The Kelvinator: ’53 Nash-Healey

Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator CEO George Mason met on the Queen Elisabeth, going from the United States to Great Britain. Healey was returning to England after his attempt to purchase engines from Cadillac, but GM declined his idea. Mason and Healey met over dinner and a production plan ensued during the remainder of the voyage. A prototype was built shortly after an agreement was reached, and the resulting Nash-Healey hit the track. Almost out of the box, the Nash-Healey finished fourth at Le Mans. The string of racing success didn’t help sales mostly because of the complicated production sequence that had the unfinished car traveling almost 8,000 miles between various assembly plants. The best finish the Nash-Healey had was in ’53 when the newly designed Coupe finished 3rd overall behind 2 Gullwings. Today’s featured listing – a LeMans Coupe –  is equipped with a manual transmission. Finished in the original color –  Sunset Maroon with a Burgundy interior, this elegant numbers-matching example was the recipient of a full ground-up restoration. These are wonderful cars and because of the victorious racing history, are accepted at many events throughout the world. More so for there durability than for speed and handling. On a valuation scale, SCM has them at $75,000 for drivers and $90,000 for a #1 car. Hagerty has an overall average price in the high $60,000 range. If you like the period styling and appreciate the virtues of an American-English hybrid, this one should be given a serious look. Read more at the eBay auction by clicking here.