20 plus years ago my pops and I went to the back to the fifties weekend, it was the first time I had ever seen a 50's Nash convertible sedan aka the Lois lane. The car we saw was a kool lowered hotrod and I fell in love with the funkiness of it. I always thought that would be one car that I would dig to have. Well today I was talking to a guy and he has one that he might let go its unrestored and he said the electric motor isn't there and the top fabric is pretty much gone. I did a bit of searching but didn't come up with anything, I'm wondering how many of the convertible sedans were built? I'm guessing there were not that many. I would like to go look at the car and have a better idea of what the value would be.
Here's a little bit of info I plagerized... This 1950 Nash Rambler Airflyte Convertible Landau, built in Kenosha Wisconsin, was only produced as a convertible and is one of 9,330 produced Hailed as Americas introduction to the compact car, the Rambler was built using the Airflyte design, which basically was their name for unibody construction. Using rigid door and window frames with a convertible fabric top, allowed for the car to use less steel, and consequently be lighter and less expensive to own and operate than traditional automobiles. Nash merged with Hudson in 1954 to form the American Motors Corporation, more commonly known as AMC. Price: $44,750
Thanks for the info. I wonder if the 9,330 was the total production thru the years or a single year? Not super rare but still a limited run car.
Correct name was a convertible landau, it weighed 2,430lbs and sold for $1,808. A rare car with low volume production figures from total sales - 191,865. 172.6cin L-head 6 developed 82hp The Nash Rambler was introduced on April 13, 1950; in the middle of the model year.[9] The new Rambler was available only as an upmarket two-door convertible — designated the "Landau". Without the weight of a roof, and with a low wind resistance body design for the time, the inline 6-cylinder engine could deliver solid performance and deliver fuel economy up to 30 mpg‑US (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg‑imp). Several factors were incorporated into the compact Nash Rambler's marketing mix that included making the most from the limited steel supplies during the Korean War, as well as the automaker selecting a strategy for profit maximization from the new Rambler line. The new Nash Rambler came only in a convertible body, a style that had a higher price in the marketplace and incorporating more standard features that make the open top models suitable more for leisure-type use than ordinary transportation.[10] With a base price of $1,808 (equivalent to approximately $18,828 in today's funds[11]), the Nash Rambler was priced slightly lower than the base convertible models from its intended competition. To further increase the value to buyers, the Nash Rambler was well equipped compared to the competition and included numerous items as standard equipment such as whitewall tires, full wheel covers, electric clock, and even a push button AM radio that were available at extra cost on all other cars at that time. In summary, "it was a smartly styled small car. People also liked its low price and the money-saving economy of its peppy 6-cylinder engine."[12] The abbreviated first year of production saw sales of 9,330 Nash Rambler convertibles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_Rambler#1950
Thank you fine sir. That is what I was looking for. Now to go look at it and see if the owner is ready to let it go.
Ha ha! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I was raised a diehard Ford guy but in the last 10 years or so I have really embraced the other brands. I picked up a 61 rambler american two door wagon a few years ago that was so ugly it was cute. I guess I like odd rods!
Nothin wrong with Ramblers, my brother was the second owner of a fine 49 in his college days. Really impressed the coeds. He ended up owning a few just for parts cars, should have kept all of them.
One sold about a year ago.https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1951-nash-rambler-custom-landau-convertible/
With my hair style in those days, being seen in a Rambler would have set off alarms. "STOLEN CAR! Cool guy looks like that MUST have stolen it!" Buddy George Macierz's folks gave him their Rambler when he was a sophomore, high school. George's brother had a '32 roadster, (re-bodied from a 5 window, I bought the 5 window body after he pulled it) So, George was embarassed by this Rambler. We went to work on it, 'making it respectable'. It had 15" wheels, so we went to Firestone and got some 'reject' tires out of the bin. 7.60 X 15 rear, 5.50 X 15 front. Cit 2-1/2 coils out of the front, painted the outer rims red, and screwed original MOON discs on. WOW!!! Car-toon instantly. Cool, but kinda exaggerated. Looks? Amazing! The little tudor got eyeballs my '32 didn't get. I was always intrigued with the "ball-bearing socket" at the base of the column shift stick. The whole car 'captured' a following, it was sure a tight little unit. (no rattles, once some adjustments were made...) Wish I had taken pics!
That car is the "grandfather" of all Ramblers (and AMCs) after it! Mostly the Ramblers through 62 (or 63 American) as the unit bodies were all based off that original 50 Nash Rambler design. In 63 the new Rambler Classic (and Ambassador) body came out, and it's a totally different animal. ash added a two door wagon and a "Country Club" hardtop body in 51, and a lower priced panel delivery in 53. I believe 53 was the last year for the convertible, with 10,598 made. A four door sedan and wagon were added for 54, replacing the convertible in the production line. Lower priced models were added, and emphasis was placed on the Rambler as an economical "second car". For 56 the original 100" wheelbase two door body was dropped and only four door 108" wheelbase models were made (the 54 four doors rode a 108" wheelbase), including a four door hardtop. This was the big push for the Rambler as a "second car" and even an economical family "first car". They received a 250 V-8 as well, which really put them in the "first car" category. In 1958 AMC did something that no other US maker has ever done before or since -- they reintroduced a discontinued model! The dies for the 1955 100" two door were dusted off and it was reintroduced as the 1958 Rambler American with only a few minor changes!! Even the flat-head six was put back into production!! To top it off it was quite a success! With the country in a major recession many who still wanted a new car were looking for something more economical to operate, and this fit the bill perfectly! Most were "second cars" again, but often used to commute so the big family car could stay in the garage and just be brought out for family outings and weekends. The 50-55 body shell would stay in production through 1963, so it was around for 12 years total. There were some changes to the firewall and dash in the 61 restyle, but everything else on the body shell remained the same. All the exterior sheetmetal was restyled, but the glass remained the same except for the rear window (windscreen).
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