The fender-skirts-all-around 1951 Nash Statesman is a fastback in the style of the Cadillac sedanettes. The Statesman is relatively unknown, so it’s an unlikely candidate for a restomod. It still looks like an old Nash, but just about everything under the skin of this ’51 Statesman recently for sale on eBay was customized.
A Modern Blue Hue
These Nashes were often two-tone, but this one wears modern blue paint with metal flakes. The color shouts ’50s custom, but it’s a 1997 Dodge Viper hue.
The interior is complementary blue and white, with a 1949 Cadillac dash and gauges and a modern Caddy tilt-steering column. Windows and brakes are powered, and discs replace the front drums. The restomod coupe’s reclining front seat, which folds into a bed, is a nod to the “airliner reclining” standard in the two-door versions (optional for the four-door examples).
The original chrome and trim are present. All of it, including the bumpers, is re-chromed. Most of the glass is the original, but the windshield is a replacement. The battery is new, too—helpful for that reliability factor.
Upgraded to Powerhouse Cadillac V-8
A 500-cubic-inch Cadillac engine sits under the hood of this restomod. That mill debuted in the Eldorado circa 1970 and continued through 1975. This example boasts a 1950 Cadillac air cleaner for a vintage look. The powerhouse of a V-8 is coupled with a 700 R4 automatic with a shift kit and overdrive.
One of Nash’s Achilles’ heels in the immediate postwar period was the lack of a V-8. Cadillac introduced its 331-cubic-inch overhead-valve V-8, developing 160 horsepower, in 1949. It was stealing sales from independent automakers, including Nash and Hudson, still fielding sixes.
The Statesman Light Six was developed in the 1920s, so not likely to excite young car-hungry buyers in 1951. The 184-cubic-inch engine produced 85 horsepower and had to move 3,120 pounds, so the zero to 60 time of 18.6 seconds is not unexpected. A turtle could do it faster.
Nash survived the war and had a hit with its Rambler, acknowledged as America’s first real compact car. With its inline six, it was capable of 30 miles per gallon. The price was a reasonable $1,808. The larger Statesman, which bears a strong family resemblance to the Rambler, was positioned higher in the market but below the upscale Ambassador.
The first-generation Statesman was available as a two- or four-door sedan, and those skirted front fenders required a track (55 inches) three inches narrower than the rear (60.5 inches). The car was initially called the Nash 600 but became the Statesman in 1950.
A Great Hot Rod
Countless Fords, Chevys, and Dodges have gone through the restomod treatment. But these Nash cars were never numerous, despite their groundbreaking style and advanced unit-body construction.
The two-door Statesman runs well. The owner says:
It wins trophies and turns heads at car shows. It’s a great hot rod.
Indeed, the streamliner, Art Deco-inspired design of this Nash Statesman practically begs for additional power, and the builder has obliged. It’s sure to delight the driver and anyone wandering by at your next cruise-in.
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