Why is the 1950 Nash Rambler considered the first American compact car?

[marcapra]

I've read that the 1950 Nash Rambler is considered the first U.S. made compact car.  It had a unibody construction, 100" wheelbase, and weighed 2500 lbs.  Wouldn't the pre-war Willys, or the Austin Bantam be considered the first compact?  

 

[Rusty_OToole]

You have a good point. I think it was in the context of the fifties trend to compact cars which was kicked off by the Rambler. Mainly remembered because of their advertising. Remember "dinosaurs of the driveway"?

 

Other candidates might include the Crosley, Willys Aero, Playboy, Henry J. But, there is no denying Rambler was the most successful and popular in sales and in that respect may be thought of as starting a trend to smaller cars. Small import cars got a lot of people thinking about smaller cars and had a big influence on Detroit, when import sales got up towards 10% of the market. Then there was the trend toward bigger, heavier more powerful cars even in the laughingly so called "low priced 3". Combined with a belt tightening recession in 1957 and 58. Led to the introduction of Falcon, Corvair, Valiant, and Lark. But in that context the Rambler was the leader of the trend.

[Ed Luddy]

2 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

You have a good point. I think it was in the context of the fifties trend to compact cars which was kicked off by the Rambler. Mainly remembered because of their advertising. Remember "dinosaurs of the driveway"?

 

Other candidates might include the Crosley, Willys Aero, Playboy, Henry J. But, there is no denying Rambler was the most successful and popular in sales and in that respect may be thought of as starting a trend to smaller cars. Small import cars got a lot of people thinking about smaller cars and had a big influence on Detroit, when import sales got up towards 10% of the market. Then there was the trend toward bigger, heavier more powerful cars even in the laughingly so called "low priced 3". Combined with a belt tightening recession in 1957 and 58. Led to the introduction of Falcon, Corvair, Valiant, and Lark. But in that context the Rambler was the leader of the trend.

 

Along with Studebaker, Ramblers' made a lot of people think small is good!

[marcapra]

When I was very, very poor, I bought a 73 Gremlin in 1980 when I was getting my teacher credential.  I paid $300 for it.  It had been in a front end accident and the hood was tied down with rope, and being from out of state it lacked the California smog equipment.  I went into a Toys-R-Us store and saw one of those plastic coupe pedal cars.  It cost $330!  I had to put my Calif. license from my DeSoto on it because I couldn't license it!  It lasted a couple of years until it threw a rod on the freeway.  That's about all my experience with American Motors, except for a 1963 Rambler someone gave me with a bad leak in the radiator.  After driving it to the beach, it overheated and I was nowhere near any water except the ocean.  So I filled the radiator with sea water and it got me home!  Then I sold it for about $50.  

[John_S_in_Penna]

Why is the 1950 Nash Rambler considered the 

first compact American car?  Partly, I think, because

whoever compiles lists looks from his own vantage

point in time, not knowing all of history.

 

Even back to the beginning of cars, there were

small models, medium sized models, and large models.

They typically weren't all within one marque, though.

Here, for example, is a 1921 Hanover car, made in

Pennsylvania--and reportedly a very poor car!

The next picture is of a 1924 Lafayette, a very large car:

 

[marcapra]

That Lafayette was a separate marque owned by Nash in the 20s.  I noticed that Nash made some large cars before they started to aim for the low priced market in 1941.  Another odd thing about Nash was their engines.  No intake or exhaust manifolds since they were built in to the block.  And I think the smaller Nashes had flat head sixes and the Ambassadors had over-head valve engines, some with two spark plugs per cylinder.  

[Mark Gregush]

Might be because it was the first to sell in any volume, unlike the others that were more of a novelty rather than a real market contender. 

[marcapra]

Yes, I think you're right.  I did read that the 50 Nash Rambler was the first successful compact car.  

[Buffalowed Bill]

Is anyone else confused by the statement's ambiguity "1950 Nash Rambler the first US made compact car"-I know I am. What time frame and what defines successful. Maybe it's not so much the car as it is the term used to describe the small car. Like the way the term "Muscle Car" during the 1960's, help to romanticize the smaller car with a large displacement engine. Every era had some manufacturers who put a bigger engine into one of it's smaller bodies to for the sporting crowd. It seems to me that the term "Muscle Car" just glamorized the process. Every era had it's small cars. Maybe it was just the post war reference of the small car as "Compact" that seemed to make the concept seem new.

 

I find that with some writers there is a tacit ignorance of anything pre-war. It's almost as if the automotive world began in 1946. Compare for instance the 1939-40 Studebaker Champion with the NR. The Champion saved the company from almost certain failure after the recession of 1938. 1940 was the first full year of the Champion's production. In that year the car weighed 2350 lbs. and 66,284 were produced, which was more than half of Studebaker's total production of 117,091. That says to me the Champion was a successful compact. Compare that to the 1950 NR which weighed approximately 2500 lbs. and the total production of which was about 50,000 cars. There may be other examples, but I chose the Studebaker Champion because I'm familiar with the car and what it did for the company. 

On 7/6/2022 at 10:51 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:

Why is the 1950 Nash Rambler considered the 

first compact American car?  Partly, I think, because

whoever compiles lists looks from his own vantage

point in time, not knowing all of history.

 

Even back to the beginning of cars, there were

small models, medium sized models, and large models.

They typically weren't all within one marque, though.

Here, for example, is a 1921 Hanover car, made in

Pennsylvania--and reportedly a very poor car!

The next picture is of a 1924 Lafayette, a very large car:

 

 

[58L-Y8]

Although "first successful compact car" is poorly defined, the 1939-'46 Studebaker Champion deserves that title for the pre-war years.  Before it, the 1933-'42 Willys 77,37,38,39/48, Speedway/Deluxe & Americar fit the definition but other than enabling the company to survive could not be considered to be a success in sale.

Edited July 8, 2022 by 58L-Y8
syntax corrected (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

4 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Although "first successful compact car" is poorly defined, the 1939-'46 Studebaker Champion deserves that title for the pre-war years.  Before it, the 1933-'42 Willys 77,37,38,39/48, Speedway/Deluxe & Americar fit the definition but other than enabling the company to survive could not be considered to be a success in sale.

It is when it brings the company back to profitability, and fends off insolvency.

[Rusty_OToole]

You could say the first successful compact car was the Model T. Or before that, the curved dash Olds was a best selling small car. But the Rambler was definitely a trend setter in the fifties.

[West Peterson]

Could have been generated from the marketing end of the company itself. They usually don't give a gnat's a$$ about historical accuracy. 

Automotive hyperbole dates all the way back to the late 1800s when Haynes called itself "America's First Car."

[Akstraw]

My first consideration for fist compact would be the American Austin Bantam, off the top of my head.  Thinking about it, though, I might suggest the curved dash Olds as a successful compact car.  Compared to some of the high powered behemoths made in the teens, one could argue the Model T was really a compact as well.  Other candidates for consideration might be the Metz, and all the cyclecars.  If ‘successful’ is the criteria; then define successful.  Nash isn’t around anymore.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Akstraw
Added thoughts. (see edit history)

[8E45E]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:37 PM, Akstraw said:

My first consideration for fist compact would be the American Austin Bantam, off the top of my head.  Thinking about it, though, I might suggest the curved dash Olds as a successful compact car.  Compared to some of the high powered behemoths made in the teens, one could argue the Model T was really a compact as well.  Other candidates for consideration might be the Metz, and all the cyclecars.  If ‘successful’ is the criteria; then define successful.  Nash isn’t around anymore.

Agreed, what we call 'cyclecars' from the Great War era were the 'compacts' of the day.  The Imp and the Woods Mobilette are prime examples.

 

Craig

Edited July 12, 2022 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[Pete O]

I think it might be that Rambler, particularly George Romney, invented the terminology of "Compact Car".

[Pfeil]

On 7/8/2022 at 5:37 PM, Akstraw said:

My first consideration for fist compact would be the American Austin Bantam, off the top of my head.  Thinking about it, though, I might suggest the curved dash Olds as a successful compact car.  Compared to some of the high powered behemoths made in the teens, one could argue the Model T was really a compact as well.  Other candidates for consideration might be the Metz, and all the cyclecars.  If ‘successful’ is the criteria; then define successful.  Nash isn’t around anymore.

 

 

I agree with your choices and since "successful" was never mentioned in the in the original heading question that's why I agree. 

[Rusty_OToole]

Prewar Studebaker Champion deserves an honorable mention but it was selling against the Nash 600, predecessor to the Rambler.

[8E45E]

17 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Prewar Studebaker Champion deserves an honorable mention but it was selling against the Nash 600, predecessor to the Rambler.

The Champion came out early in 1939.  The Nash 600 didn't come out until late 1940 as a 1941 model.  By then, the Champion increased a bit in size, and the engine displacement was increased from 164 to 170 (169.6) cubic inches.

 

Craig

[Pfeil]

I've read that the 1950 Nash Rambler is considered the first U.S. made compact car.  It had a unibody construction, 100" wheelbase, and weighed 2500 lbs. 

 

 

1933=4 American Austin Bantam

Engine Location :FrontDrive Type :Rear WheelPrice :$335Weight :1040 lbs | 471.736 kgCombined MPG :40.00

ExteriorLength :120.0 in | 3048 mm.Width :52.0 in | 1321 mm.Height :54.3 in | 1378 mm.Wheelbase :75.0 in | 1905 mm.Front Track :41.5 in | 1054 mm.Rear Track :41.5 in | 1054 mm.Ground Clearance :8.4 in | 213 mm.

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Akstraw]

The Rambler may be the first American car officially described as a “compact” by the manufacturer.  Thus while Nash may not have been the first to have a smaller car, they may have been the first to use that particular term.