1950 Nash Ambassador Custom - Jay Leno's Garage
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- Original and unrestored! Go for a ride in one of Jay's favorite fastbacks, complete with Select-O-Matic start, Ultramatic transmission and of course, Weather Eye.
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1950 Nash Ambassador Custom - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1950 Nash Ambassador C...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage
I would rather watch ten videos of old cars like these. Rather than one video of the any million dollar super car.
Great job Jay!
super cars are super stupid. Same performance from $16k motorcycle
Yes, same. Some old cars I can relate to, having had some growing up, and now I own a couple; but super cars are out of my league and also not very interesting to me. Bells and whistles aside, not sure what they are for, except as a bill board to say "I'm rich, I may be short and bald, but I'm rich; hop in ladies". Everything is relative I guess, as my old pal Albo use to say! We got new cars with muscle in the 60's to get chicks too, but not at a million bucks, then. Funny though, some of those old cars we bought for a few thousand are being sold again at American classic car auctions for big bucks too. And those guys who can afford the Shelby Mustangs and super Cameros of the 60's often look just like the man I described earlier! It has come full circle, LOL. :D
"Supercars" just remind me of Arabs. Id take a classic car anyday.
@@שהרבכהן They like them too. Wayne Carinni the little short guy from Chasing Classic cars went to Kuait once to deliver some classics, old ones I think, like Pearce Arrows. And there was a show with a bunch of others there. But I agree, having had 50-60's classics when they were just productions (Ford, Chevy, Mercury), and had/have some today now that they are (67 Mercury, 64 Ranchero, 70 Mustang).
Agree !!!!
My grandpa, who passed just a few years ago at 104, God rest his soul, owned a '51 Nash A.C. and drove the old "boat;" (that's what we, his grandkids, used to call her, "Grandpa's old boat") until she began to really fall apart. After she got to the point where some of the old girl really needed to be rebuilt, he stuck her in his garage and promised grandma year after year after year; "I'll get it done next year dag nab it!", (Gramps had a foul mouth lol) He never did get her rebuilt; as far as I know, it's still sitting in his garage somewhere in Cherry Valley, Illinois. Maybe God gave him a new Nash in Heaven?
Nice story. Thanks for sharing it.
I have always wanted one of these, but no matter how hard I've looked, I've never seen one for sale near me. They are by far one of my favorite automobiles of the 1950s, mostly because of their very unique and what I think is beautiful styling.
I love those interiors. So spacious, like a living room with recliners and sofas. That’s what I want from contemporary cars of today.
Jay's got that fine sentiment for the automobile that really does touch you )) Love his videos, plenty of nostalgic nice feeling about the cars, people, their stories and all the rest
My mother told me these had a reputation and were nicknamed the seducing sedan.
LOL, that's too funny!
This Nash and a flask of gin were the cats meow and a surefire combo panty remover.
Lot's of cars from the fifties and sixties were what we called "PW's". Second word was "wagon", first word was,... you guessed it ,.... another word for kitty cat!
I had a 65 Rambler American and it too had fully reclining seats and needless to say I have a lot of memories from that car and those days back in the 70s!!
@@mikebrabant4170 They called it a "laydown" Rambler!
Thank you Jay, for highlighting the Nash. My father had a Nash 600 ( I believe),and my grandfather had a Nash Ambassador. My Grandfather died in 1953, and my father inherited my Grandfather's Nash Ambassador. I was only 5 years old in September of 1953, so I don't remember a lot about the car.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My grandparents had this exact same Nash. Same color, same trim, same automatic transmission. My brother and I rode in that back seat cavern many times. They drove it for years and then traded it in on a ‘57 Nash Rambler.
Years ago, I was polishing my newly acquired (in 1978!) 1959 Rambler American...I freaked, when I noticed that the turn signal indicator in the front had NASH stamped on it!
That is a BEAUTIFUL car! I love the styling and all the room inside.
Isn't the interior gorgeous?
If it came with a potty it would be a great little RV!!
My Dad bought a new 1953 V8 Ford for a trip from Texas to northern California. Ate gas like a thirsty camel after a trip through the desert. Before we got to California he nicknamed the Ford "Rough Rider" because it was such a hard ride. On the trip back to Texas we stopped at a diner in LA. Across the street there was a used car lot and they had a 1952 Nash Ambassador sitting up front. Dad went over to look at it and traded the Ford straight across for the Nash. Nick named it the "Smooth Rider", great gas mileage and he fell in love with the way it looked. He always bought a Nash when he had to buy a new car .He never bought another Ford.
great story.
My parents had this Nasg Ambassador in 1953 only in robin's egg blue. I always called it the Easter Egg. We used it camping sometimes and slept on the folded-down seats many times, once in the Everglades when it was too late to drive to a motel. On long night trips, I would make a bed using a blanket in the rear seat, right side floor - just large enought for my 4 year old body. I would listen to the hum of the road a few inches below me as the Nash sped along the just-built New Jersey Turnpike on the way to my grandmother's house in Washington, D.C. . It was a tank of a car and exactly as Jay describes it, but it had a fine elegance on the road.
I bought one of these cars for $100 in 1960. I drove in a car pool and one of the guys would make the car into a bed and take a long nap at noon. The big tube radio didn't work and I hung a transitor radio on the clock area and fed the outlet to the speaker system. It was a tube radio and I took it out and got it repaired and it worked wonders, Great speaker system.. It had pre-tuning bars in the radio and a foot feed so you could index through the preset channels with your left foot. I thought that was a huge feature. It had a super large trunk and the guy that owned it before me had used it to haul chunks of coal home from the Southern Railroad yards as he was an engineer. Used the lumps in an old cast iron pot belly stove in a hunting cabin. It made a big mess in the trunk and that was part of the "buy as is" deal. I had a new Chevvie station wagon that would not start when my wife was ready to come home from hospital, so I drove the Nash. The old days they took her to the car in a wheel chair and the nurse carried my daughter, til my wife got seated and then placed Robyn in her arms. All the time she was embarrassedly telling everyone that we had a new car at home..
Great story Bob!
My 67 Continental had that floor radio scan button. That was a great feature.
Interesting to see someone who is apparently relatively literate and able to spell correctly write "Chevvie" instead of "Chevy". It never occurred to me that there might be people unable to spell "Chevy" correctly (if there is such a thing as "correctly", of course), but certainly not that that might be the ONE word a person misspelled!
Found on road dead, GM......well who cares where they die as long as it's not in the way.
Mid fifties Buicks could have the floor button for the radio to jump to the next station. There would also be a bar on the radio to do the same thing. Probably a premium radio option. And Studebakers maybe up to 1952 also had the starter button under the clutch pedal.
Probably my favorite "Garage" episode....humorous ending, car you could find, and like a visit with a friend. A funny friend with lots of cool toys.
I constantly watch this episode with that beautiful Nash. That car is just incredible and the feel is very warm with a going home feel. Just wish cars would be made like them once again.
I was born in '49, and to me in the early '50s all cars looked like this ... in cartoons, in movies, and on the roads everywhere. They were comforting ... yeah, comforting.
Your so right about the cars all looking like "roundybacks" in the comics and cartoons back in the day. The comic strip Nancy and Sluggo come to mind especially! As a kid I always wondered why those cars always looked so old fashion when all around me were space age looking cars with tailfins!!😅
I think I'll run down to my local Nash dealer and check out all the new models today! Thanks Jay for your appreciation of the "family" car - the cars America drove.
Jay still has that great sense of humor. Thanks sir for this stroll down memory lane. Love the car. Unique and stylish. Beautiful paint job, the multiple tones and interior. Marvelous.
Jay your channel was founded on these older cars.. don't feel ashamed that you're not doing a super car. I love these cars more. More interesting, more history. just all around cool.
David G I agree. New cars are okay, but I particularly like these old-school cars and trucks.
This IS a super car.
Ya know, Jay. I find myself totally enthralled by your car vids; the real Jay Leno. So relaxing, so real person, so cool and unassuming. This is awesome
Dad had a '47 Rambler, we drove it up route 17 from Long Island to Batavia every year for several years in the 50's. Three adults and three kids, never had a mechanical problem and Grandma hung onto the strap the whole way...
That was the best car review ever! Mr. Leno is a great storyteller.
no the best car ever, is citroen 2cv :)
@Truthisstrangerthan Fiction Yeah, love that! So nice to remember a simpler honest-er time! Now gone for ever and ever I guess!
... "shade tree mechanic!". ..LOL!!
Made me crack up when Jay said dads wouldn't let their daughters go out with guys who owned this car lol
your dp also made me crack up :D :D
Kitho James :D
Great show
I heard that some drive in's wouldn't admit teens driving their daddy's Nash because of the inappropriate ability to fully recline the seats. I had a '61 Rambler American that the front seats, when slid forward, would allow the seat backs to lay flat and match the level of the rear seat. I miss that car. ;)
Papaya Man It's the ultimate "backseat" kinda car LOL.
*"Hey Cindy, you know if you wanna get more comfortable this seat folds into a bed. ;)"*
I love the old classic car videos way more than the new car videos. The classic cars have so much more character and we all know we will never see such artistic freedom in a car nowadays, due to all the safety rules and regulations.
And iId rather survive a crash so I'd trade some character for safer design any day, even though I also like the character of the old cars.
Everyone thinks their f'ing worthless and meaningless lives mean so much! Go like hell, you'll get there, most of the time. So why not in style rather than with the POS crap "safe" cars they sell today! "Snowflake nation" I guess!
@@grahambarnes7325 I feel the same! I remember seeing a fatal accident many years ago, just a couple of minutes after it had happened. Some unfortunate older guy was driving an early 50s Plymouth that had been hit head-on...His eyes were bugged out, his chest was impaled by the steering column. Unforgettable tragic moment.
Jay you never retired ! Thank for giving up so much of your life to camera.
Who thumbs down these videos? If you don't like Jay then don't watch. How could you dislike someone showing you some old cars that you probably never even knew about?
I always appreciate your videos Jay . If I were fortunate enough to make the kind of money you do, I'm pretty sure I'd spend it the same way. On cool cars, trucks and motorbikes. The fact that you share your passion, our passion, with us and give us history lessons to boot is a testament to what a true car guy you are. Thanks for all the videos and thanks too for sharing your knowledge with us. Being able to see your collection is absolutely on my bucket list.
For being so wealthy, Jay is a down to earth, regular guy. Love seeing his videos.
Wealthy because he was smart and worked hard
Absolutely wonderful automobile Jay! My Grandfather had an Ambassador when I was a little boy. What a great road car it was. I really enjoyed this video. Thank you Jay!
We had a 1950 Nash when I was born (1954) that I don't remember but from photos... nice to learn about the actual car! My dad passed away in 1995 but refused to buy any Big 3 car his entire life... We had Nash, Studebakers, Ramblers... Last new American car he bought new was a 1963 Rambler; after that only foreign-made!
I just noticed I'm smiling the whole time I'm watching Jay doing his thing on his show, what a great guy!
The reason why Nash disappeared in the 1950's is because Hudson and Nash merged to form American Motors.
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The names of Nash and Hudson disappeared from the book, however the merger of both was that of American Moters Corporation which much later was known as a Rambler. And those old Ramblers were pretty darn good, reliable cars to.
@@danbasta3677 how could you turn in a tight spot with faired front wheels?
Jay I’m about half way through the video, you have not mentioned, Nash helped sponsor, NASCAR, for Big Bill France, and he had Curtis Turner, drive one. I’m not sure if was 1949 or 1950, but I have seen photos of the car w Turner Turner & France by the driver’s door, cool photo. I don’t know, if it won any race’s it ran in. But it’s interesting to know this much… I watch the one you have on your Hudson Hornet, and your Marshall Teagues car. Great video.🎉 thanks for all your work.
Thanks for sharing that info! 👍🏿
Best episode in a while. Just straight car talk about an original classic. Great stuff!
"You hit your head on that dash and they just hose it off and sell it to somebody else."
"It's not unusual to find a Kia or Hyundai crushed up under the wheel well."
Kinda cringe-worthy, actually.
This car is beautiful. My uncle had one and would let me sit in his lap while he drove around in a small town. WOW. Thank you so much for this video.
Step dad had one. He had a fit every time he had a flat. We learned to make our selves scarce. Thanks good show
I love old cars like this. It was from a time where people actually took pride in their work and designed things to last. I'm quite surprised that cars like this are rather affordable. I'd would like to buy one.
thelongslowgoodbye You might want to check out vacuum cleaners from the same time period, I got a working Hoover 62 (1950-1953) for $2 at a rummage sale and it's remarkable.
Sort of. Except that 1950s cars were thought to be doing very well indeed if you reached 100,000 miles before they died, and if they made 10 years before rusting to a hulk, often a lot less. A modern car is just breaking in a 100,000 miles, and 200,000 is nothing unusual...and this with only minimal maintenance. While many things are cheap and plasticky these days, it's not realistic to include cars in this category. The amount of plastic crap ON them is deplorable, and the complexity has risen dramatically so it is hard to fix them at home, but they do last longer from the factory without careful maintenance.
I bought one for $400 in Canada.I had one look underneath and sold it. The unibody looked rotted. Keep in mind Jay is in Cali. Those cars can be very unsafe underneath.
@@kelharper7971 I agree with all you said but Ralph Nader should re-release his book about the Corvair, Unsafe at any Speed! To include 90% of today's Japanese and other import cars!
@Tom Cass Right, certainly than a corvair, but others, ask all the dead folks killed in Japanese tin cars each year!
Weather Eye was actually quite an innovation for its time. If I am not mistaken it was the first thermostatically controlled, hot water forced air heater used in an automobile. AMC carried the Weather Eye name well into the 70's.
yes!...and it was a simple, very effective heater!
As was the "All-Weather Eye", the first modern a/c with all the works in the cowl & under the hood, and all controls on the dash. Optional on the big cars as well as the Rambler, 1954. The innovation of 1937s "Weather Eye" was not just thermostatic control, but that it allowed taking fresh outside air through the heater, instead of just recirculating cabin air.
We had one of these when I was a very little kid. I remember it had a huge fold down arm rest in rhe middle of the back seat I used to sit on so I could see out the windows. Dad installed 'curb feelers' so Mom wouldn't scuff the tires lol. Ah yes .... the good old days. Cheers.
My father had 51 Nash Statesman here in Finland, only 7 Statesman shipped to Finland in 1951 and most of them were taxis because of 1952 Olympic in Helsinki Finland. My dad’s one weren’t one of those taxis, but I don’t remember who bought it in 1951 , I just remember that he was some kind of business guy. My father purchased it from local Metroauto in 1958 when this Statesman was changed to new Chevrolet. Father tells me many great stories about his Nash and how great it was, he met my mother first time when he offered her a ride from local dances and drive her home. My father was hard working lumberjack at that time and saved the money for that Nash from his job. In early 60’s Nash was so badly rusted that he took the car apart and sold the engine to some boat and rear axle went to some trailer. I remember seeing that wreck when I was very young. My dad passed on in early 2000, but in early 90’s I was trying to find 1951 Nash Statesman from USA, but before World Wide Web it was a little too hard.
Freakin love that 50's "state of the art" styling
I think this car has a British feel to it, if the Brits ever made such a huge car like this. It's an island, and there's only so much room. With fiberglass, modern car makers
could settle on a design like this and stick with it, instead of having a new looking car each year.
When I was a kid and they were still (occasionally) on the road, I used to call them "bathtub" cars because they reminded me of bathtubs for some reason. I love 'em too!
With this car, they accidentally invented the 4 door coupe before the likes of the Rover p5 and Audi a7
My dad had a 60 Rambler Custom. Same thing with the fold down seat. I miss bench seats.
My dad owned a 1950 Nash Ambassador Custom. He was a Nash guy and owned them from just after WWII until 1954. I remember the WeatherEye controls. He always bought 3-speed manuals. I remember the fold-down seat-beds--but you couldn't have much luggage in the trunk if you wanted to use the bed!
My dad had a 1951 Ambassador.
The sound out of the tube radio was GREAT, even for AM
Great car, great color combo too. Enjoyed this video, very much!
I always hear other buddies of mine talk about Packard's and all the rare and upscale classics, I'm glad you give attention to the common cars of the era, they're very special and very unique. I mean, I drive a '40 Dodge Luxury Liner, doesn't get much more common than that. :-) Thanks for the conformation on the 6V system. They do work just fine, only problem is, some people don't replace the wiring or, if they do, they don't use the right gauge of wires, as you pointed out.
Fantastic survivor, they are truly fun cars those Nash Ambassadors.
Old car videos like this are still the best, Jay.
Whenever he shows the underside, or engine compartment, it's always too dark. Some lighting would be nice.
Thanks Jay! Jay Leno's Garage is so enjoyable.
My dad loved these. We had several when I was young... 😎
Father had a 1955 NASH Ambassador Custom that he bought new .. and I was 4yrs old when he brought that monster home. It was a trade-in from a 1952 NASH Statesman that he also bought new a year after I was born.
Vehicle was Canary Yellow with a white top. It had the fold down seats to be made into a bed (we went camping and slept in the car), designed by Pina Farina with the "Flying Lady" hood ornament along with the Continental Kit attached.
Vehicle had the 255CI straight 6 with the dual Carter side draft carbs with oil bath air filter with the GM 3speed Automatic tranny. Unit had great power using the 6v positive ground system.
Yes, had the same starting format as the one above: turn the key on, put the shifter in N pull towards you and starter engages (towards the end of the car's life, Dad had to install a conventional push button on the dash since the switch in the column wore out).. Dash also contained the drawer .. and it was deep.
Oh, and it also had the little light on the end of the signal lever (it was a green lens cover) that would blink along with the lights in the gauge set.
As the 1950, it rode just as smooth and true, doing shock replacement within the coil springs was a hated thing.
Being a unibody design, it eventually rusted real bad to where the suspension actually broke through the body causing the vehicle undriveable when father had it crushed in the early 1980's.
I have many picts of that NASH being his all-time favorite car and he was a NASH/RAMBLER/Chrysler fan.
Thanks for sharing this.
I love this car, she's one of my favorites for this period, as well the 1949 and 1950, all round, soft and cute,, like a gold fish, than 1951, more elegant, more stylish and refined maybe, but still gorgeous and appealling.
You HAD ME with 'soft...like a goldfish'! What an apt description!
Could have put it better myself
Gorgeous car!! Our '62 Rambler American Wagon also had the front seats that folded into a bed and the Weather Eye heater/vent control.
We had a '60 Rambler Classic wagon with that feature. It came in handy for my parents on those two-day-sometimes-plus pre-Interstate drives to my grandmother's house in Florida.
When I was a kid back in the 50’s, we moved to the burbs and my father got rid of his old Morris Minor and bought a 1954 Nash coupe. He followed up with a 1955 a couple of years later. Thus began my fathers love affair with the Nash and eventually the Rambler by American Motors. I don’t remember one mechanical issue with any of his cars except when i was showing off for my friends and lost control of his 1967 Javelin and hit the curb damaging the front suspension. Watching this video reminded me of many trips in those old Nash’s; of fishing trips where we slept comfortably on those fold down seats.
What a great production of a fantastic car. Thank you, very much. You made us all smile.
I saw one of these when I was in my early 20's and I thought the instrument cluster was the coolest thing I ever saw. If I ever build a car I will try to duplicate it.
Thanks Jay, my first car was a '55 Nash with the Continental pack in Australia. I paid $3.00 deposit for it and was going to pay the other $22.00 over a period of time. Alas, two days later the engine blew up and blew the oil bath filter off the carby and being 16 yo I thought it was f:~_>d so my mate towed
it to a wreckers and I got $5.00 for it. Gee I wish I had the old girl now. I've satisfied my need for old things with my '42 Harley WLA and my wife, hahahahahaha
My Grandmother had a '49 Statesman and LOVED IT! she always said it was the only car they ever owned that she could drive. My Dad told me, he thought they were going to get a divorce when my Granddad went to town one day and came home with a Brand New '57 Ford Fairline. Dad said she raised so much cane Grandad had to go buy it back. He kept the Ford, but she drove the Nash until 1966. There wasn't much left of it by then. Rust and wear had taken it's toll. It sat in the cow field under an oak tree until about '72. She died in '70 and Grandad died in '74.
This is one terrific looking car! And all credit to Jay for his down-to-earth, good humoured narration.
I had a neighbor back in the day, about 1958, who had a 1951 Plymouth Sedan- it had a badge on it that looked like the Mayflower boat the Puritan Colonists came on- it was a conventional chassis and weighed almost a thousand pounds more than that Ambassador; as a matter of fact the '66 Rambler Ambassador 4 Dr sedan with V8, auto trans, AC weighed about that too! Using much the same unibody style the Tucker was a more unconventional car. Wow, you take me back to a time long ago! Thanks, Jay!FR
Definitely prefer these videos showcasing older, lesser known & interesting cars than to the super hyped cars of today with their extensive marketing & publicity and everyone and their mom is talking about it.
I Like how they located the door handles. My next :new: car is going to an old one :)
Beautiful looking car. I've always loved these old cars of the late 1940s- early 1950s. They may not be high performance machines, but so what? For everyday driving, even today's driving, they can be good cars to drive, particularly if you want something that stands out. I also like cars that are original, and unrestored. just kept up, looking, and running like it should. Apparently, the people who tried to upgrade the electrical systems, did it the wrong way. I believe that it takes more than simply giving it 12v wiring. I believe that *everything* should be upgraded to 12 volts, not just the wiring. Thanks for posting, Jay. Awesome looking car. :)
My Aunt Had one when I was young! I thought it was a boat did not like it but now I love them! Did not know about the bed til now! My aunt hit a street light pole and knock the pole down and hardly did any damage to the car tough car!
In the 80s in college one of my brothers bought a 62 Rambler Classic 2 door, and another bought a 62 Rambler Classic 4 door wagon. The 2 door had "3 on the tree", and the wagon had a push button auto transmission. Both had seats that made a bed. You put brackets in holes under the rear seat cushions, ran the front seat as far forward as possible then dropped the seat backs onto the brackets. Both cars still had the brackets.
I can’t believe you have a “My Pillow,” Jay.
HE CAN AFFORD SOMETHING BETTER THAN A LUMPY SHREDDED FOAM PILLOW.
This really is the greatest channel of all time.
Great video. We all appreciate your passion and enthusiasm.
My Dad had a 1950 Nash which was the bane of all my embarrassment when I was a kid but to think back on it now it was a very cool car you could change radio stations with a button on the floor it was to the left of all the other peddles and gas and it had a dual transmission you could shift or pull a lever and the car became automatic. Nash did some innovative things one piece windshield and a rear speaker in the back this was 1950 and the offered set belts and it made into a bed.
The 1948 Tucker had seat belts but the Big 3 exclaimed"if it has seat belts it's a dangerous car too drive".Go figure.One last remark;if you didn't offer a v-8 in 1955 you were dead in the water.(hello Kaiser).
@@vernwallen4246 Which was stupid because a 6 has better torque than an 8. You really weren't giving anything up with a 6 except for top speed.
If you put the Hydramatic gear lever into Reverse when the engine was turned off, that was the "Park" position.
Aha! So he said 4 speed, was it an over drive 4th or 1:1 you think?
In the early 50's, my aunt and uncle had one of these. They were in a severe accident and the whole family ended up in the hospital. I remember my uncle saying that the police told him that if they had been in any other car, they would have been killed. My uncle replaced the Nash with a '49 Ford but after about a year, he gave that to his son and bought a '53 Olds 98.
As Jay was setting down for the night in the Nash Ambassador the memory of the Beep, Beep song (The Little Nash Rambler) returned to me
with its line “buddy how do you get this car out of second gear?”
I SO WANT one of these!! ❤ I am a scrooge too and won’t spend a cent staying in hotel/motels. These are like the original economical stealth camper. I wear a cowboy hat and that headroom would be incredible. Gorgeous aerodynamic car. What a TREASURE!!! A jiffy means really fast 🤠
I can remember one of these many years ago , in my old home town . I thought it was an ugly looking thing . Got to admit , I'm almost won over now! :)
How come his TV show is so bad, but these are so good?
What TV show?
Leno has a show on MSNBC (Wed nights?) It is vastly inferior to watching the videos.
vidguy007 Really??
That is odd. I mean I would understand comedy or something like that, all due to regulations and political correctness. Though I dont understand why Jays show would be inferior on paid TV. I mean all jay does is stand in a casual outfit, eventually driving the car (which is perfection) and he does it very well. How could they mess that up?
May I ask what is inferior about it? Less info? Or is it those stupid skits they keep making him do?
because he has producers telling him what to do on the tv show.
I was just thinking to myself how relaxed and hilarious Leno is while talking about his vehicular love!
Great ol car. I learned to drive and took my driving test in one of these. It was black and either a 1950 or 49, stick shift. Driving was fun, but that car was a bit unwieldy. Fun to see yours, Jay. Love your videos. I'm a girl of the 40s and 50s, and just love the old cars. Great video.
I well remember my uncle had a '50 Nash Ambassador. I used to love riding in it. And his wife, (my aunt) had the Nash Metropolitan. Great cars. The 50's was a great time to grow up,well, except for the air raid drills...
The good ol' days. Would give anything to be a 22 year old back then. If only.
I remember when you see theses cars you always Polk you head in the window and look up and the roof headliner and see backwards feet prints in the fabric.. yeah great times
Deliverance.
Beautiful vehicle. I love all the round curves and skirts. My Grandpa had an old Kaiser that reminds me of this a bit.
In 1953, we drove our 1953 Nash Rambler from Chicago to California via Rte 66 and back the northern route. No problem. Had a water evaporative air conditioner attached on the outside of the windows to make it through the desert. A few years later, it developed a crack in the engine block, and we traded it for a 1956 Pontiac. Watch out for the cracked block, Jay.
Jay, on cast iron Hydra-Matic. Reverse with the engine off is park.
Jay Leno is the coolest guy period I would love to know how much money he has in his car collection!!!!!!!!!
Having grown up with monocoque (unitized) Fords in the 1970's, I am amazed at the few '50's manufacturers such as Nash and Hudson who built and mastered this type of car construction.Spoke to a collector on Hemmings selling his '58 Continental who told me how Ford had premature rust problems with their first monocoque Thunderbirds and Continentals. They were built at just one factory and were very limited production luxury vehicles. Monocoque construction did not become mainstream with US car companies until well into the 1960's-My dollars worth-John in Texas
Yeah, the Hornet had a little more pizazz, but both the Ambassador and the Hornet welcomed the decade with very 'moderne' fastback style. Nash had a great rep in my old neighborhood as a wonderful family vehicle combining financial modesty with comfort. Of course the Merc eventually beat out the rest as the most desirable fastback, but my heart still has a soft spot for things NASH. Thanks Jay!
"Ain't gonna' see me blowing two bucks!" ...I'll just sleep in my car :)
A lot more neighborhoods were safer in the 1950s than in later years; so you could sleep with less worry.
I had a 58 in the Air Force, loved the seats. and was a great car for sure.
We had a 59 station wagon. It was a practical non-fancy car.Thanks Jay.
These old cars have much more character than new cars.
Fun car & review.
Loved the humor.
Just LOVE old cars
Can't hit enough of them. How many out there remember mole hair interiors. My first car was a 37 Buick Roadmaster. My neighbor gave it to me when I was 15 years old.
My Dad had a 56 Nash Statesman. I loved that car.
Very elegant! A shame you can no longer retire for the evening in your Classic car now-a-days without a ticket for camping, or worse, vagrancy! 'It's hysterical'! LOL!
Always love your videos, Jay. Keep up the great work.
Gay
Matt Doiron Yes, Mr Leno is a pretty happy person I should think. You may want to try it, get a new look on life?
Matt Doiron well someone really used all their braincapacity and wrote a comment... Good for you stupid...
Jay - Just want to say thanks! No one could do this better than you. Love your videos, and love your cars.
At 14:50 I love the taillight arrangement. Very cool! And at 16:19 a shot of the soon to be infamous My Pillow lol.
the outer and inside color scheme is awesome,.
My high school friend’s father always bought Nash’s like this one, he was a traveling salesman. 🥴
wow, I've always thought Nash and Packard were really cool cars but now I think I may actually be able to fit in one despite my height and odd proportions. (I'm 6'9 and barely have a 30 inch leg inseam, I'm all torso)
Wow indeed. I'm 6'7" and have a 32, so I feel your pain, if not quite so acutely. I bought an A8 and am getting that going now to replace a 300SD, and I previously had an Impreza. Oddly, I had a 240SX before that, which was really good. I hacked the seat a bit, though.
Yes, it's a 1997 Quattro. It's leaking, but it runs nicely. I've legit fixed a lot of stuff on it. They're cheap now but the trans is a PITA
Martin Espinoza that's why I ended up with the bronco instead of a dodge truck, I really wanted a 90s dodge but the transmissions are known to fall apart and all of them I could find in the 3-6k range had like 180-350k miles and its like F that... for $4700 I got my bronco with 86k miles and it has never been out of the area since April 1996, the previous owners bought it in Roseville, took it to Carmichael and only used it to tow their boat.. down side is they didn't know you are supposed to put it in 4wd every so often to stir everything up.. and also all the bushings are done.. hell it even still has the original shocks, that shows you how little it was driven.
J.A.Ratt85
Huh, I have owned three Dodges, and not one has had a transmission problem.
Auggies1956 People think if it doesn't go past 100,000 and they have NEVER changed the fluid, that they are crap transmissions. Torqueflites, 727's, 904's, and all the variants of these are the toughest transmissions. I have a '95 Jeep with a 42RE, which is essentially the 904 heritage, with 310,000 miles. Never has been out of the Jeep.
Thanks for this great video Jay…My husband and I had an Ambassodor when we fist married in 1959. Great car. Brought back so many wonderful memories from way back when…… your videos are so informative. Thanks a bunch!!!!! Betty
Real character......every body panel is a slightly different color. Love it!
Nash didn't go out of business! Come on Jay!? They merged with Hudson to form AMC! (American Motor Corporation)
I know this as I am a big AMC/Jeep fan and only wish I could find a AMC Eagle in good condition as I think the Eagle is AMC's iconic car. It is what lead up to the design of the Jeep Cherokee XJ and Grand Cherokee project that AMC started but lacked funding for! AMC also created one of in my opinion (and a lot of Jeep fans) greatest engines 4.0L 242 inline six derived from the 232/258 I-6 AMC engines.
amc is gone..just like Nash, and hudson, and tucker... etc.
You don't know much about it then!? AMC had the 242 designed before Chrysler even took control! Hence the AMC 150 that came out in 1984 in the original Jeep XJ Cherokee it was the 4.0 less 2 cylinders but AMC picked putting it in to production first as the 258 was still going strong on sales in both the Eagle and the Jeeps! You might want to read a little more up on Jeeps to find more facts I have! AMC sold out to Chrysler in 1986/1987 and the 4.0 came out in the 1987 model cherokee that startes producrion late 1986 the engines had to be made before the jeeps so I don't see how Mopar could have designed an engine before owning or in control of AMC? And the fact that the block is almost identical to the 258 might fudge your idea!? :)
Walter Null My 1989 wrangler has the 4.2 Inline 6. Love those engines
Jerry Urban Correction, 258 not 242.
Jerry Urbam what do you mean? "Correction, 258 not 242"? 242 is the 4.0 and was designed before the Chrysler deal was completed. Or do you mean u thinkg the 258 was the greatest? :) The 4.0 with EFI is the only thing that made the AMC inline design better!