1950-1955 Nash and 1955 Hudson Rambler
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1950 Rambler |
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General Information
American Motors Corporation officially came into being on May 1, 1954. Why then, do we cover the 1950 Nash Rambler? Because all AMC cars descended from that first modern compact car -- it is the father of all AMC vehicles that follwed. Yes, that discounts most of the big Nash and Hudson cars. There is no direct lineage from those vehicles. Indeed, by the time AMC was formed the two parent nameplates were already falling from grace in the automotive world.
Before I go on, I do have to mention that if the 1950 Nash Rambler is the father of all AMC vehicles then the 1941 Nash 600 is the grandfather. It wasn't the very first unitized body passenger car made in the US, but it was highly advanced compared to the late 1930's Lincoln Zephyr and Chrysler Airflow. Lincoln and Chrysler both dropped unitized construction in favor of traditional body/frame construction whereas the Nash technique held up to the test of time. The 41 birthed not only the construction but also the powerplant that was to be used in the first Ramblers, a very economical L-head (flat head) six.
Okay, back to the Rambler. There had been other small cars built in the US, but none had any "staying power". Crosley made a big splash after World War II with their small cars, but it was a sellers market at the time. There were lots of people who'd driven the same car for over five years and there were still material shortages due to the recent war. This meant that materials were rationed to industry and only so many cars could be built. The auto industry loved it in a way -- they could (and did) sell everything they could build. When the market leveled back out in the early 50s most of the small cars quickly disappeared. It was a prosperous time in America and small generally meant cheap. No one liked being thought of as cheap.
Nash took a different approach with the Rambler. For starters it was only produced in what was then considered premium body styles -- a convertible and a two door wagon. It wasn't a cheap car at all, it was a stylish ride! The 1950 Rambler listed at $1808 in either body style. It was "loaded" for the time -- radio and heater were standard items, not optional. Does just over $1800 for a new car sound cheap? Well, one could buy a top of the line Nash Statesman Brougham for $1894 or any well equipped mid line Ford, Chevy, or Chrysler for under $2000. The Rambler was anything but cheap, price or style wise.
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Body Styles And Trim Levels
There were three trim levels and three body styles available. The body styles and trim levels can be determined from the model number on the Unit Body Identification Plate. The body styles and trim levels are:
* 4 door sedan in Deluxe, Super, and Custom trim
* 4 door hardtop sedan in Custom trim
* 4 door station wagon in Deluxe, Super, and Custom trim
* 4 door hardtop station wagon in Custom trim
Engines
In 1956 the only engine was the 195.6 cid OHV inline six, 1bbl, 120 hp. Power was increase to 125 hp by inceasing compression for 1957. A 135 hp 2bbl version was optional for 1957. See Series 20 for V-8 specifics, including the Rebel.
There is a machined pad on the left (driver's) side of the engine near the front and just below the block/head division. This pad contains the Engine Serial Number.
1956-57 Engine Beginning Serial Numbers
A letter was assigned to each engine size with one barrel carburetor, a following "B" was used for two barrel models along with a different letter. The serial number listed was the first used that year. Later model 195.6 OHV engines will fit and are often used as replacements. Check the engine code for the year before ordering replacement parts, especially the water pump, which came in at least three different configurations over the years. See other 58-65 Series 10 and 01 pages for later serial numbers.
* 1956 195.6 OHV 1 bbl - S1001
* 1957 195.6 OHV 1 bbl - D341001
* 1957 195.6 OHV 2 bbl - CB2001
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Transmissions
The following Borg Warner transmissions were used in 1956-57 Rambler Six models. There is no way of knowing what transmission or type was originally installed in a vehicle made before 1966.
*T-96 three speed manual, available with an optional Borg Warner overdrive unit
*T-85 three speed manual, available with an optional Borg Warner overdrive unit, as a heavy duty option
*1956 - mid 1957 - GM Dual-Range
? Hydramatic four speed automatic, dubbed "Flash-Away" by AMC.
*Late 1957 - Borg Warner "Flash-O-Matic" three speed automatic (air cooled torque converter, cast iron case, vacuum modulator -- predecessor to model 35)
Production Numbers
Blank columns indicate that the body and trim style were not offered that year.
| Body & Trim Style |
1956 |
1957 |
| 4 door sedan, Deluxe |
21,966 |
9,402 |
| 4 door wagon, Deluxe |
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75 |
| 4 door sedan, Super |
Note 1 |
16,320 |
| 4 door wagon, Super |
21,554 |
14,083 |
| 4 door hardtop sedan, Super |
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612 |
| 4 door sedan, Custom |
Note 1 |
10,520 |
| 4 door wagon, Custom |
Note 1 |
17,745 |
| 4 door hardtop sedan, Custom |
2,155 |
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| 4 door hardtop wagon, Custom |
402 |
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Note1:Production numbers include all trim levels for this body style.
Dates of model introductions:
1956 - November 22, 1955
1957 - October 25, 1956
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Serial Numbers & Body Tag Decoder
Serial Numbers
Before January 1966, all cars had a manufacturers assigned serial number, not a VIN, which was mandated by the U.S. government for all cars built from 1966 (calendar year) on. The serial number is on a tag located on the top of the right side shock tower in the engine compartment. The serial number gives no information except year and model series. Technically, any changes can be made to the car that were available from the factory and it will be "correct". Serial numbers were assigned to the car when it was ordered from the factory. Numbers with a single letter are assigned to cars made in Kenosha, WI. Special "knock-down" kit cars were made in Kenosha for final assembly at overseas locations. These kits typically excluded upholstery, tires, belts, batteries, and other items that could be supplied from the country of final assembly and a "KD" after the first letter. Hudson had an assembly plant in Toronto, Canada, that ceased operations after 1956. These cars have a "T" before the serial number. Starting serial numbers (first number used for the model year) are listed below:
*1956 - D276101; DKD5601; DKT5401
*1957 - D341101
Unit Body Identification Plate
The Unit Body Identification Plate for a 1956-57 Rambler Six can be located on the driver's side front door frame between the hinges (not on the door itself as with later models). It can be decoded as follows:
Body
This is the number assigned to the body as it was being produced. It is different than the serial number. Bodies were produced in batches, so the numbers aren't consecutive to each series.
Model
This identifies the body and trim styles. The first two digits are the year, the last two or three identify the series, body style, and trim level. Canadian assembled models usually have a "1" as the first number in addition to the four or five described above. Blanks indicate that the body and trim style was not available for the year in question.
| Code w/Body Style and Trim |
1956 |
1957 |
| 15 = 4 door sedan, Deluxe (base) |
X |
X |
| 15-1 = 4 door sedan, Super |
X |
X |
| 15-2 = 4 door sedan, Custom |
X |
X |
| 18-1 = 4 door wagon, Super |
X |
X |
| 18-2 = 4 door wagon, Custom |
X |
X |
| 13-2 = 4 door hardtop wagon, Custom |
X |
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| 19-1 = 4 door hardtop sedan, Super |
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X |
| 19-2 = 4 door hardtop sedan, Custom |
X |
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| 18-2 = 4 door station wagon, Custom |
X |
X |
Trim
Trim codes indicate interior color and seat material. 1956-57 trim codes are unavailable at this time.
Paint
The following colors were available in 1956-1957. The original color can be determined by looking at the Paint code on the Unit Body Identification Plate. If there are two codes separated by a dash, the first code is the primary body color and the second code is the upper body (sometimes roof) or accent color.
For example, a car that was black with a white top would have a paint code of 1-72. Paint codes may also be prefixed with a P or suffixed with an A. Note that some cars were painted non-standard colors. These cars will typically have a code such as "00" or "SPEC". This was normally reserved for large orders in the special color, usually for fleet use.
COLOR CHART BELOW IS NOT COMPLETE!
| Paint Code |
Color |
Years |
| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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| 5 |
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| 6 |
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| 7 |
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| 8 |
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| 9 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 10 |
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| 72 |
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| 90 |
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| 94 |
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| 95 |
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| 97 |
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| 98 |
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| 99 |
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Instrument panels were painted body color (primary body color if two tone). Remaining interior moulding and trim was painted one of the following colors to harmonize with interior trim. Interior colors were usually semi-gloss to reduce glare. Interior color codes are unknown at this time."
Color samples can be viewed at
http://autocolorlibrary.com/aclns.html
Sequential Assembly Number
The unlabeled number at the bottom of the Unit Body Identification Plate is the Sequential Assembly Number. This number was assigned to the vehicle as it entered the final assembly line. Vehicles were assembled in batches as needed -- i.e., 10 Americans may be assembled then 20 Classics followed by 15 Ambassadors, etc. Minimum and maximum sizes of batches are unknown -- in some cases single cars may have gone through the lines. At this time there was only one final assembly line in Kenosha; the second line wasn't in operation until 1961. The code for cars assembled in the old Hudson plant in Totonto, Canada, in 1956 (it was closed after 1956) is unknown.
Bibliography
The following sources were used to verify the information contained on this page:
*Standard Catalog of American Motors, ISBN 0-87341-232-X, Krause Publications
*1956-57 American Motors Technical Service Manuals
*1956-57 American Motors Sales Flyers
*The Compact Chronicles, copyright 1992, Frank Swygert
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This page up for adoption! If interested contact Frank (farna at att dot net) or Matt (mhaas at one dot net) for info.