— When the skies cleared Saturday, it was “shinetime” for 50 Nash cars at the Stronghold Camp & Retreat Center. The 2024 “Grand Nashional”, hosted by the Upper Mississippi River Region of the Nash Car Club of America, featured models spanning six decades of the iconic, independent car line. Known for the “Little Nash Rambler” Saturday’s event showed Nash-newbies that the vehicles were way, way more than that.
Take, for instance, James Beymer’s 1957 Rambler Rebel. “I owned one while I was in college,” said Beymer pointing to his spiffy, two-toned Rebel. “It was the second fastest production car from 0-60 seconds, beat only by the fuel-injected Corvette, by one-half second.
It was a hot rod. I whipped every Ford and Chevy I came across. I loved it.
” Beymer, of Henryella, Oklahoma, bought another Rebel in 2008 and took four years to restore it. “I did everything except the upholstery,” Beymer said. “There were 1,500 made and they were all the same color.
” There were only three options offered, Beymer said, with his Rebel coming equipped with all three, including air conditioning, indicated by a little metal badge on the driver’s door. He brought his Rebel to the show in Illinois in a trailer. “I don’t drive it very far,” Beymer said.
“My car is 610 out of the 1,500 made and there are only 25 left and only 12 have been restored.” Parked right next to Beymer, was Charlie and Maggie Wilson’s almost identical 1957 Rebel – same color,.
