This is a 1953 Nash-Healey LeMans Coupe - number 5 of the 62 produced that year, one of which was awarded first prize at the Italian International Concours D’Elegance held at Tresa, Italy in March 1953.
Nash contributed their Ambassador OHV six-cylinder but with dual Carter carburetors enabling it to produce 140 hp. It’s an extraordinary and reliable powerplant anyway, smooth and quiet with 7 main bearings, and it really moves this car. You’ll be surprised at how it briskly pulls away from traffic, especially in the higher gears. At 75 mph in fourth gear, it lopes along quietly at low rpm to effortlessly cruise as long as you wish.
Some time in the late ‘50s the original powertrain was pulled from this car and swapped with an identical Nash engine except for one key difference: it was already mated to a HydraMatic. In that era, Nash purchased HydraMatics from GM for installation in their senior cars but this is the only Nash-Healey so equipped, as the factory provided a three speed and overdrive. Whoever did the conversion had resources and expertise because when you look under the car and see how it was done – the factory couldn’t have installed it any nicer. Today, the HydraMatic shifts oh-so-smooth up and down through all four gears making this Nash-Healey a fun car all can enjoy.
Documents include the car's ownership history and confirm the car was completely restored in the 1990s. During my ownership, I’ve had both carburetors restored, and fully replaced the exhaust and brake systems. The car consistently runs cool. The water pump and fuel pump have been rebuilt, and the car also has a supplemental electric fuel pump to prime it if the car sits too long. Which you’re never going to let happen, right? All new tires were installed this spring. To eradicate engine heat in the cabin I had the carpet and seat removed and the entire floor sealed and fully insulated. I just took the car on a two-hour highway trip and was amazed at how much cooler and quieter it now is inside.
After so long in obscurity, the value of these cars really has started to move up. So that’s one reason to own one. But much more importantly, you’ll enjoy a car that is rare, reliable, gorgeously styled and incredibly fun to drive. Drive it every few days as I have. It is the almost perfect collector car.