Story
1952 Nash-Healey
The 1952 Nash-Healey retained its British Healey chassis and Nash powertrain but introduced the production body most enthusiasts associate with the name. Pinin Farina reshaped the roadster with a curved windshield, flowing fenders, small rear fins, and an oval grille that carried the headlamps inboard. Nash sold 150 examples under model 25262.
Nash power in a Healey chassis
Reviewed exact-year records specify the 234.8-cubic-inch Ambassador-based overhead-valve six, Healey aluminum head, dual SU carburetors, and 125 bhp. A Borg-Warner three-speed and overdrive fed the Nash torque-tube rear axle. The 252.6-cid, 140-bhp Le Mans engine belongs to later production and cannot be inferred from a 1952 title or body.
Pinin Farina's Series 2 roadster
The production path was international: Nash supplied the drivetrain, Healey assembled its frame and running chassis in England, and Pinin Farina built and fitted the predominantly steel body in Turin. Aluminum hood, deck-lid, and dashboard panels require inspection alongside the body number, chassis, serial plate, and restoration record. The 1951 Panelcraft shell and the coupe introduced for 1953 are separate identities.
Chassis and controls
The 102-inch-wheelbase chassis used trailing-arm independent front suspension with coil springs and an anti-roll bar. The live rear axle used the torque tube, radius links, coil springs, telescopic dampers, and a Panhard rod. Hydraulic drums handled braking at all four wheels. A full-width leather seat, side curtains, roadster weather equipment, Nash instruments, and the overdrive control define the cabin, but current trim never proves original delivery.
Color and authenticity boundaries
The broader 1952 Nash chart documents Champagne Ivory and Harvard Maroon among the year's paint codes, but the reviewed public record does not establish a complete Nash-Healey-only color matrix. Protected paint, factory records, and the registry remain necessary. Model 25262 and the serial sequence beginning N-2086 are starting points, not substitutes for matching the body, chassis, engine, transmission, axle, brakes, suspension, paint, and trim to one car.
Market context
Three dated public observations provide context: two completed RM Sotheby's sales and one Bring a Trailer no-sale high bid. They concern particular cars and conditions, not a current appraisal. Provenance, body completeness, correct drivetrain and chassis components, and restoration quality can move an individual car far from those results.