |date=2016 |publisher=CarTech |isbn=9781613251775 |via=Google Books |access-date=27 June 2025}}</ref>

The only post-war year that Nash made a 600 in the business coupe body style was 1948.<ref name="How600BC">{{cite web|url= http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1948-nash-600.htm |author=((Auto editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |title=1948 Nash 600 Business Coupe |date=15 October 2007 |website=auto.howstuffworks.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201202091548/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1948-nash-600.htm |archive-date=2 December 2020 |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> This was the lowest-priced model with minimal features, lacking a back seat (to have room for samples) as well as no chrome trim, ornamentation, or comfort items such as a sun visor and door armrest.<ref name="How600BC"/>

The 1948 Nash 600 (and Ambassador Custom) bore the work of [[Helene Rother]], Nash's new interior stylist. They featured some of the most stylish interiors in the industry. Her contributions included upholstery and trim colors that harmonized with specific exterior colors.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2005/07/01/hmn_feature4.html |last=Foster |first=Patrick |title=First Lady of Style |magazine=Hemmings Classic Car |date=July 2005 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180119175521/https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2005/07/Helene-Rother/1280817.html |archive-date=19 January 2018 |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

== 1949: Airflyte ==
[[File:1949 Nash 600 Super two-door Airflyte at 2015 Macungie show 02.jpg|thumb|1949 Nash 600 Super two-door Airflyte]]
The 1949 model year Nash 600 featured a new design based on the aerodynamic Airflyte series developed by [[Nils Erik Wahlberg]], Nash's Vice President of Engineering.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1949-1951-nash-airflyte.htm |author=((Auto editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |title=1949-1951 Nash Airflyte |date=6 November 2007 |website=auto.howstuffworks.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> The new cars stood out among the competition, {{convert|6|in|0|abbr=off}} lower than the 1948s with a rounded body with unusual enclosed fenders. This was the streamlined appearance, commonly called [[Ponton (car)|ponton]], that detractors dubbed them the "bathtub" Nashes. "The envelope shape was the most streamlined form on the road, a large step ahead of the vaguely similar [[Packard Custom Super Eight#Custom Super Eight (1948-1950)|Packard]] luxury models produced from 1948 through 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1949-1951-nash-airflyte.htm#pt1 |author=((Auto editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |title=1949 Nash Airflyte Development |date=6 November 2007 |website=auto.howstuffworks.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> The 600 became the economical series competing with Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth; while the Ambassador became the premium models and up against brands as Buick, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Chrysler, DeSoto, and Hudson.

The sedan was the only body style available in two- or four-door versions. Three trim series were offered: Super, Super Special, and Custom. The interiors were described as "cavernous". An unusual "Uniscope" instrument pod was mounted on the steering column. Optional was a new "Twin Bed" that transformed the car's interior into a double sleeping area, making it perfect for camping or impromptu overnight use. A long, upholstered horizontal surface was formed by dropping the two front passenger seatbacks down to meet with the bottom of the rear bench seat. Additional comfort was available by Nash dealer accessories, including form-fitting mattresses that filled gaps between the seats and snap-in screens for the door windows, to provide ventilation and keep out insects.

The 1949 Nash 600 series were built on a {{convert|112|in|0|adj=on}} wheelbase and carried over the previous {{convert|172.6|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} I6 engine, selling at lower prices than the Nash Ambassador series that now rode on a larger {{convert|121|in|0|adj=on}} wheelbase and boasted a standard {{convert|234.8|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} overhead-valve I6 engine with a durable seven-main bearing design.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1949-1951-nash-airflyte.htm#pt2|author=((Auto Editors of ''Consumer Guide'')) |title=1949 Nash Airflyte |date=6 November 2007 |website=auto.howstuffworks.com |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [https://www.nashcarclub.org/ Nash Car Club] dedicated to preserving the legacy and history of Nash automobiles
* [http://www.americansportscars.com/healey.html Nash Healy History]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060103204003/http://www.nash-gb.com/ Nash in the UK]}}
* {{imcdb vehicle|make=Nash|model=600|Nash 600}}

{{Nash Motors}}

[[Category:AMC vehicles|Ambassador 600]]
[[Category:Chrysler]]
[[Category:Nash vehicles|Ambassador 600]]
[[Category:Sedans]]
[[Category:Coupés]]
[[Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Full-size vehicles]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1941]]
[[Category:Cars discontinued in 1949]]