The LaFayette of 1934-40, a Nash junior brand and model, was named after a high-born French nobleman who became a hero of the American Revolutionary War.
1936 LaFayette Sedan
For his service to both France and the United States, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de LaFayette has been called “a hero of two worlds.” The French nobleman was instrumental in the success of the American Revolution, as historians say that without the aid of France, the United States would not have won independence. When the American Expeditionary Force arrived in Europe in 1917, Col. Charles E. Stanton went to the tomb of the Marquis and declared, “LaFayette, we are here.” The LaFayette automobile was named in his honor.
As an automobile make, LaFayette lived two lives. The LaFayette Motors Corporation was founded in Mars Hill, Indiana in 1920 to build ultra-premium cars priced well above Cadillac, with Charles W. Nash as president. (See our Nash bio here.) Nash Motors took full control in 1924 and the Lafayette was discontinued, but the name was revived in 1934 as a stylish but lower-priced companion brand to Nash (top photo above). Styling mirrored the full-sized Nash line, but on a smaller platform with a 113-inch wheelbase and priced at $645, a little more than Ford and Chevrolet.
1934 LaFayette 75-hp Six
The LaFayette’s six-cylinder, L-head engine was carried over from the Nash Big Six of the previous year, of high quality with seven main bearings and a fully counterweighted crankshaft. Displacing 217.6 cubic inches, it was initially rated at 75 horsepower. While the chassis was totally conventional with a ladder frame and Hotchkiss drive, for an additional $20 buyers could opt for Baker Axleflex independent front suspension. This setup was in fact a double-articulated, parallelogram beam axle with unfortunate geometry and it was discontinued after one year.
1937 Nash LaFayette 400
The LaFayette was originally positioned as a separate but Nash-associated brand, as “LaFayette by Nash.” But like all the independent automakers, Nash Motors, a division of Nash-Kelvinator, was hammered by the Great Depression. In 1928 Nash sold 138,000 cars, but by 1934, production fell to fewer than 29,000 units. To reduce costs, Nash consolidated the product line for 1937, merging the LaFayette with the low-priced Nash 400 and naming it the Nash LaFayette 400. In the following year the name was shortened to Nash LaFayette, and now it was simply the lowest rung of the Nash product ladder.
1939 Nash LaFayette Convertible Coupe
The 1940 Nash LaFayette featured a 117-inch wheelbase chassis with coil-spring independent front suspension and a 234.8 L-head six with 99 horsepower. Six body styles were offered, from a Business Coupe at $845 to a four-door Sedan in fastback or trunk-back versions at $875. For a time, the fastback two-door Victoria (below) was advertised for $795 with standard whitewall tires—a great value. But this would be the final year for the LaFayette, as it was replaced in 1941 by the advanced, unit-construction Nash 600.
1940 Nash LaFayette Victoria Sedan 
Back in the 70s, I rode dual sport bikes in N. Wis. with a friend. We rode the snowmobile trails in the summer, and took us to some remote spots. One abandoned farm we came upon, had a dilapidated shed with a LaFayette 400, year unknown. It had been sitting so long, the wheels were buried in the dirt. I often wondered the story on that, someone went to war and didn’t come back? Curiosity took hold and I went back several years later, it was gone.
LaFayette’s reputation is more complicated among current European historians, but I decided all that was far outside the scope of this story.
Mars Hill, the birthplace of the LaFayette Motors Corporation, has an interesting history. A privately developed community on the southwest outskirts of Indianapolis, it subsequently failed and for many years there were no paved streets, water or sewers, or other improvements. It was eventually absorbed by the city of Indianapolis and is now a typical residential and business community. It’s just east of the airport and five miles due south of the Speedway.
Thanks for the excellent article about a car I’d basically only heard of & had little/no knowledge about. This is why I love this site.
You’re welcome and thank you for your interest. This old stuff is a lot more enjoyable when there are others to share it with.
Did Nash Motors use hotchkiss drive on all of its lines, or just the Lafayette? What other U.S. manufacturers were using hotchkiss drive in 1934? Appreciate this story – this is a great site for this kind of information.
I’ve always been intrigued that the LaFayette did not have a separate intake manifold. The carburetor is bolted directly to the built-in manifold!