NASH LAFAYETTE

Nash Motors Co. (1934-1939)
Kenosha, Wisconsin

This is a Nash Lafayette radiator emblem (1935-1936)     mjs
Size: 76mm high 40mm wide    MM: Fox

Charles Nash revived the Lafayette name (see Lafayette) in 1934 for a car that carried Nash into the low-priced end of the market (see Nash). It used the six-cylinder L-head engine of the former Nash Big Six. 

The Nash Lafayette was promoted as a separate make under its own name until 1937 and, although there were superficial differences in appearance, it was in reality a Nash model. The Nash Lafayette was replaced in 1941 by the new Nash Ambassador 600.

Emblems

The profile of the Marquis de La Fayette previously used by Charles Nash for the Lafayette car in the 1920s was resurrected for the Nash Lafayette.

The first Nash Lafayette models appearing in early to mid 1934 carried an oval shaped emblem, depicting a cameo profile of the Marquis de La Fayette with the "LaFayette" name below, mounted at the upper center of the radiator grille on a chrome plated bezel, see example shown below:

Nash Lafayette grille emblem (1934)  dennis hedberg

This is the black enamel Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem shown below. This Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem (1934)  mjs
Size: 60mm high 41mm wide   MM: D L Auld

The same Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem shown above was also used on the earliest production models for the 1935 model year, but which first appeared in late 1934, with a separate, small black enamel "Nash Built" emblem mounted below, see example shown below:

Nash Lafayette grille emblem (1934-1935)   carfromuk

The small "Nash Built" emblem is shown below. This Nash emblem is rare.

 

This is a "Nash Built" grille emblem (1934-1935)    ms
Size: 17mm wide 16mm high    MM: Unknown

For the first few months of 1935, January to April, the Nash Lafayette carried a new emblem with "Nash Built" forming an integral part of the emblem. This is the black enamel Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem shown below. This Nash Lafayette emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash Lafayette emblem (1935-1936)     mjs
Size: 76mm high 40mm wide      MM: Fox

This Nash Lafayette emblem was also used as a right hood side emblem and as a trunk emblem on some models from May 1935 to September 1936, see hood side example shown below:

Nash Lafayette hood side emblem (1935-1936) classiccardb

However, the radiator grille emblem was changed to an entirely new black enamel Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem from May 1935 until September 1936, see example below. This Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash Lafayette radiator grille emblem (1935-1936)    mjs
Size: 62mm high 38mm wide   MM: Fox

The following black and red enamel Nash Lafayette 400 emblem was the new radiator grille and trunk emblem from late 1936 to late 1937:

This is a Nash Lafayette rad grille and trunk emblem (1936-1937)  mjs
Size: 60mm high 37mm wide     MM: Unknown

The following version of the previous Nash Lafayette radiator grille and trunk emblem reveals slightly finer detail:

This is a Nash Lafayette rad grille & trunk emblem (1936-1937)   mjs
Size: 60mm high 32mm wide   MM: None (some Fox)

The following is a Nash Lafayette horn button emblem used from late 1936 to late 1937. This Nash Lafayette horn button emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash Lafayette horn button emblem (1936-1937)   dnc
Size: 90mm diameter   MM: None

The final Nash Lafayette models from late 1937 to late 1938 were a sub series of Nash. The radiator grille emblem was a red painted die cast Nash emblem, see example below, which was mounted in the upper center of the grille. This Nash grille emblem is scarce.

This is a Nash Lafayette grille emblem (1937-1938) picture-worl
Size: Unknown       MM: Unknown

The following painted, pressed metal Nash nameplate was used as the Nash Lafayette trunk emblem for 1938:

This is a Nash trunk emblem (1938)    mjs
Size: 80mm high 19mm wide     MM: Fox

The following chrome Nash Lafayette nameplate was mounted at the front of the right side hood side trim for the final Nash Lafayette model. This Lafayette hood side nameplate is rare.

This is a Nash Lafayette hood side nameplate (1937-1938)  dnc
Size:118mm wide 15mm high    MM: Robbins