I have read a Nash history that claimed that the 1950 models were designed
simply to look different than the offerings from "The Other Three," major car
makers.
This extract from another source strongly suggests otherwise:
Wahlberg was fascinated with aerodynamics, streamlining, and the effects
of wind resistance on automobiles. He felt that the cars of the future would
take into account air drag when they were being designed, using the
advantages of aerodynamic styling to ensure a quieter cabin, more stable
ride and handling, and improved fuel economy...
Following wind-tunnel tests at the University of Wichita, Nash could boast in
its 1950 brochure that "The Nash Airflyte moves through the air with 20.7%
less air-drag than the average of all other leading makes of cars tested.
Other cars used as much as 51% more power . . . at speeds ranging from
30 M.P.H. upwards. The new Nash Airflyte for 1950 requires 11 horsepower
less at 80 miles per hour for air drag alone than the average of other
modern automobiles."
Full article here:
HowStuffWorks "Introduction to the 1949, 1950, 1951 Nash Airflyte"