Nash 600
| Nash 600 | |
|---|---|
1946 Nash 600 2-door sedan
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| Overview | |
| Production | 1940–1942 and 1945–1949 |
| Model years | 1941–1942 and 1946–1949 |
| Assembly | |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 172.6 cu in (2.8 L) I6 |
| Transmission | |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 112 in (2,845 mm) |
| Length | 195 in (4,953 mm) 1941 201 in (5,105 mm) 1949 |
| Width | 77.5 in (1,968 mm) |
| Height | 63 in (1,600 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Nash Statesman |
The Nash 600 is an automobile that was manufactured by the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation of Kenosha, Wisconsin for the 1941 through 1949 model years, after which the car was renamed the Nash Statesman. The Nash 600 was positioned in the low-priced market segment. The '600' name comes from the car's ability to go 600 miles (970 km) on one tank of gasoline. Introduced for the 1941 model year, the Nash 600 became the first mass-produced unibody constructed car built in the United States.
The Nash 600 is generally credited with being the first mass-produced American automobile that was constructed using unitized body/frame construction techniques in which the car body and the frame are welded as one unit, rather than the more traditional body-on-frame (the body is bolted to the frame) method. Unitized construction allowed Nash to advertise that the car was lighter in weight, quieter, and more rigid than its competitors. Elimination of the frame in favor of a combined body-and-chassis construction reduced the car's weight by 500 pounds (230 kg).
Nash's innovation also required new techniques for collision repairs. This included the development of a new portable body and frame puller tool that was quickly accepted worldwide.
The "600" designation for this Nash reinforces the automaker's claim for this model's ability to travel over 500 miles (805 km) on one tank of gasoline. This range is due to the combination of the engine's 25 mpg‑US (9.4 L/100 km; 30 mpg‑imp) to 30 mpg‑US (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg‑imp) fuel economy combined with the car's 20-US-gallon (76 L; 17 imp gal). Additional efficiency was due to its lower weight than similar cars.
The new cars were introduced for 1941 and marketed as the Nash Ambassador 600 series in four body versions: a four-door Slipstream (fastback) sedan with no protruding lights, running boards, or door hinges; as a four-door Sedan with built-in trunk (now called notchback style), as a Coupe Brougham with full-width front and rear seats, and as a Business Coupe featuring a roomy rear deck cargo compartment. Similar to the Mobilgas Economy Run, a 1941 event sponsored jointly by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Gilmore Oil, a California-based petroleum company, saw the new Nash 600 deliver 25.81 mpg‑US (9.11 L/100 km; 31.00 mpg‑imp) on regular roads and be proclaimed a "Best in Class" winner.
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Wikipedia