NASH

Nash Motors Co. (1917-1936)

Nash-Kelvinator Corp. (1936-1954)

American Motors Corp. (1954-1957)

Kenosha, Wisconsin

This is a Nash Eight radiator emblem (1930-1931)    mjs
Size: 140mm wide 77mm high    MM: Fox

Charles W Nash's life was a true "rags to riches" story. He was born in 1864, abandoned by his parents at age six and sent to a foster home, ran away at age twelve and found a farm job, learned a carpenter's trade, worked in a grocery store, was the fastest cushion stuffer at the Flint Road Cart Company owned by William C Durant and J Dallas Dort, by 1895 was managing the Durant-Dort Carriage Company, by 1910 was heading the Buick Motor Car Company and by 1912 was president of General Motors.

Charles Nash resigned from General Motors in June 1916 following a policy dispute with Billy Durant. He traveled to Kenosha and bought the Thomas B Jeffery Company, producers of the Jeffery (see Jeffery) and one of the oldest, best-known and largest automobile companies in the industry in America, and established Nash Motors Company in July 1916. The Jeffery was continued in production for a while, with Nash emblems on the vehicles appearing from mid-1917.

The first real Nash was a neatly designed and well-built six-cylinder car, introduced in April 1918 and well received by the trade press. Sales of over 10,000 cars in 1918 more than doubled to 27,000 in 1919. In 1920 Nash introduced a brand-new car called the LaFayette (see LaFayette) which was a commercial disaster and was abandoned in 1924. Big improvements were made to other Nash products. Nash sales rose to over 50,000 by 1923 and the business was very profitable. Nash attempted another new car from 1925, the Ajax (see Ajax), but this was also unsuccessful and in 1926 the Ajax Six became the Nash Light Six. In 1926 all Nash cars became six-cylinder models. In 1928 sales exceeded 138,000 units. 

The Great Depression did not hit Nash as badly as other automobile companies, because Nash had managed his business and finances well. Even so, Nash sales did fall after 1929. The Nash Twin-Ignition Eight was introduced in 1930 and Nash made a profit in 1931 but recorded losses in 1932 and 1934. The Lafayette name was revived as a low-priced car in 1934 (see Nash Lafayette). In 1936 Nash bought the Seaman Body Corporation and Kelvinator Corporation to form Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. In 1937 Nash sold nearly 86,000 cars and made a profit but there was a loss in the recession year of 1938.

By 1941 the Ambassador 600 had replaced the Nash Lafayette and sales topped 80,000. Nash built aircraft engines and other products for the military during World War II. Charles Nash died in 1948. In 1950 Austin of England made the Metropolitan convertible sports car for Nash and in 1951 the Nash-Healey roadster appeared. From 1950, the Rambler made the largest contribution to Nash production. The Nash name survived until 1957 following the amalgamation with Hudson and the formation of American Motors in 1954.

Nash also made commercial vehicles. After Nash bought the Jeffery company, the four-wheel drive Jeffery Quad truck was continued as the Nash Quad, alongside a standard four-cylinder Nash truck. For the first full year of production Nash built 11,490 trucks and became the world's largest truck manufacturer. Nash truck sales faded during the 1920's. The Nash Quad was discontinued in 1928 and Nash truck production faded out completely by 1930 with a few sedan delivery vehicles built until 1931. After World War II, Nash built a few 3-ton trucks using the six-cylinder Ambassador car engine. Nash also built around 5,000 car breakdown trucks between 1947 and 1955.

Emblems

The following metal emblem was the first Nash radiator emblem and was used on re-badged Jeffery cars from mid-1917 until early 1918 and on all subsequent Nash models to mid-1920:

This is the first Nash radiator emblem (1917-1920)      mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high     MM: Unknown (prob None)

The following smaller, light blue and white enamel version of this Nash emblem is a mystery. If you can help to identify this Nash emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post. This Nash emblem is rare.

This is a Nash emblem (dates unknown)      wam
Size: approx 36mm wide 28mm high    MM: Unknown

From September 1920, the following blue and white enamel Nash radiator emblems were introduced to distinguish the Nash Series 40 four-cylinder and Series 680 six-cylinder models. These Nash radiator emblems are rare.

This is a Nash Series 40 radiator emblem (1920-1921)    mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high    MM: Unknown (prob None)

This is a Nash Series 680 radiator emblem (1920-1921)     mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high    MM: Unknown (prob None)

There was a change to metal only Nash Four and Nash Six radiator emblems for most models from early 1921 to late 1924, see example below:

This is a Nash Four radiator emblem (1921-1924)    mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

This is a Nash Six radiator emblem (1921-1924)     mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

Some six-cylinder Nash models carried the following radiator emblem from mid-1923 to late 1924. The same Nash radiator emblem may have been used on some four-cylinder models during this period.

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1923-1924)     mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high    MM: Unknown (prob None)

The following, slightly more elaborate variation of this Nash radiator emblem was used on some models in 1924:

This is a Nash radiator emblem (c1924)     dnc
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

The Nash radiator emblem was changed for all models from mid-1924 to a black enamel emblem, see example below:

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1924-1926)     dnc
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

This emblem was changed to the following, very similar, black enamel Nash radiator emblem in mid-1926:

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1926-1928)      mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

The following metal Nash emblem was originally painted black and was used from 1925 to 1928 as the spare wheel retaining plate emblem on all disc wheeled cars, except the Nash Light Six:

This is a Nash spare disc wheel retaining plate emblem (1925-1928)    mjs
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

 
The Nash Light Six used the following black painted emblem on the spare wheel bracket from mid-1926 to mid-1927:

This is a Nash Light Six spare wheel bracket emblem (1926-1927)    mjs
Size: 56mm diameter     MM: None

The following very small metal Nash emblem was used as an instrument panel emblem from 1927-1928:

This is a Nash instrument panel emblem (1927-1928)     mjs
Size: 25mm wide 21mm high    MM: None

The 1928 Nash Advanced Six carried the same black enamel radiator emblem shown earlier but used a red enamel version of this emblem as the spare wheel bracket emblem and there was a red enamel version of the very small Nash instrument panel emblem shown above, see examples below. The red enamel spare wheel bracket emblem and small instrument emblem are both rare.

This a Nash Advanced Six 362 radiator emblem (1928)  buy.motorious

This shows the spare wheel assembly (1928)  buy.motorious

This is a Nash Advanced Six spare wheel bracket emblem (1928) buy.motorious
Size: 58mm wide 46mm high    MM: Unknown (prob None)

This is a Nash Advanced Six instrument panel (1928)  buy.motorious

Close-up showing instrument panel emblem (1928)   kmc
Size: 25mm wide 21mm high   MM: Unknown (prob None)

There was an entirely new black and white enamel, "fishscale" Nash radiator emblem design used from June 1928 on Nash Series 400 & 600 six-cylinder models, see worn gold plated example below:  

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1928-1931)     mjs
Size: 62mm high 38mm wide    MM: D L Auld (some Robbins)

The following German Silver version of the previous Nash radiator emblem was used on a special, limited edition, anniversary model in 1928. This "anniversary" Nash radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash "anniversary" radiator emblem (1928)     dnc
Size: 62mm high 38mm wide    MM: Robbins

The following is a scarce Nash wire wheel hub emblem:

This is a Nash wire wheel hub emblem (1928-1929)     mjs
Size: 70mm diameter    MM: None

The Nash radiator emblem for the Series 490 eight-cylinder model for 1929-1930 used the same emblem as shown earlier for the Series 400 & 600 six-cylinder models but surmounted by a separate black and white enamel winged "8" emblem, see example below:

This is a Nash Series 490 Eight radiator emblem (1929-1930)   mjs
Size: 140mm wide 27mm high (top)    MM: D L Auld (some Robbins)
      62mm high 38mm wide (bottom)  MM: D L Auld (some Robbins)

The Nash radiator emblem became a one-piece, black and white enamel emblem for the Series 800 Eight in 1930, see example below:

This is a Nash Series 800 radiator emblem (1930-1931)    mjs
Size: 140mm wide 77mm high   MM: Fox

There was a change to the Nash radiator emblem design in 1931 to a very small version of the earlier  "fishscale" black and white enamel emblem, which was used on all models fitted with a v-shaped radiator grille. This small, flat Nash radiator emblem was fitted to the ornamental trim at the base of the grille ornament, see example below:

This is a Nash Series Ambassador radiator emblem (1933)  conceptcarz

This flat black and white enamel Nash radiator emblem is shown below:

This is a Nash Series 800 radiator grille emblem (1931-1933)    mjs
Size:32mm high 20mm high   MM: Unknown

The Nash radiator emblem remained in the same position but became v-shaped for all models in late 1933 for the 1934 model year and until late 1935, see example below:

This is a Nash radiator grille emblem (late 1933-1935)  mjs
Size:32mm high 18mm wide   MM: Unknown

From late 1935, the Nash emblem lost its white enamel and was attached at the upper center of a vertical bar in the center of the grille, see example below:

This is a Nash Ambassador showing rad grille emblem (1936)  classiccars

The black enamel Nash radiator grille emblem is shown below. The same emblem was mounted on the trunk lid. This Nash radiator grille and trunk emblem was originally gold finished.

This is a Nash grille and trunk emblem (1935-1936)     mjs
Size: 63mm high 38mm wide    MM: Robbins

The following silver version of the previous Nash emblem was used on the radiator grille and trunk lid where this was fitted on Series 400 models:

This is a Nash 400 Series grille & trunk emblem (1935-1936) dnc
Size: 62mm high 38mm wide     MM: Unknown

The following gold plated, black enamel v-shaped Nash radiator grille emblem was used on all models from late 1936 to late 1937:

This is a Nash radiator grille emblem (1936-1937)    mjs
Size: 56mm high 31mm wide     MM: Robbins

There was a big change in the Nash grille emblem from late 1937 to late 1938, see red painted die cast metal Nash grille emblem shown below:

This is a Nash grille emblem (1937-1938)    picture-worl
Size: Unknown      MM: Unknown

The following red painted Nash emblem was used in 1938 as the trunk emblem on the Nash Ambassador 6 models with DeLuxe trim having a horizontal chrome spear trim on the trunk and all Ambassador 8 models:

This is a Nash trunk emblem (1938)     nashcarclub
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

The following painted chrome pressed metal Nash nameplate was mounted in the center of the trunk on Nash Ambassador 6 models with standard trim without the horizontal chrome spear trim on the trunk:

This is a Nash trunk emblem (1938)     mjs
Size: 80mm high 19mm wide   MM: Fox

The following Nash emblem was used as a horn button emblem and was the last use of enamel on a Nash emblem:

This is a Nash horn button emblem (1938)    mjs
Size: 40mm high 29mm wide   MM: Unknown (some Robbins)

For 1939, Nash dispensed with a radiator emblem by just having the "NASH" name in red painted letters embossed in a chrome bar at the top of the radiator grille, see example below:

This is a Nash grille nameplate (1939)    hyundaiofgoderch

For 1940 and 1941, Nash models had no radiator emblem or nameplate. 

Instead, for 1940, a small die cast chrome plated "Nash" script was mounted on both side panels just behind the radiator grille and on the lower left corner of the trunk, see example below:

This shows the Nash hood side script (1940) jill reger 

The following shows an example of the "Nash" script:

This is a Nash script (1940-1948)     mjs
Size: 85mm wide   MM: None

For 1941, the small "Nash" script shown above was now mounted on the rear sides of the hood and the lower left corner of the trunk.

For 1942, a new red painted, pressed metal Nash radiator emblem was mounted on the nose of the hood just above the grille with the "NASH" name in chrome letters below the grille, see example below. The small "Nash" script continued to be displayed on the rear hood sides and the lower left of the trunk.

This is a Nash showing the radiator emblem (1942)  hemmings

An example of the red painted pressed metal Nash radiator emblem is shown below:

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1942)     mjs
Size: 165mm high 122mm wide   MM: None

There was no Nash passenger car production through the years of the Second World War.

After the War in 1946, Nash returned with a new two-piece, red and white painted metal emblem in the form of a shield, see example below. This Nash emblem was mounted on the front of the hood. 

This is a Nash hood emblem (1946-1947)    jill reger
Size: 117mm wide 102mm high   MM: None

The same Nash hood emblem continued in 1947 but was changed for 1948 to a one-piece red painted chrome hood emblem, see example below:

This is a Nash radiator emblem (1948)     ms
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

For 1949 and 1950, the red, white and black painted Nash shield hood emblem was a plastic center within a chrome metal surround, see example below:

This is a Nash hood emblem (1949-1950)     dennis hedberg
Size: 130mm high 127mm wide  MM: Unknown

I am most grateful to Dennis Neilsen for his helpful advice regarding the dates of use of Nash emblems. Any errors in my interpretation of this advice is entirely down to me.