America’s first true post-war sports car and first Italian-American hybrid ran three times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1950, 1951, and 1952, recording 4th, 6th, and 3rd place, respectively, and it also finished 7th in the 1952 Mille Miglia. This was not a Corvette, but instead, it was the svelte Nash-Healey, the product of a chance meeting between British racing driver Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator President George Mason aboard the Queen Elizabeth in December 1949.

Healey had been looking for a reliable American drivetrain for his new sports roadster. Mason was looking for a sports car to create showroom excitement for his Nash automobiles. Their partnership would produce 507 cars during a four-year run, of which 150 were manufactured in 1952. These cars had bodywork that was created by the Italian design house of Pinin Farina and a Nash drivetrain (in twin-carburetor, Le Mans specification) with a three-speed overdrive transmission. With its big, torquey six, the Nash-Healey Roadster could cruise at 70 mph at a bit under 3,000 rpm, and it was a thrill to drive on the road or track. Even Superman drove one, with George Reeves taking the wheel in the popular 1950s television series.

The car offered here, an early 1952 model, was reconditioned by its present owner to drive and enjoy. The owner reportedly spent $80,000 for the sympathetic cosmetic and mechanical restoration over the past five years, which began with a new, correct wiring harness and ended with a new hand-built top frame and fabric. A pair of original, unrestored side curtains resides in their original green canvas bag in the trunk, and the heater, tube-type AM radio, and electric overdrive all work. Yet, as the owner says, “I left well enough alone” when it came to such features as the 1960s genuine leather interior replacement and its mid-1950s American hot rod shift knob.

This Roadster is an excellent summer driver for enjoying with the top down, and it is truly one of the great unsung heroes of 1950s American automobiles. It is an automobile that has it all: fascinating history, racing-bred provenance, limited hand-built production, a strong club presence, reliability, and drivability.

It is one of the few American roadsters eligible for the Mille Miglia, and it would also be a superb driver for such stateside events as the Colorado Grand and the California Mille. If one preferred a more relaxing drive and wanted to simply run through the hills to one’s favorite concours, there is no better choice than this Nash-Healey Roadster.