Nash-Healey Roadster Le Mans
The Nash-Healey was one of the most unusual collaborations in automotive history, bringing together American Nash engines, British Donald Healey chassis engineering, and Italian Pininfarina styling. The partnership began in 1949 when Nash president George Mason met Donald Healey on the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner and agreed to supply engines for Healey's new sports car.
The original 1951 Nash-Healey used aluminum bodywork built by Panelcraft in England, but for 1952, Nash commissioned Pininfarina in Italy to design and build new steel bodies. The result was one of the most beautiful American sports cars of the era, with flowing Italian lines and elegant proportions. The cars were assembled in an incredibly complex process: Nash Ambassador inline-six engines and transmissions were shipped from Wisconsin to England, installed in Healey-built chassis, then shipped to Italy for bodies, and finally returned to the US for sale.
Despite modest straight-line performance from the Nash Ambassador engine (140 hp), the Nash-Healey proved competitive in racing. In 1951, a Nash-Healey finished 4th overall and first in class at Le Mans - the best finish for an American car at Le Mans since 1921. Nash-Healeys returned to Le Mans in 1952 and 1953, earning class wins and proving the car's endurance and handling prowess.
The Nash-Healey's complexity made it expensive - at nearly $6,000, it cost more than a Jaguar XK120 and approached Cadillac prices. Production ended in 1954 after only 506 units. Today, Nash-Healeys are highly prized by collectors for their rarity, racing heritage, and as one of the few successful trans-Atlantic automotive collaborations. Le Mans-bodied examples from 1952-54 are particularly valuable.
Extreme rarity means few come to market. Pininfarina-bodied 1952-54 models most desirable. Verify authenticity through Nash-Healey club and serial numbers. Complex assembly means many non-original parts may have been fitted over years. Check for rust in steel bodies (aluminum 1951 bodies don't rust). Nash Ambassador engine parts still available but Healey chassis components scarce. Racing provenance adds significant value. Coupe bodies rarer than roadsters. Complete cars worth significantly more than projects due to parts scarcity.
Total production 1951-1954: 506 units. 1951 (aluminum bodied): 104, 1952-54 (Pininfarina steel bodied): 402. Available as roadster or coupe. All hand-built with bodies by Panelcraft (1951) or Pininfarina (1952-54).