Vehicle Description
On offer here is truly one of the most unique and interesting cars which I have had the pleasure of owning.
The Nash Rambler was introduced in 1950 to much acclaim as an aerodynamic and upmarket 2 door convertible which offered brisk performance. It also gave respectable fuel economy out of its inline 6 motor! Over the years, Nash went on to add different variations to the Rambler line but, without a doubt, the most wonderful of those additions was the introduction of a 2 door wagon body style in the form of the 1951 Deliveryman Wagon!
Mainly intended for utilitarian usage by tradesmen, these “bathtub” wagons offered fold down second row seating which made for a versatile and usable automobile. However, one year later, Nash went one step further and introduced the Nash Rambler Greenbrier wagon which featured two tone green exterior paint, upgraded trim in the interior, and a substantially increased price tag for this most luxurious version of the Rambler Wagon! Seeing as this was a luxury version of a car which was intended for utilitarian usages, Nash did not sell many Greenbriers and, thus, they have become quite rare today.
The car you see here today is one of these wonderful little Greenbrier Wagons! This particular example was the property of a local enthusiast who owned a 1952 Nash Deliveryman Wagon while he attended a local high school. As life goes, he was forced to eventually sell his high school car but he never forgot all the great times that unique little Rambler gave him. Around 10 years ago, he found this 1952 Greenbrier Wagon and decided to embark on a nut and bolt restoration, fueled by his love of his first Nash, to a level not commonly seen on Nash cars.
The end result of that painstaking restoration is this car! Upon purchasing the car, the owner told me that in excess of $45,000 was spent on the restoration. I only found that unbelievable in regards to the fact that I am certain such a high quality restoration couldn’t be done today by a reputable shop for even close to that amount of money. The car features wonderful paint which is barely showing any signs of age along with a totally clean and correct interior which shows “as new”. For some reason, on the day which we took pictures, the carpet was playing tricks on the camera. It looks tattered and dirty in the images but, in reality, it is like new. The engine compartment is fully detailed and features all the correct finishing which you do not commonly see on a car like this. Though clique to say, the underside on this Nash is truly as nice as the top. Overall, this car is a 10 year old restoration which does not really look its age. That is largely due to the fact that the last owner would only drive the car around the block once every two months in order to keep it in outstanding mechanical condition. Overall, this car would be rated as a strong #2 car on a scale from 1-6. With some love and attention, it could easily be a good solid #1 car.
Aside from looking good, the car drives absolutely perfectly. Mechanically the car is 100%. It stops straight, steers nice and tight, and shifts through the gears as smoothly as can be. This is one of those lovely cases where a car was restored to not only look great but to drive just as well! When I first got this car it was running hot so it has just benefitted from a re-cored radiator for many more miles of pleasurable cruising and showing for the next owner!
Let’s cut to the chase though, there are three reasons why any lover of Nash, 50s era American cars, or just cars in general, should purchase this car.
#1) It is incredibly unique and, to put it plainly, you just don’t see cars like a Nash restored to this level simply because it costs much more to do one to this level than the car is worth when done. The only smart way to buy them is to get one which someone else has already poured all the money into!
#2) It is an extremely rare car. As you might imagine, the Greenbrier specifically was not a high selling variant of the Rambler Wagon because it was the high end luxury version of a wagon which was intended for utilitarian purposes. Upon consulting a well versed Nash club member and enthusiast, it is claimed that less than 20 examples (he claims 14) exist to this day in all states of restoration or disrepair. Though around 53,000 Ramblers were built in 1952, wagons were only a small % of that total and many were not deemed as worth keeping in past years. In addition, these cars easily rusted away as they had notoriously bad water drainage properties. Most surviving examples of 1951-52 Rambler Wagons are either hot rodded or in project condition. I know of only one other example of a Greenbrier which frequents West Coast concours shows which compares to this example based on condition.
Examples of 1952 Rambler Wagons are, in fact, so rare that sales records of cars are extremely hard to come by. The only comparable example I could find comes from the 2014 Barrett Jackson Palm Beach auction where an equally well restored example sold for $35,200. However, that example was not the rarer and more desirable Greenbrier, but a lower specification. Please see the following link for more information: http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archive/Event/Item/1952-NASH-RAMBLER-STATION-WAGON-170052
#3) Simply put, it is just the cutest stinkin’ car on the face of the planet. I specialize in buying and selling Shelby Mustangs, Cobras, and other high performance Ford product and none of those cars get the attention and general response that this one does when I am cruising around the city! It is for that reason that I have kept the car for a few months without even trying to sell it- it really is just too much fun and everyone who sees it just can’t help but smile. Simply put, I couldn’t resist owning this car purely because of how incredibly unique and downright cute it is!
In summary, what you have here is a rare, unique, and utterly adorable car which, unless you have no soul, is impossible not to like!
This car is located in Overland Park, KS which is a suburb of Kansas City. I welcome anyone who is interested in this car to come inspect the car in person. You are also welcome to hire and inspector to come see the car. I will do everything I can to accommodate any inspection. I also welcome any questions you might have about the car. I will do my best to answer in as timely a manner as possible.
