The Nash automobile brand is not remembered by many people today, even in America. Nash LaFayette was shown shortly after the Ford Model 18, the first mass-produced car with a V8 engine. The car from Nash cost one and a half times more, the engine was six-cylinder, but its claimed power was much higher. Unfortunately I did not find any data about the technical features of this engine. It would be interesting to know what exactly gives such a significant power, at not too high engine displacement. The LaFayette was produced from 1934 to 1940. During this time, the exterior of the car was modified several times, but about this below.
Price and value of 1934 Nash LaFayette.
A new 1934 Nash LaFayette cost between $770 and $940. By comparison, a new Ford Model 18 could be purchased for less than $500. Today, a Nash LaFayette in good condition can be purchased for an average of $30,000.
Today, there are many aftermarket parts for the Nash LaFayette for sale on ebay. So to buy a pair of rearview mirrors in good condition today can be purchased for as little as $59. A carburetor on a Nash LaFayette can be bought for $250, and a set of new, brake hoses sells for $85.
Appearance and photos.
The first-series Nash LaFayette is easiest to recognize by its headlights, which were not integrated into either the fenders or the hood. Later the headlights were integrated into the hood, and a little later they were mounted in the front fenders. At the same time the shape of the fenders and hood was changed. The shape of the trunk lid was significantly changed on the 1939 model. From the beginning, the Nash LaFayette did not have a duffel box. The car was equipped with a trunk compartment, which is familiar today and new at that time.
The rear doors opened against the course of movement. The body was equipped with a frame with X-shaped bar, which increased the rigidity of the whole structure.
Interior and equipment.
The interior of the Nash LaFayette was designed for 6 people, including the driver. Three people could sit on the front, one-piece sofa. This made the LaFayette a very suitable car for a family.
Initially, the gauges were mounted in the center of the front panel, but later they were moved to the familiar location behind the steering wheel. Early versions had a clock built into the glove compartment lid. The ignition switch was mounted in the steering column, not in the front panel, as was the case on many earlier cars.
Engine and Specifications of the 1934 Nash LaFayette.
The in-line, six-cylinder engine had a cylinder bore of 86mm and a piston stroke of 111mm. With a compression ratio of 5.83:1 and an engine displacement of 3.8 liters, it produced 91 horsepower. For the time, that was a lot of power for that size of engine.
The ignition coil was mounted on top of the engine. The engine was mated to a three-speed manual transmission.
Nash cars are not particularly sought after by collectors. Due to this, it is possible to buy a Nash LaFayette relatively inexpensively. Sometimes the price of good copies falls below 20 thousand dollars. Some people use this car as a base for a hot rod, changing the engine and largely remodeling the interior.
It was a good car, but it also had some very serious competitors. It was hard for a relatively small company to compete with giants like Ford and GM.
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