1955 Nash ambassador 2 door custom ht 

Surfer Moon - Beach Boys. WYR: 1955 President and 1955 Packard (BIATP). The interior on this car is among the most stunning I’ve ever seen, I mean just beautiful. Thanks as always ~ Chuck

My friend had one of these many years ago. He saw it in a field, he stopped, and asked this old guy about it. The guy got so excited somebody cared, he gave my friend the car! It was a 1955 four door Ambassador. It had the 252 inline six, with two carbs, and an automatic. We put in a 12 volt battery, and connected the wrong way at first! OOPS! We finally got a 6 volt, and connected it positive ground, and it ran great. But the darned thing had been hit in the front on the passengers side. The damage didn't look that bad, but he could never get it to drive straight. Sadly I think it went tro the crusher about 1980.

I've seen one of these in person, it really is something else in person, love how different it is in looks and construction from other 1950's cars.

55 Studebaker 55 Packard Clipper Two of my favorite automobile companies. I've never been a fan of the sedan and hardtop bodies on these but I love them in a station wagon. Very stylish interior in that car. Surprisingly spacious inside. As I mentioned before in one of the previous videos my sister-in-law had a Packard clipper I used to ride in it quite a bit when I was 10 or 11. I always loved it and thought it was just a big beautiful automobile. All these great automotive companies are no longer with us and that is sad. That said. It's great that there are collectors and enthusiasts that still have these vehicles and keep them as they are so that we can enjoy them now.

1) Hudson 2) Packard It wows me how much the Hudson and Nash share body parts, and yet are so totally different. The '55-'57 Nash's, but especially the '55 remind me of the car in the movie, The Car, with it's front fender bulges. Love this dashboard! Again, AMC making some unusual design choices, but hitting it out of the park!

Hornet than Nash . That Nash you checked out was outstanding,color interior , everything was fantastic.

I really love this car. Incredible.

1955 Hudson 1955 Nash I drove a 1955 Nash a friend use to have several years ago. Glad to hear you’re exit voice again!

Hi Jay!: NASH! Pretty interesting car! I have never seen one in person, especially a two door! Bet it was very peppy with the Packard V-8! Had SO MANY interesting interior features! Wish they still did a lot of those! The dash was interesting too! WYR#1 Going with that neat 2-dr. Hudson! #2 was all set to pick the Nash, THEN, Clipper! Have to go Packard! Here's our family's NASH story. Back before I came around Dad was shopping for a used car, and found a green Nash 4-dr. Mom practically begged him not to buy the car, but Dad was pretty stubborn and bought it. It was more than likely a 1950 or 1951, and had the Six. Well, they didn't have it for very long, something happened with the engine. Mom called that car the NASTY NASH, and every time she sees a picture of one that's what she calls it!

What a Beauty,Way ahead of its time

First up before I forget. The Hudson Hornet based on your review from a short while ago and I really like this Nash. Such a futuristic design. I look at this car and think of how it would look customised but then I see all it's beauty and think No Way. I wouldn't even put fat wheels on it. Thanks Jay excellent presentation

The Packard Clipper was their entry level model. It would have had the same 320 c.i. V8 as used in the Nash. It also looks like the Nash also used the earlier Packard non-auto shifting automatic. These were similar in function as the Buick DynaFlow, normally running in the "D" or direct drive position and having the torque converter do all the work. The difference was that the Ultramatic had a lock-up torque converter, giving a true direct-drive. If by chance there is a dot to the left of "D", which doesn't show up in the picture, then it could very well be the later "gear-start" Ultramatic and would start in Low and automatically shift to Drive, when in the "D" position. I seem to remember that the Packard Clipper didn't have a dot in their shift quadrants either. It's true that Nash was one of the first cars to have uni-body construction. People often didn't care for the fenders partially covering the tires, but there was a major structural piece in that part of the fenders, so they really shouldn't be opened up.

Beautiful flowing lines. The two door hard tops are definitely rare as hens teeth. Once again youve provided new info that i was not aware of in that Packard supplied the V8s. Imagine what could've been if they had merged with Nash & Hudson instead of Studebaker. Wonder what a 70s era Packard would've looked like. Oh the possibilities... 👍

...Which is the equivalent of YOU.... Paying... I so love it when you do that.

WYR 1: I love the Studebaker, aside from the heavy 1955 grill, but I think the interior of today's Nash is stunning, so I'm going to go with that. WYR 2: Kaiser, just for something different.

Your awesome video helped me understand the true size of this car…larger than I thought!...love the floating grill and the flying lady hood ornament!!...best feature is the textured wrap around dashboard trim…could gaze at that all day!!!

One of the most striking hood ornaments ever designed. My understanding is that Nash got a-lot of push back from critics at the time who felt it was too risqué…..

The 54 big Nash was the first car with fully integrated underhood AC - for years AMC had excellent AC. My Dad got transferred to FL early in his working life. Mom not thrilled. As a peace offering he got a 64 Rambler American with AC - pretty much unheard of in a compact car. A couple years later they moved back north and AC was still pretty uncommon in anything less than a full size. It was literally the cool car, even if it could barely get out of its own way (by today's standards).Farina didn't actually have all that much to do with the design Anderson recalled being asked (told) if it was OK they played up the designed by Pinin Farina aspect and he said something like "Sure, I'm a company man as much as anyone, if it's good for sales, OK". He was worth more than AMC realized, and after more or less dumping him, they were very lucky to get Teague as a replacement. Such cool interiors - nash had one of the first female interior designers in Helene Rother and I think she was there long enough to work on the 54-56 interiors. Really neat car, Packard V8 was a little heavy though. WYR #1 - that's a toughie: the President speedster is the collector's choice, glizty tri tone and all, and the Hornet still had the Twin H for this last year which was probably the best compromise for this car vs. the Packard V8, but the Nash interior styling wins it the nod. #2 - Nash.

Those seats should come all the way down to form a bed. Great choice for video!!! 55 Nash Ambassador for both!!!

If there was any problem with the 1955 Nash, it was that AMC designers were trying to make the Hudson--which shared the Nash body shell--look distinctive and different than the Nash. The '55 Hudson looked more like a '54 Nash than the '55 Nash, given the changes in the front end. The Nash looked something like a bar of soap that had been left in the shower a little too long, in my opinion. Also, Packard made AMC pay out the wazoo for the Packard V-8/Ultramatic combination, which made the V-8 models much more expensive than the sixes (and, as you noted, less expensive than Packard Clippers with the same engine! Finally, speaking of rust, one of my neighbors had a 1956 Ambassador Special two-door hardtop circa 1965...and the car was so riddled by rust, despite it being freshly repainted, that it literally split in half on the grease rack at the gas station.

Jay, that’s a cool feature having that net at the front of the ceiling.

Thanks for finding this Nash hard top. Both dashes looks great. first pick The Studebaker President Speedster in yellow green the second pick, the Kaiser.

These always looked like toy cars. But the metal script writing here is elegant. All the car makers back then put a lot of effort in the branding, badges, and letters.

I'd like to see more about the sporty one? Looks very cool! I never knew they existed and I'm 62.

I think the seats in the nash could fold flat to form a bed. The matching pillows cracked me up too. There was one of these rotting away just south of tamaqua, PA. It was the most rusted out car i had ever seen. Only the roof connected the front to the back- it would never be able to support itself if it was still on wheels. They say these were outstanding road cars.

That is an interesting feature having the gas tank opening behind the taillight, though I never knew Nash had it there. Must have got the idea from Cadillac. My favourite cars shown would be the President and the Packard.

1 & 2: All of them. Getting them to museum quality while still being drivable is one thing, but I'd rather just be able to drive them while enjoying the experience. Tune: Home Depot theme?

1: Hornet, 2: Manhatten. So cool!

I defiantly like the Nash. Our family had a new 55 Ambassador 4door v8, color was palomino with white top . Always thought it was a smiling car compared to the frowning 57 and 58 gm models. traded it for a 60 Buick it was a smiling car too.

Pretty roomy for a 2 door car. Neat ride.

Awesome thanks 👍

Cool cars!

The Kenosha Cadillac. My friend Billy Noble has gone to his reward but before he left, in 1963 or '64, he had a '54 or '55 Nash Ambassador. Rode like a Cadillac and a very living room type feel to the interior. It could get rubber from a standing start with the big 6 and Hydtamatic. It was a lot nicer than the cheap Chevys the rest of us were driving. A very distinctive automobile.

My personal vintage year, I was born in Germany in 55.

I was fortunate enough to be born in that year Automotive Weis

These are such unique and cool cars! I really like all the choices, but I'd take this one in the first, and the Manhattan in the second. 😎Nice vocals at the end there!👍

great video, if money and time are not a problem, as good as the 1954 looks i would prefer the 1955.

Hi Jay. Yes, it's an attractive car, though I personally despise Continental kits. It would have been an option rather than standard fitment I suspect. The 140hp of the six is a very impressive number for 1955. Did you notice how far inboard the front wheels are? That just screams understeer to me. That's the price of the bathtub look I guess. A long standing Nash feature, probably applicable to this car is that the front seats fold down so as to create a double bed inside. Cheers.

Ja,y, my first car was a 59 Rambler American 2 door station wagon, that I bought for $5.00. Bob from Willow Street

The Packard clipper

55 Nash! Please deliver it to my house 😊

Precious and few climax

For WYR, I will pick the Nash Ambassador, and the Kaiser (I've always liked the look of the last models). I am another one who has never seen a coupe version of these, so this is a treat. And the upholstery was also nice. And the glovebox. That instrument panel was different. My only question is how difficult is it to pay attention to the speedometer when it's moved closer to the center?

I wasn’t sure, so off to Wikipedia to confirm that yes, they were also assembled in Australia too

Did I miss something? The 1955 Nash line also featured the Nash Rambler (sedans and wagons). I understand the Rambler and Metropolitan were likewise sold as Hudsons (they had a Hudson badge instead of the Nash badge). And, yes, the standard sized Hudsons were merely restyled Nashes. However, I personally would have included Nash Rambler in the Nash line up for 1955.

Studebaker President, for its flowing line. The Nash is too 'bathtub' like for me. ROUND TWO: I would go for the Kaiser. I like the front-end styling and the arc of the side view.

WYR 1: The Stude, hands down. WYR 2: Packard.

The Stude and the Kaiser.

You missed the fact that Disneyland also opened in 1955 with American Motors as a major exhibitor in Tomorrowland Circle-rama was a 360°movie the theater with a completely surrounding tour of America. The lobby was actually a glorified AMC showroom with cars on exhibit..

1955 Studebaker and Packard Clipper ☺️👍 Great Episode 👏👏👏 enjoy your day ✌️

You are definitely right about that Nash 2 door V-8 Ambassador being a rare automobile as they only made a total of 1,705 of those cars compared with 18,805 four door models. As for WYR: For the first choice I'll take none of the above, and for the second choice I'll also take none of the above. I'm just not much of a fan of independent models for that year. I'm not surprised that they all ended up with big deficits in what turned out to be a record breaking year in the auto industry. The designs of the Big Three were much better in my opinion and especially GM who made over a billion dollars in profit. There is one particular car though that I have always admired that was not made by the Big Three and that is the 1955 Nash Rambler Custom sedan. There was also a station wagon version made plus a badge Hudson of both types. They are noticeable by their chrome beltline and continental kit on the sedan. Unfortunately Nash didn't make many of them. I read once that they were all made in their El Segundo, California plant that closed later that year. Who knows, but maybe you'll do a feature video on that very impressive looking Nash Rambler Custom sedan or station wagon sometime in the future. You never can tell!

You know the background on how Nash ended up with Packard motors, no? Jim Nance, the CEO of Packard, and George Mason, Nance’s counterpart at Nash, were about to form a unification of Studebaker-Packard and American Motors…to rival the Big Three. Mason abruptly died, Romney took over and put a stop to the plan. Studebaker already had a V-8 built in South Bend and Packard production numbers were dwindling. AMC’s V-8 was still a couple of years out (1957) and Packard had additional capacity, as Packard automobiles, although pretty advanced for 1955, were not selling well. Studebaker did offer Packard’s 352 V-8 for one year in the 1956 Golden Hawk, but went back to a supercharged Studebaker V-8 in 1957. Even the 1957-58 “Packardbakers” had Studebaker V-8s. A real shame, because the Packard V-8s and the improved Ultramatic transmission was one smooth combination.

I like the 1955 version 😀

I'll take the '55 Nash Ambassador

WYR1: Nash and Hudson both have torque tube drive shafts, finnicky to service. Nash and Hudson both offered the Packard engine and transmission, both offered their own divisional six-cylinder engines with manual, overdrive, or Hydramatic. President came with a 259 V8, choice of three-speed manual, overdrive, or three-speed Flight-O-Matic, open drive shaft design. Between Nash and Hudson. I would take the Hudson with the Twin H Power six and overdrive manual based on Hudson's more handsome styling and open wheelwells which allowed a wider front track and better handling and maneuverability, but the three-year-old Studebaker Speedster in Pimlico grey with coral and white accents, the 185-horse V8, and overdrive is my overall choice. WYR2: The Packard Clipper was priced roughly against the Buick Special or the DeSoto Firedome, and, as you mentioned, slightly below the Nash Ambassador. The Kaiser and Clipper basic body shells dated to model year 1951 and Nash to 1952, and the Clipper and Nash models got redesigned windshield posts for 1955, but the Kaiser has a timeless profile and the taillights were a masterpiece almost on par with Packard's "cathedrals" Edgar Kaiser famously said of the '51 Kaiser, "Slap a Buick nameplate on it and it would sell like hotcakes!" Henry J. Kaiser shot his passenger car business in the foot by diverting funds that could have gone into developing a V8 (and I knew an engineer who worked on the Kaiser 288 cubic inch V8 program before it was scuttled) and the station wagons the public was demanding instead of the Henry J car line and the Willys-Overland acquisition. The supercharged Continental six just couldn't compete with the mainstream V8s from every other auto manufacturer (except Checker) in the US. If Kaiser had developed the V8 and kept the cleaner front clip from the '51-'53 models it would probably be my choice, but the '55 Clipper, sore thumb taillights and high-pockets beltline and all is my choice.

Minty!!

That's a tough song.... but I would go with the Studebaker!

Studebaker, always. This car is hilarious. Almost like those winding toy cars from that era, or bumping cars from attraction parks. As much as I love Pininfarina designs I think he couldn't really grasp the concept of American automobile design and came up with this abomination which has the front headlights placement of an European post war compact and the rear end of a Cadillac. Look at that huge rear bumper, like a platform. Totally out of proportion. And what to say about the four wheels hidden behind the fenders. And it features a v8 no less! Just utter nonsense. Nevertheless, great video as always, man Cheers!

Mechanically thee were good cars. Their holdback was the styling was considered weird by a lot of folks

Does it have the fully reclining front seats that makes a bed?

Nash and Hudson merged on May 1st 1954.

I noticed a Mustang Mach E in your intro I thought you just did old cars

wyr: 55 Stude, 55 Kaiser. Sorry Chuck!

55 Studebaker President, 55 Packard

I had a 56 with Le Mans (the Nash Healey) motor dual sidedraft carbs not in 55? Pina Farina great design, was the widest back seat I've owned even more so than D Body Imperial AC My 51 was OD 56 cast iron hydromatic taillight lenses were glass check out the weight from the unit body construction Nash owned their own AC company made fridges seats had coil innersprings car had torque tube drive hence low tunnel Ido not see the supports in front of the rear seats for the fold flat front seats with heavy Packard V8 you needed power steering 55 Nash Tried to get dad to buy a 56 Packard Carribean Convertible red and white

They're cute cars, but I like the 1909 Jeffery Rambler better; "Rambler Breaks Los Angeles - San Diego Record". 🎩 😊🎩. They were such fast cars, they had to bank the curves in the factory in Kenosha. 🧀

55 packard clipper

55 Nash --55 Hudson hornet

HAHAHA!!!!! "Appliances'!

I would do a little more research on the relationship of Pininfarina and the Nash design team. Pininfarina did not design this car, In spite of the badge.

Hmm Questionable 💧 Drip Rail

Rolling bprdello reclining seats. Fathers of teenaged girls wouldn't let their daughters go out with a boy who drove a Nash.

55 Stude 55 Kaiser Nope, still don't know it...

What an odd dash design….that centered instrument cluster gave me vertigo. Didn’t the dash controls say “air conditioning “? Where was the compressor and more importantly, where were the ac vents? Odd car…

Mitt Romney's father designed this monstrosity.

EXCELLENT VIDEO. I was so excited when I saw your video in my feed tonight. What a classic. Scenario 1, I would choose the Hudson Hornet because I just dig Hudsons. Scenario 2, I choose the Nash Ambassador. Really enjoyed getting up close and personal with a car I’ve never seen in person. Thanks!!!