1952 Nash Healey Pininfarina Roadster Famous Owner, Exceptional Condition

This 1952 Nash Healey Pininfarina Roadster was originally ordered and owned by Charles Tyroler II who was a member of the President’s Intelligence Oversight board during the Reagan and Bush administrations and a long time United States Democratic Party strategist. It was originally factory equipped with a Nash 6 cylinder engine and double carburetors, but later the engine was swapped in 1957 when the first Chevrolet 348 V8 engine became available.This cutting edge engine was bought directly from the factory. Tyroler retained the original Nash transmission. A custom dual exhaust was also added to the car. This rare beauty has a champagne ivory exterior (which was one of only two colors known to be offered during this production time) with burgundy leather interior. Purchased out of New Jersey sometime in the late 1980s by a US-German citizen living in Virginia. He drove it for about 3 years, and (this will sound familiar to many) – he parked it in his garage and there it sat for about 23 years, until purchased by its third owner in 2013.

Nash may be an American Automotive company of the past, but 100 years later we can still value the design work that went into creating some of the most iconic vehicle components. We can thank Nash for the first offered HVAC system (heating and cooling), seat belts, and reclining seats. Nash produced the first proto-type muscle car, the Rambler Rebel, the fastest stock vehicle offered at that time.

Donald Healey was very interested in creating a car built with a Cadillac V8 engine. Healey decided to set out to America on the Queen Elizabeth to try and save his motor company and meet with Cadillacs chief engineer Ed Cole to possibly have production of their V8. On the ship he happens to strike up a conversation with a tall, portly gentleman carrying an elaborate stereo camera rig. The man turned out to be George W. Mason, president of the Kenosha, Wisconsin-based Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Mason turned out to be very interested in Healey’s concept so he invited him to visit Kenosha if his meeting with Cadillac didn’t pan out.