Transatlantic travel once took a leisurely week. It was a time when friendships formed, romances bloomed and business deals were sealed. If not for a 1949 voyage on the Queen Elizabeth, the Nash-Healey might never have existed.

Donald Healey was enroute to buy Cadillac engines for his new sports car. George Mason, president of Nash-Kelvinator was also on board. The two met over dinner and Mason told Healey if the GM deal didn't work he would be interested, as a sports car would surely improve Nash's image.

The Healey-GM arrangement stalled and soon Healey's British works began building Nash-powered prototypes that began mixing it up on race circuits from LeMans to Mille Miglia. An aluminum-bodied Nash Healey finished third at LeMans against a grid that included Talbot-Lago, Ferrari, Jaguar XK120, Aston-Martin and Allard. That podium finish on the world's biggest stage convinced George Mason to green-light production.

The combination of the beautiful Healey designed hand-built aluminum body by Panelcraft of Birmingham, England, incorporating a Nash grille, bumpers and other trim all mounted on widened Healey Silverstone chassis. The inline six-cylinder Nash Ambassador engine had been stroked by Healey and the stock cast iron cylinder head had been replaced with a high-compression aluminum cylinder head. Donald Healey had originally intended to fit a 331 CID Cadillac V8 engine and so had designed the engine compartment to accommodate that engine. A few owners later fitted V8s themselves.

After a two year restoration, this example has been returned to its original elegance.