The Metropolitian 

by Nash

"Jolene"

The Metropolitan is an interesting little car  It's somewhat of a novelty, some might even call it kitschy and it wasn't taken very seriously.  These sub-compact economy cars really stood out during their time when other cars were getting bigger and bigger.  Another intriguing thing about them is how many celebrities owned a Metropolitan, at some point.

The Metropolitan is an American automobile that was assembled in England and marketed from October 1953 until April 1961.  It was designed by William J. Flajole in two body styles .. 2-door hardtop and a 2-door convertible with 3-speed manual transmissions.  Metropolitans had a wheelbase of 85 inches, a length of 149.5 inches, a width of 61.5 inches and a height of only 54.5 inches.  To refer to these cars as "compact" was an understatement.  It conforms to two classes of vehicle:  economy and subcompact. In current U.S. terminology, the Metropolitan is a "subcompact", but this category was not yet in use when the car was made.  At that time, it was categorized as a "small automobile" as well as an "economy car".  

The Metropolitan was also sold as a Hudson when Nash and Hudson merged in 1954 to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC) and later as a stand alone marque during the Rambler years, as well as in the United Kingdom and other markets.  

The Metropolitan "was a car that appealed to an eclectric mix of Americans" because it was "economical, yet a joy to drive" and it has been described as "pure automotive whimsy."  It also "swam against nearly every current of American car design."

The Metropolitan was first designed by the former Nash-Kelvinator Corp. in 1949 and 1950.  In 1954, Nash-Kelvinator became part of the American Motors Corp.  Austin Motor built 94,986 of the cars according to American Motors specifications and the cars were sold from 1954 to 1962.  The Nash Metropolitan was officially launched in March 1954, priced at $1445 for the coupe and $1469 for the "drop-top" convertible.  

The Metropolitan had a top speed of 77 mph and could go from 0 to 60 mph in around 23 seconds.  The suspension system of the AMC Nash Metropolitan was comprised of independent coil springs in the front and leaf springs in the rear.  The front brakes were hydraulic drum brakes while the rear brakes were mechanical drum brakes.

'57 Metro

The car was designed to appeal to the family as a second car that allowed quick trips to the store.  In a pinch, the back seat could accommodate a couple of small children or additional luggage. Its best sales year was 1959 when 14,959 were retailed in the United States, but sales turned downward in 1960.  The final model year was 1962.

Lightweight and powered by a 1200 cc Austin four-cylinder engine, fuel economy ranged from 30 to 45 miles per gallon, depending on driving conditions.  The value, today, for a 1959 Metropolitan 1500 Series IV can vary greatly depending on its condition, mileage, options and history.  Typically, you can expect to pay around $18,700.00. This car, when sold, new was $1,672.60 (hardtop) and $1,696.80 (convertible.  Sales rose to 22.209 units in 1959 which was Metropolitan's best year and promoting it to 2nd place behind Volkswagen in sales of cars imported to the United States.

This famously owned car sold for $60,000 at the 2024 Palm Beach Auction!

                                         

Jimmy Buffet's 1958 Metropolitan convertible

in

"Carribean Blue"

and aptly named .. "Margaritaville"

Other Metropolitan notable owners were Steve Jobs, HRH Princess Margaret, Phil Collins, Jay Leno, Paul Newman and Elvis Presley proving the car with lots of charm was not only of interest to women.

HRH Princess Margaret of Great Britain

Did you know Steve Jobs' first car was a Metropolitan? Now you do!  In 1970, when he was 15 years of age, his father bought one and Steve wasn't really a fan, then.  In his biography, he talks about the car, saying "In retrospect, a Nash Metropolitan might seem like the most wickedly cool car, but at the time it was the most uncool car in the world."

American actor, film director, race car driver and entrepreneur Paul Newman is said to have owned a Nash Metropolitan at some point.  Details on this are murky other than someone reporting the car as being "Sunburst Yellow" and black when they purchased the car.

The Name Says It All!

The last metropolitan built for the North American market

E-95981

The announced end of the Metropolitan came

March 23, 1962.