Origin: Kenosha, WI & Longbridge, Birmingham, England
Engine: 4-Cylinder
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
The Nash Metropolitan was a unique little car. Produced between 1953 and 1961, it was an American car that was designed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but assembled in England, and is considered one of the first subcompact cars, before the designation even existed.
The year was 1950, and The Nash Motor Company was looking for ways to compete in the ever-growing car market. They decided bigger wasn’t always better, and that they would be the ones to corner the market of second cars in a two-car family, cars that might be used to commute to the train or drop the kids off at school. After a long and rigorous process of surveys and previews, Nash Motors moved forward with their Metropolitan. To save money on tooling costs, they went overseas and brokered a deal with the British Motor Company. They would produce the cars and then import them to North America.
The Metropolitan was often specifically marketed to women. It’s first spokesperson was Miss America 1954, and it was prominently advertised in women’s magazines. The two-tone color-scheme was also chosen to be more appealing to women and, even though they were optional, every Metropolitan could have a heater and an AM radio.
This 1961 Metropolitan was fully restored by the previous owner, Jackie Schmidt of Caramel, Indiana. “The Saddle Oxford,” as she called it, has a fluffy rear-view mirror, and was built the year the Metropolitan stopped production, making it the perfect addition to a car museum filled with automotive history.