Nash Motors was founded in 1916 by former General Motors president Charles W. Nash.
From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator
Corporation. American Motors Corporation (AMC) was formed by the 1954 merger of
Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. American Motors purchased Kaiser's Jeep operations in 1970 with Jeep's utility vehicles
complementing AMC's passenger car business. AMC partnered with France's Renault from
1980 until 1987, when Chrysler purchased AMC. Both AMC and Renault brands ceased in
the United States, while Jeep and some Eagle models continued under Chrysler.
The company remained economically solvent during the Great Depression, a claim no
other auto-maker could state. During World War II, Nash-Kelvinator built over 600
million dollars worth of military equipment. They manufactured multiple products:
bullets, propellers, airplanes, airplane engines, Hellcat helicopters, and
Jeeps.
When it was not concentrating on military production Nash, and later AMC, produced subcompact, compact, mid-size, and full-size automobiles. Cars such as the
Pacer, Rambler American, Rambler, Gremlin, Hornet, Matador, and Rebel were
manufactured in Kenosha, along with Jeep trucks and station wagons. The Pacer and
Gremlin were considered subcompacts. The Rambler name originated as the Rambler
bike, which then evolved into a car. In later years, the Rambler became a model
platform for many other cars such as the Nash Ambassador / Hudson Hornet. The
Rambler Rebel and Matador were the station wagons of AMC.
AMC also produced sports cars. Notably, the Haley sports car, which helped England
and Italy beat the three largest Detroit automakers' (Ford, General Motors, and
Chevrolet), American muscle car in rally races across Europe. AMC cars successfully
participated in NASCAR races as well.
Among the innovations that AMC contributed to the automobile industry was the
construction of the first four-wheel drive truck. Nash was the first major truck
manufacturer for government and industrial projects and much later, the first to put
air conditioning in its vehicles and to attempt to design an electric car.
While AMC did not enjoy the fame or economic power of the Detroit Three, it managed
to super-charge the AMC 4 cylinder engines to out-power the big Detroit automakers’
6 cylinder engines. Eventually, the Detroit producers regained power in the auto
market, and Chrysler merged with AMC in 1987, when the AMC brand became
Chrysler-Eagle.
