Tom Meredith, 74, of Cairo owns this 1955 Nash Rambler station wagon. The Nash Rambler established a new segment in the automobile market and is widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact car.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
CAIRO – Few people walk past Tom Meredith’s 1955 Nash Rambler station wagon without stopping to take a longer look.
“I bet that car could tell all kinds of stories if only it could talk,” said Bob Stone, of Lima, during a September cruise-in at Happy Daz Restaurant on South Cable Road.
The Nash Rambler is widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact car.
Meredith, 74, of Cairo picked up his Nash Rambler station wagon six years ago, finding it in North Carolina.
“It’s all original and only has around 17,600 miles on it,” Meredith says. “It’s a well-built car. I’ve driven it to a swap meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania, without a problem, and I would do it again.”
The Nash Rambler wagon was produced by the Nash Motors division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corp. from 1950 to 1954. In 1954, Nash-Kelvinator merged with the Hudson Motor Car Company to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC). The Nash Rambler was then built by AMC in Kenosha, Wisconsin, through 1955.
AMC found the Nash Rambler to be a popular product that helped the independent automaker through some of its most challenging years.
Nashes were recognized as sensible, economical cars. The wagon variants were even more sensible. They comfortably seated five people in a vehicle that was just 73.5 inches wide and 59.4 inches tall. Under the hood was a six-cylinder engine, giving drivers a pleasing amount of power when their foot pushed down on the gas pedal.
A hood ornament — known as the “flying goddess” or “flying lady” – was an eye-catcher, as were the unique colors that were common in the Nash Rambler line.
Meredith’s car is turquoise. Other available colors were peach and Caribbean blue.
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