1951 Nash-Healey Roadster Nash

This 1951 Nash-Healey is one of approximately 104 first-year examples featuring aluminum alloy bodywork by Panelcraft of Warwick, England. It was purchased by the seller out of Florida in 2015 and imported to England, where it was subsequently refurbished. The car is finished in maroon over black leather upholstery, and power comes from a replacement 235ci inline-six mated to a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Equipment includes a Nash Le Mans-style cylinder head, triple SU carburetors, a 12-volt electrical system, chrome bumpers with overriders, a hood scoop, a black soft top, and a rear-view mirror with an inset Smiths clock. This Series 25 Nash-Healey participated in the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Mille Miglia rallies, and it is now offered in Milton Keynes, England, with refurbishment photos, FIVA documentation, and UK V5C registration in the name of the seller’s company. The Nash-Healey was born from a chance meeting between British automaker Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator CEO George W. Mason aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth ocean liner in 1949, with a prototype first appearing at the 1950 Paris Motor Show. First-year examples featured aluminum alloy bodywork constructed by Panelcraft before the model was refreshed with steel bodywork by Pinin Farina for 1952. This example was delivered from the factory in maroon and underwent a color change to silver under previous ownership before it was stripped to bare metal, received bodywork, and was repainted in its factory color under the seller’s ownership. Equipment includes chrome bumpers with overriders, headlights set into the fenders, a chrome hood scoop, dual side-view mirrors, and a black soft top with a plastic rear window. Mille Miglia decals are affixed to the fenders. Photos taken during the refurbishment can be seen in the gallery. The body-color steel wheels wear chrome hubcaps and whitewall bias-ply tires. The Nash-Healey rode on a 102″ wheelbase and featured an independent front suspension with an anti-roll bar as well as a coil-sprung live rear axle with a Panhard rod. Stopping power is provided by drums at all four corners. The cockpit features a bench seat with a folding center armrest trimmed in black leather with matching door panels and carpets. Additional equipment includes door storage pockets, a dash-mounted turn signal stalk, an open glovebox, a fire extinguisher, and a dash-mounted rear-view mirror with an inset Smiths clock. The leather-wrapped banjo-style steering wheel features a chrome horn ring, and it fronts an instrument panel hosting a Smiths 140-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer is said to have been reset during the refurbishment and it shows 8k miles. Total mileage is unknown. The replacement 235ci inline-six was overhauled during the refurbishment and fitted with a Nash Le Mans-style cylinder head and triple SU carburetors. A 12-volt electrical system was also installed. Engine stamping NHA1028 can be seen in the gallery. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Photos of the car taken at the 2017 Mille Miglia can be seen in the gallery. The car does not have a title, as it is registered in a country that does not issue titles for vehicles. It is being sold on its registration. The car’s British MOT expired in 2019.