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1951 Nash Healey Roadster Navigation
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 significance of this Anglo-American vehicle is that it was America's first postwar production built sports car and this 1950 chassis #2001 was the first built. It was owned by Donald Healey and used for personal transportation when in the United States. Powered by an OHV inline six-cylinder engine making 127 horsepower, it had a three-speed overdrive manual transmission, dual S.U. side-draft carburetors, and a live coil-sprung rear axle on a 104-inch wheelbase. It also had a lighter, higher-compression aluminum cylinder head. It arrived at Nash dealers with a $3,767 price tag and only 104 of these cars were ever built.
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.
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 significance of this Anglo-American vehicle is that it was America's first postwar production built sports car and this 1950 chassis #2001 was the first built. It was owned by Donald Healey and used for personal transportation when in the United States. Powered by an OHV inline six-cylinder engine making 127 horsepower, it had a three-speed overdrive manual transmission, dual S.U. side-draft carburetors, and a live coil-sprung rear axle on a 104-inch wheelbase. It also had a lighter, higher-compression aluminum cylinder head. It arrived at Nash dealers with a $3,767 price tag and only 104 of these cars were ever built.
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.
No auction information available for this vehicle at this time.
1951 Nash Healey Roadster Auction Sales
Recent Sales of the Nash Healey Roadster
(Data based on Model Year 1951 sales)
| 1951 Nash-Healey Roadster by Panelcraft Chassis#: N2097 Sold for USD$154,000 2022 RM Sothebys : Gene Ponder Collection | |
| 1951 Nash-Healey Roadster Chassis#: N2066 Sold for USD$68,750 2021 RM Sothebys : Hershey |   |
| 1951 Nash-Healey Roadster Chassis#: N2017 Sold for USD$113,918 2018 H & H Auctions - Duxford Motor Car Auction | |
| 1951 Nash-Healey Roadster Chassis#: N2041 Sold for USD$170,500 2014 WorldWide Auctions - The Houston Classic Motorcar Auction |   |
| 1950 Nash-Healey Roadster Sold for USD$500,000 2013 Worldwide - The Houston Classic | |
| 1951 Nash Healey LeMans Sold for USD$67,100 2009 Automobiles of Amelia Island | |
Nash Healey Roadsters That Failed To Sell At Auction
1951 Nash Healey Roadster's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
| Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 Nash-Healey Roadster | N2079 | 2014 The 7th Annual Auburn Auction | $190,000 | $230,000 |
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1951 Nash Healey Roadster
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