The Nash Motor Company earned a reputation in the 1930s for building premium-quality automobiles. Top-of-the-line Nashes were a hard sell in that Depression-marked decade so, like its competitors in Detroit, the Wisconsin-based automaker focused on more affordable offerings. For 1937, Nash boosted its bottom line by marketing the new LaFayette-“400” under its own nameplate.
There was greatness’26 Ajax as a lower-priced companion car to boost sales; that short-lived experiment failed, leading to Nash marketing cheaper cars under its own badge. For 1934, the company reintroduced the LaFayette nameplate as an entry-level car: the “LaFayette Built By Nash” included some high-end Nash features in a smaller package, at popular prices.
