1940 Nash Ambassador Six Sedan 🇺🇸

1940 was George Mason’s third year as President of Nash and the cars that would demonstrate his impact on the brand would not arrive in dealer showrooms until 1941. The 1940 Nashs were good looking cars but they were so close in styling and appearance  to the 1939 cars it was hard to tell them apart at a quick glance. 1940 cars were little more than  place keepers until the new cars were ready. 

Not only were the 1940 cars similar to the 1939 cars, but the models from the low priced Lafayette to the mid-priced Ambassador Six to the upper-mid-priced Ambassador 8 were all nearly identical as well. The bodies of all series were the same with the only outward variation being the front end sheetmetal and wheelbase. To accommodate the shorter wheelbases of the Ambassador Six and Lafayette the hoods and front fenders got progressively shorter.

Under the sheetmetal the different length chassis were basically the same with the exception of the engines. The Ambassador 8 obviously got the inline overhead valve eight that Nash was known for. The Six got an overhead valve inline-six of 234.8 cubic inches while the Lafayette got a flathead (L-head) version with the same displacement.

Nash finished the year in the black, turning a profit, but sales were a disappointment.  Nash could only claim 1.5% of the car market for the calendar year.