1923 Nash Series 40

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The Nash Motor Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin produced vehicles from 1916 to 1937, and from 1937 to 1954, it was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Nash automobile production continued through 1957 after the creation of American Motor Corporation.

Charles W. Nash was a former president of General Motors, and after acquiring the Thomas B. Jeffery Company, founded Nash Motors. Jeffery's best-known automobile was the Rambler, which was later re-introduced by Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954. After Nash merged with the Hudson Motor Car Company, forming American Motors Corporation (AMC), the Rambler line of cars continued through the 1969 model year in the United States (through 1983 in international markets).

The first vehicle to bear the Nash name was the Model 671. Styling features included a low hood line with vertical hood louvers, a painted radiator shell, and a slightly slanted windshield. Two wheelbase sizes of 121- and 127-inches were available, accomodating the fairly extensive list of body styles, including a 5- and 7-passenger tourer, a coupe, a roadster, and a sedan. A two-door tourer with seating for four arrived in 1919, along with a four-passenger sport tourer. Power was sourced from a 248.9 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine with overhead valves, three main bearings, solid valve lifters, and 55 horsepower at 2,400 rpm. Power was transferred to the rear wheels via a three-speed selective, sliding gear transmission with a single plate clutch and floor shift controls. Stopping power was courtesy of rear-wheel external mechanical brakes.

Nash diversified its lineup in 1921 with the addition of a four-cylinder named the Model 40. The appearance was similar to its larger sibling, with a shorter wheelbase size of 112-inches. The overhead-valve four-cylinder engine displaced 165.9 cubic inches and had two main bearings, a Schebler carburetor, solid valve lifters, a cast-iron block, and 35 horsepower at 2,200 RPM. The six-cylinder Series 680 was priced from the mid-$1,000s to $2,900 and the Series 40 listed at $1,400 to $2,190. By 1923, priced had failed to $915 to $1,445 for the Model 40 and $1,200 to $2,090 for the Series 690.

The 121-inch wheelbase platform of the six-cylinder model contained a roadster, coupe, sport tourer, tourer, and sedan. The larger 127-inch wheelbase was offered as a seven-passenger tourer, seven-passenger sedan, and a four-door, five-passenger coupe. The Series 40 continued to use the 112-inch wheelbase size and body styles included a roadster priced at $915, a tourer at $935, a sport tourer at $1,195, a two-door Carriole at $1,275, and a five-passenger sedan at $1,445.

Nash produced approximately 41,652 vehicles in 1923 and around 53,626 vehicles the following year.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2022