Nash Rambler Palm Beach Coupé Special

Vehicle Overview

The Palm Beach Nash Rambler is a striking two-seater coupe, designed by the renowned Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, aimed at the American sporting market. Created in 1956 for the American Nash Corporation, this concept car was intended to blend European elegance with American practicality. Pininfarina’s design features convex sides that sweep from the front to the central section of the car, giving it a dynamic and streamlined look. One of the car’s most distinctive features is the removable top, which is fashioned with a shallow channel under the rear window for a sleek and functional appearance. An unconventional design choice for the Palm Beach was the use of thick Plexiglas bumpers, integrated into the lamp decor. While these bumpers would be ineffective in a heavy collision, their lightweight and resilient nature made them ideal for maneuvering through traffic, demonstrating Pininfarina’s forward-thinking approach to design. The materials used also contributed to reducing overall weight, a crucial consideration for a vehicle designed for performance. Though the Palm Beach Rambler was a prototype and never considered for mass production, it showcased Pininfarina’s mastery of automotive design. Built on a standard Rambler chassis, the car featured a 100-inch wheelbase and a 196 cubic-inch flathead six-cylinder engine with 82 horsepower. Despite the stock engine, the addition of a single Weber sidedraft carburetor helped maintain the low hood profile, ensuring that the car retained its stylish appearance without compromising its roadworthiness. At the 1956 Turin Auto Show, the Palm Beach caught the attention of automotive enthusiasts as a fully functional, roadworthy prototype. However, discussions about replacing the Nash-Healey sports car with the Palm Beach never came to fruition, as Farina’s partnership with American Motors ended, and the project was shelved. The Nash Rambler Palm Beach was eventually sold and passed through the hands of notable collectors, eventually fetching $528,000 at the Gooding & Company Scottsdale auction in 2011. Despite its limited production and missed opportunity for commercial success, the Palm Beach remains a testament to the bold vision of Pininfarina and the potential of American automotive design in the mid-20th century.