40K Mile - Original 1955 Nash Statesmen Super - Frankman Motors Company - Walk around/ Driving Video

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Beautiful looking car. 🙂

[@bobcarlino7280]

What an AWESOME car! You make it look so extremely easy to drive it...

[@mickgerard6696]

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing the story.

[@fiatofgreenville]

I am now the (4th) owner of this car and have done a lot of research on how this car survived in such good original condition. It has never been out of ND, SD or Montana its entire life and was always garaged. Here is the full story: On July 4th, 1955, retired U.S. Army Staff Sargent Gordon L. Chapman and his wife Evelyn E. Chapman decided to celebrate our nations and Gordon’s 50th birthday by ordering a new 1955 Nash Statesman Super from their hometown Nash Dealer, Gubrud Brothers in Williston, ND. He and his beloved 46 year old wife Evelyn decided on a Burmuda Green over Snowberry white two tone Nash Statesman Super Italian “Farina Body Design” sedan. The price was $2215 plus $44.30 sales tax and $13.50 tag for a total of $2272.80 for delivery in September, 1955. A very thrifty owner, Gordon declined options the new Kelvinator Air Conditioner for $395, an oil filter system for $7 and dash clock for $4. He did order the following: • 196 Cubic Inch 100 HP 6 Cylinder Engine with 3 Speed manual for 28 MPG. • AM tube push button radio with dual speakers (one on each side incorporated in the dash) • Weather Eye heater system • Overdrive with "Power Pass" option button on the steering wheel • Fully Reclining foam cushion seats and matching green cloth, interior designed by Ms. Helene Rother en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Rother • "Solex" Tinted Glass and factory option window screens for overnight sleeping • "Flying Lady" hood ornament by Esquire Magazine Illustrator George Petty: www.nashcarclub.org/inquiry/flying-lady-petty.html • Chrome Exhaust tip Styling by (Battista) "Farina", which became "Pininfarina" in 1961: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pininfarina Gordon installed a “Head Bolt” plug in 110 Volt heater (invented by Andrew Freeman in East Grand Forks, MN) to keep the engine warm overnight during the bitter cold North Dakota winters. If you would like to read about this amazing invention that kept car engines from freezing, click here: plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.ind.027 Gordon and Evelyn loved the car, enjoying its daily use around the town of Williston and weekend trips through North and South Dakota and even Montana. It was always garaged and has been kept all original including paint and interior. In 1959 the Nash would have just 17,000 miles according to the original 1959 calendar on the passenger sun visor from the Hillside Motel in Watford City, ND. Lovingly maintained, Gordon and Evelyn would own the Statesman Super for the next 42 years! Gordon passed away at the age of 79 in August, 1983. Instead of selling the Nash, Gordon’s widow Evelyn decided to keep it garaged for another 14 years until she passed away in 1996 at age 86 in Polson, Montana. The Statesman was sold out of the Chapman estate in 1997 to Richard Austin in Kalispell, MT. Richard kept the car 11 years until 2008. He passed in 2017. Richard Austin sold the Statesman in July, 2008 to "R. H.", who was an original resident of Williston. Ironically, he used to see Gordon and Evelyn Chapman driving this car around in town when a young man. He bought the car after seeing it listed in the local Williston newspaper, it only had 36,000 original miles. The ad read "The car needs to come home". RH brought it home and would own the car for the next 14 years, making all necessary maintenance updates at considerable expense but keeping it as original as possible. The Statesman has been to may regional car shows but never outside of ND, SD or Montana. In the fall of 2022 RH put the car up for auction and it was acquired by selling dealer Frankman Motor Company, Sioux Falls, SD. Owner #4: The Nash was purchased by 4th owner John Montgomery of SC in March 8, 2023. John is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Statesman now has just 40,500 original documented miles in 2023. This car survived because Gordon & Evelyn Chapman included the Nash in their wedding promise, “Til Death Do Us Part”. July 4th, 2023 is the 68th anniversary of the Chapmans decision to buy a new Nash. The Statesman has been named "Evelyn" in honor of Mrs. Evelyn E. Chapman, Three owners followed the Chapmans footsteps to preserve their wonderful 1955 Nash! Thank you for reading, comments welcome!

[@billfunk1219]

Love it! We had a '53 nash, wasn't the statesman but it had the "three in the tree" with overdrive flat head 6 was an ugly car but I have fond memories. Also the front seats would lay back all way. great camper!

[@zacktong8105]

Still looked like a bathtub turned upside down. WHY would anyone WANT to be SEEN in such a GOFFY car?!!

[@jerryjasinski8229]

Many years ago I asked my aunt (whose family was really in cars) why it was possible to find cars from the 1950's with low miles on them. She told me that even if a family owned a car everybody walked to their destination if possible. Today if the grocery store is only a few blocks away people get in their car and drive to it. This is why Calvin Klein has fat models now.

[@luvsilly60]

So nerdy it’s cool.

[@nallo69]

The 1957 Opel Rekord (made by GM Germany) is cleary based on this model