Charles Nash was with Durant at the Durant-Dort Carriage Company for twenty years, and stayed on there as manager when Durant switched over to the automobile industry. In 1910, Nash was brought on to General Motors as the president of the Buick Subsidiary. Nash did so well with Buick, that in 1912 he became president of General Motors. Nash would be the first president of GM that played a significant role in that position. William Durant, when he founded GM, would select the position of vice-president for himself. Nash was steady and careful, while Durant was known as brilliant but reckless. Durant had been forced out of management at GM in 1910, but through Chevrolet, would return to take control again. With Durant's victory to gain control of GM, Nash resigned and his resignation was officially accepted by the board on June 1,1916.

Charles Nash was looking for an auto company he could purchase to start his own company. While Charles Nash was looking for a way into the industry, Charles Jeffery was looking for a way out. Jeffery was the producer of the Rambler automobile (now badged as Jeffery), and a great line of trucks by the company his father Thomas Jeffery started. Charles Jeffery was one of the survivors on the Lusitania when it was torpedoed by the Germans on May 7, 1915. After his escape from death, he was ready to sell his company. In July of 1916, Charles Nash purchased the Jeffery company of Kenosha Wisconsin, which would become Nash.