1952 Nash-Healey Pininfarina Roadster

• Special story auction day: MILLE MIGLIA ELIGIBLE!
• America’s first true post-war sports car
• Matching numbers and largely original
• One of only 150 Roadsters built by Pininfarina
• Just a handful of these were equipped with the 3.8 liter engine
• This example won the Post-war Award at Chateau Loucen Concours d'Elegance in 2015
• Thrilling to drive on the road or track
• Eligible for numerous vintage rallies, including the Mille Miglia Storica or Le Mans Classic
• All documents were checked and the car was photographed personally by Auctomobile
• Other features: possibility of assisting with registration, transport, insurance, storage and Trusted Checkout payment
• Please note that this car will be available for viewing by prior appointment in Prague, Czech Republic

During a chance meeting whilst crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth, Englishman Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator chief George Mason discussed the prospect of collaborating on a sports car. The duo came to an agreement, and batches of Nash Ambassador six-cylinder engines and three-speed gearboxes with overdrive were shipped to Warwickshire, England. There, they were mated with a Healey Silverstone chassis and a Panelcraft body of Healey design. Production began for the 1951 model year in December 1950. Racing versions finished 9th in class in the Mille Miglia and 4th overall at Le Mans, but the steep $4,063 price for Nash’s halo car kept sales to just 104 units that first year.
Mason never cared for the original slab styling of the car, so he contracted Italy’s Battista “Pinin” Farina to style the senior Nashes for 1952, as well as to update the Nash-Healey. Steel bodywork replaced aluminium. The price jumped to $5,858, and a total of just 150 were produced. And only a few of the early Pininfarina cars were equipped with the same 3.8L engine that powered the 1951 models, but a 125-hp, 4.1L quickly replaced the smaller six-cylinder (starting with S/N N-2251).
A total of 506 examples of this Sports model were produced. Specifically, the Le Mans model produced 250 pieces, of which 150 were roadsters and 100 were coupes. Production took place in several places. First, an engine was built in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which was transported to Warwickshire, UK, where it was mounted and the frame fitted with axles. The car was then moved to a body shop located in Turin, Italy, where the car was assembled and transported back to the United States, as the car was destined for the American market.
The history of the car also includes competitive achievements such as 9th place in its class in the Mille Miglia competition or in 1952 the car won in his category (3001 - 5000cc) and overall placed third.

This unusual, highly original Nash-Healey was previously owned by a respected enthusiast in Midwestern United States. Previously, it was found resting in a warehouse in Holland for the better part of 25 years. It is a matching-numbers car with its original engine. Although it is believed that the car has been repainted many years ago, it is likely all-original, and it is virtually intact, including its top and side curtains. Period advertising materials are also included with the sale of this Nash-Healey. The car is running; although, after long-term storage, further re-commissioning is recommended prior to making the car roadworthy. With today’s interest in original cars and barn-find examples, this is an outstanding and uncommon opportunity to purchase an iconic and rare Nash-Healey convertible.

This example won the Post-war Award at Chateau Loucen Concours d'Elegance in 2015.

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