Redesigned 1941 Nash: Fastbacks and Notchbacks Too

By around 1940 American automobile makers were mostly thinking that streamlined (in the visual sense) sedans with fastback (smooth, curved transition from the roof to the aft of the car) designs were the wave of the near-future.

All three Ford Motor Company brand sedans featured fastbacks.  Chrysler Corporation sedans were fastbacks slightly modified by slight curve to improve trunk capacity.  General Motors cars were mostly notchback, but fastback designs were in the works for the 1941 and 1942 model years.  Less wealthy manufacturers such as Hudson and Studebaker did not add fastbacks to their sedan lines.

But relatively prosperous Nash offered both notchback and fastback sedans on their redesigned 1941 line.  As some observers have noted, Nash was hedging its bets on styling direction, and this was a somewhat costly way to do so.

For now, I'll ignore the new entry-level 600 model that featured unit-body construction and focus on the traditional body-on-frame Ambassador series.  Actually, 600s and Ambassadors looked very similar aside from their 9-inch (22.5 cm) difference in wheelbase.

Images below are of Ambassadors listed for sale or are factory-sourced.

Gallery

Advertising photo of a 1941 Nash Ambassador four-door "Trunkback" sedan.

The same type of car, but with "woodie" side detailing.

Here are some photos of a 1941 Nash Ambassador "Slipstream" four-door sedan.

The two body types are identical from their C-pillars forward.

Even the aft side windows, rear fenders and back window are the same.