President George W. Mason of Nash-KelvinatorCorp. tried a new way to find the answer to an old question: How manyAmericans want a small car that will sell for $1,000? He actually madea small car. Last week he showed it to 450 hand-picked guests inManhattan’s Waldorf-Astoria, and passed out the first of 250,000questionnaires to find out what people think of it. Most of those whosaw it liked it.
Mason’s “N.X.I.” (Nash-Experimental-International) is a low-slung,two-seater convertible big enough for portly President Mason and apassenger. Built along the lines of a heavier car, the N.X.I,is 12 ft. 1 in. long (the smallest Ford is 16 ft. 4 in.), has an 84-in.wheel base, and is designed to be powered by a low (18 to 36)horsepower foreign engine such as Italy’s Fiat. Depending on thehorsepower, the N.X.I, would go 35 to 50 miles on a gallon, have a topspeed of 60 to 70 m.p.h., and cost $950 to $1,000. The car has no trunkcompartment (baggage is stored behind the seat) and no fancy chrometrimmings; the hood, fender and front bumper are a single unit.
The low cost, Mason explained, would be made possible by the use of manyforeign-made parts. After Manhattan, the N.X.I, was shown in Washingtonand Detroit, will later appear in Chicago, Los Angeles and SanFrancisco.
Mason thinks that the new car, if produced, would probably find aspecial market—e.g., as a second car for families who can now affordjust one—rather than cut into the market for standard models. Nashitself plans to bring out a cheaper standard model this spring, whichit hopes to sell for slightly less than the present lowest-priced Nash.In any case, Mason will not build the N.X.I, unless his survey shows apotential market for at least 100,000 such cars a year.