Minnesota Barn Yields a 1950 Nash Statesman Super After Three Decades of Silence

A dusty corner of a Minnesota barn is playing host to a genuine time capsule: a 1950 Nash Statesman Super four-door sedan that has been off the road for roughly thirty years. The car surfaced on Facebook Marketplace in Moorhead, Minnesota, after its longtime owner passed away, and the barn’s proprietor simply wants the space back. The asking price sits at $7,200, and with the listing having lingered for about eleven weeks, there may be room for a respectful counteroffer.

Nash positioned the Statesman as its mid-tier model for 1950, fitting between the smaller Rambler and the range-topping Ambassador. The Super served as the entry-level trim, and that is what the original buyer chose when ordering this sedan. The company leaned heavily on unibody construction and its aerodynamic “Airflyte” design language, giving these cars a silhouette that still looks unusual today. Underneath a thick layer of grime, the two-tone Seal Brown over Fawn Brown paint remains, though the dust makes a true assessment impossible from photographs alone. The seller describes the body as solid, and there are no obvious signs of rust. One rear door shows what looks like failing body filler, and the driver’s-side rear quarter panel may carry some waviness, but the glass and brightwork appear intact.

The cabin is likely to demand patience rather than a large budget. Photos are not entirely conclusive, but no torn or split upholstery is visible, and the painted interior surfaces may only need refreshing. Nash marketed the Statesman’s front seat aggressively in period literature, noting that the backrests folded flat to meet the rear seat base, which the company pitched as a legitimate alternative to a motel bed. Even this base-model Super left the factory with a radio.

Mechanically, 1950 brought a displacement bump for Nash’s flathead six, growing from 172.6 to 184 cubic inches. Output stood at 85 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque, with peak twist arriving at just 1,500 rpm, which made the engine unusually flexible for its era. An automatic overdrive was optional, but this car carries a conventional three-speed manual. The engine is currently stuck, and the seller has poured an unspecified fluid into the cylinders in hopes of freeing it for whoever takes the project on. The car does not run.

Nash built 60,090 Statesman Super four-door sedans for 1950, yet spotting one on the road today is close to impossible. That scarcity is precisely what makes survivors like this one worth rescuing. For a hobbyist comfortable with mechanical revival and light cosmetic work, this barn-bound sedan represents an affordable entry into a genuinely uncommon chapter of American automotive history.