Vehicle Description
1951 Nash Statesman Super Series Airflyte 4 Door Sedan
"Airflyte Construction, the greatest basic advance in 40 years of
automotive construction is yours today in the Nash alone. This is
the new and better way to build automobiles, the way that
stratoplanes and streamlined trains are built, stronger, safer,
more modern. Far advance, far different from ordinary automobile
construction, in Nash the entire body and frame, girders and
pillars, floor and roof, are welded inseparably into one signal
solid unit". From the 1951 brochure which goes on to illustrate
other modern advantages such as waterproof ignition, twin bed
reclining seats, and "more than 25 miles per gallon in the
Statesman."
For consignment, a 1951 Nash Statesman Super Series Airflyte 4 door
sedan showing 62,397 miles which are not actual. Restored in the
late 80's into the early 90's, this is a fine representative of the
Nash brand, which is credited for unibody construction and the
first brand to offer seat belts as an option.
Exterior
The goal of the Airflyte was a low drag coefficient and one look at
this car reveals they were well on their way with a unique and
aerodynamic design, here in white with a strikingly seamless front
end, lines delineating only the bumper and hood as separate. The
real drama takes place when you look at the profile which shows
skirted fenders to send wind over the wheels instead of into the
well to create drag, and a swooping rear half that sheds airflow
around a bulbous trunk lid and through channels created by the
rounded fenders. Not much was spared white paint here, including
the characteristic smaller grille, the cowl vent, tail and
headlight housing, and trim on the deck lid. The drip rail follows
the contour of the roofline and visually creates a fuselage over
the doors and long body panels. There is stainless trim and much of
it is in great shape, along with the paint. Imperfections included
chipping paint, bubbling, and a long scratch.
Interior
Pleated burgundy velour tops the door panels, just under the
grooved, art deco style lower window frame, matched in color by the
lower gray panels for an attractive and clean presentation. The red
velour continues on the split bench up front, an inviting column
stitched couch that is unmarred and matched in color and condition
by the back bench that enjoys ample leg and head room. Up front, a
smooth steering wheel with a cloudy crest presents to the driver,
framing a gray painted dash with Nash hanging on to some art deco
font and design along with polished trim, toggle switches, and some
added gauges that include water, oil, and tachometer. Also modern
is the AM/FM radio, now with Bluetooth, Aux, and USB capabilities
over the glove drawer that Nash touted as "sliding out instead of
spilling out". Medium pile gold carpet covers the floor with some
vintage looking rubber mats and red velour covers the large ceiling
and window pillars making the whole car feel like a midtown
speakeasy. The trunk is nicely finished in the red stuff too,
framed by an undulating edge rarely seen in the car world.
Drivetrain
A 327ci V8 from the late 60's presents cleanly in the bay, wearing
an Edelbrock Performer EPS intake manifold under a Holley 4-barrel
carburetor. This trusty steed is tied to a TH350 3-speed automatic
sending power to the 10 bolt rear axle. Drum brakes are sourced in
front and back. It's basic and tidy under the hood with no
accessories to crowd the bay and some chrome bits for a little
dress up.
Undercarriage
Generally clean with some typical surface rust, we do note some oil
around the engine area, not enough to get Jed Clampett out of the
hills, but enough to cause some drift to areas further back, and
some of it appears to be transmission fluid. We also note a crack
in the bellhousing on the top left corner. Meanwhile, headers begin
the exhaust process and lead to chambered mufflers which then
transform to steel pipes and finally chrome tips out the back. Coil
spring suspension is in front and a 4 link with coil springs are in
the rear.
Drive-Ability
We step into this unique ride, turn the key, and are gifted with a
nice rumble from the 327 and the pipes that leave it! With tires
that are remnants of the early 90's build, we're not going to be
flogging the car, but a short drive around our loop reveals overall
good performance, straight tracking, and visibility that is good
and a bit different with a high rear window and wide C-pillars. We
note some slop in the steering and the wipers are not working, but
all other items function as they should and it's back to the mall
we go! While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were
working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these
functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Breaking wind. It's the dream of every automotive engineer. And the
daring bunch at Nash made some bold design moves to get it done.
Okay, so maybe it doesn't slice through air like a McLaren 570, but
for 1951, the reverse wedge was the hypothesis they were working
with. Face the wind head on and send it over a sloping back and
reduce as many gaps as possible that could disrupt the flow. The
result, an entirely unique Statesman with a cool interior and in
this case, a trusty small block under the hood.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
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