The American luxury brand that became a value marque.
Founded in 1919, The LaFayette Motors Corporation is one of the many pre-war carmakers that, though it produced a significant volume of cars, has been largely forgotten.
Unlike Edsel, which sold cars for just three model years—and is now known almost exclusively for being a massive failure—LaFayette produced luxury-priced automobiles for a number of years before becoming a Nash sub-brand–something even few gearheads seem to know.
LaFayette: Forgotten Car Brands
LaFayette History
Named for the Marquis de LaFayette, a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, LaFayette produced its first car in 1920. Early sales were relatively modest, as LaFayette cars were priced as high as $5000 at a time when most vehicles could be had for under $500.
In 1921, Charles Nash, president and stakeholder in Nash Motors, became president of LaFayette. For a few years, Nash kept the two companies separate, regarding LaFayette as a halo brand. Around this time, LaFayette operations were moved from Mars Hill, Indianna, to new quarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Period rumors had Nash selling its stake in LaFayette Pierce-Arrow, Rolls-Royce, and possibly even General Motors, but nothing came of the buzz.
Nash Takes Over
In 1924, Nash took full control of Lafayette, halting production of the brand, and using the Milwaukee factory to produce a more-affordable model under the new Ajax brand. Demand for Nash products was at an all-time high, and Charles Nash sought to increase sales volume by adding a new, lower-priced product series positioned below Nash.
Unfortunately, the public did not accept the Ajax models as true Nash products, and the company killed the Ajax name, and rebadged the Milwaukee-made cars Nash Light Six.
This complicated drama should have meant the end of the LaFayette brand, and it did for a long while. But in 1934, Nash resurrected the brand name, and introduced a series of cars branded “LaFayette by Nash.” Instead of being positioned as luxury offerings, the new line of cars was as a response to Depression-era swings in auto demand, and positioned in price below Nash’s core offerings. Per the Encyclopedia of American Cars, Nash retailed 5000 of the value-priced Lafayette’s in 1934, 9000 in ’35, and almost 28,000 in ’36. For 1937, the LaFayette ceased to be a separate brand, and instead became a Nash trim level.
Closing Down
The rebranded Nash LaFayette 400 stayed in production until 1941, when it was replaced by the Nash 600, and the LaFayette brand retired for good. Nash itself would survive the depression and World War II, producing its last car in 1957.
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