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1940 Nash Ambassador 8 Special Cabriolet

    Charles W. Nash became President of General Motors in 1912, but his ambition was to build a car under his own name. He resigned and bought the Thomas B. Jeffery Company in 1916 phasing out the name in favor of his own when the first Nash appeared in the fall of 1917. Fast forward to 1954 when Nash took over Hudson to form American Motors; by 1958 the Nash name was gone and the name Rambler took prominence.

    The 1940 Nash Special Cabriolet was designed by Count Alexis deSakhnoffsky for the few people who appreciated fine things and wanted a gentleman's convertible (deSaknoffsky is perhaps most famous as designer of the L-29 Cord and the American Bantam).

    Conversion from standard Ambassador Eight Convertibles to the Special model was completed by the Seaman body Division of Nash. Introduced at the Nash Boston Company followed by exhibit in the Nash showroom on 'Automobile Row' in New York City, the car was touted to be a limited edition. Limited indeed; just 11 were produced while 3 are known to survive today.

    The car features a .25-inch lowered front end and a .75-inch lowered rear with specially designed windshield, top and doors. Other equipment includes a tachometer, front and rear carpets, backup lights, white sidewall tires, and an exhaust cutout switch easily accessible in the front door.

    The car is powered by a 260.8 cubic-inch inline eight-cylinder engine and developing 115 horsepower. The engine is fitted with nine main bearings and requires seven quarts of oil. It has dual ignition and an exhaust cut-out switch located on the front floor. The car is 207-inches long riding on 125-inch wheelbase and has a top speed of 95-100 miles per hour. The original side curtains were found in the trunk.

    At 53-inches high, it was lower than a Lincoln Continental featuring cutaway doors with no outside door handles. Side curtains were provided in lieu of window glass; the originals were found in the trunk when this car was purchased in 1971.

    The current owners purchased the car in 1971 and found a new 1940 penny embedded in the front floor pan's mastic sound deadening insulation. Body work was completed by Seaman & United Body Shop of Chicago.

    No auction information available for this vehicle at this time.

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