The combination of a British chassis with an American engine has more than once been key to a successful sports car. Add a little Italian design spice to the mix and you have the Nash-Healey, an example of which was just sold for $145,200 at RM's Gene Ponder Collection auction. It began with a chance meeting on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth between George Mason, president of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, and Donald Healey. Nash, at that time, had an image of making uninspired automobiles, something Mason was keen to change. Healey was known as a builder of fast British sports cars. The two agreed to develop a British-American hybrid with Nash mechanicals. The first Nash-Healeys were quick but unattractive and so, in 1952, Italy's Pininfarina was commissioned to design a handsome new body. The windshield was lower, rear fenders swept up with tiny fins, steel replaced aluminum, a larger "Le Mans Dual Jetfire" inline six produced produced 140 hp through a 3-speed manual with overdrive.
In a truly international collaboration, drivetrain and other components were sent from the Nash factory in Wisconsin to Healey's facilities in England, where a rolling chassis was assembled. Body and trim were added in Italy before shipping the completed car to America. Transportation costs no doubt contributed to a rather high showroom sticker. During the car's four-year run Nash-Healey coupes and convertibles established an enviable reputation in motorsports, including 9th at the 1950 Mille Miglia and 4th at the 24 hours of LeMans the same year. The Nash-Healey sold at auction has a mere 41,000 miles on it and has been campaigned in the California Mille. Total sales for the Ponder Collection came to $14.1 million.