1947 Nash Ambassador Suburban

Nash Motors introduced a wood-paneled version of their popular Ambassador called the Suburban in the post-war era. They were given mahogany and ash paneling supplied by Mitchell-Bentley of Owosso, Michigan. The coachwork was based on the 'slipstream' sedan, a 1940s streamlined design. They were built as an image-building halo model and came loaded with options such as 'cruising Gear' overdrive, a trend-setting 'Weather-Eye' heater, and a remote control Zenith radio, which enabled the driver to change stations at the touch of their toe.

The Suburban was built in limited quantities between 1946 and 1948, with exactly 1,000 examples built. In 1947, 595 Suburbans were built. It is believed that fewer than 20 examples are known to remain.

This finely restored example has a history that dates back to the 1970s, when it was in the possession of Darrel Hagen of Puyallup, Washington. In late 1977, Kim Norback of Sebastopol, California purchased the car from Mr. Hagen and performed a light mechanical restoration.

The car was purchased in 1984 by Linn Davis of Sunland, California and sold it to Nash collector Jerry McIntosh of Tucker, Georgia, two years later. Mr. McIntosh advertised the car for sale in the Spring of 1992. It was purchased by James Fritts and a show-quality restoration soon followed. Work began in 1995 and was completed in March of 199. It was finished in Strato Blue with red interior, a correct 1947 Nash color.

In 1999, the car earned its First Junior and Senior Awards at AACA national Meets in Tennessee and Virginia. Over the next five years, the car was shown at numerous AACA shows and earned many impressive awards including Best of Show, Best Discontinued Auto, and President's Cup. Between 2000 and 2002, it continued to be shown at local and national concours events. In 2000, it received Best of Show honors at the Central NASHional in Branson, Missouri. In March of 2001, it won its class at the Amelia Island Concours and in 2002, it received Best in Class at the Grand NASHional in Racine, Wisconsin.

Power comes from a 235 cubic-inch, overhead valve inline six-cylinder unit with a single Carter downdraft carburetor. The 112 horsepower engine is mated to a 3-speed column-shift manual gearbox with overdrive.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $150,000 - $225,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $143,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013