Nash · 1953–1961

Nash Metropolitan

The Nash Metropolitan is an American automobile marketed from 1953 until 1962, manufactured in England. While designed and marketed in the United States by Nash and its successor companies, it was built entirely in British Motor Corporation factories using many existing BMC parts. It conforms to two classes of vehicle: economy car and subcompact car. The Metropolitan is considered 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 marketed as a Hudson model when Nash and Hudson merged in 1954 to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC). The Nash and Hudson lines were phased out in favor of the Rambler line, and in 1957, the Metropolitan became a standalone brand, badged with a stylized 'M' on hubcaps and the grille. The cars were also sold in the United Kingdom and other markets.

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Design

While most domestic automobile makers were following a "bigger-is-better" philosophy, Nash Motor Company executives were examining the market to offer American buyers an economical transportation alternative. The Metropolitan was designed in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was patterned from a concept car, the NXI (Nash Experimental International), that was built by Detroit-based independent designer William J. Flajole for Nash-Kelvinator. It was designed as the second car in a two car family, for Mom taking the kids to school or shopping or for Dad to drive to the railroad station to ride to work: the "commuter/shopping car" with resemblance to the big Nash, but the scale was tiny as the Met's wheelbase was shorter than the Volkswagen Beetle's. The NXI design study incorporated many innovative features and attempted to use interchangeable front and rear components (the symmetrical door skins were the only interchangeable items used in production). Although more complex, the new vehicle also incorporated Nash's advanced single-unit (unit body) construction. It was displayed at several "surviews" (survey-previews), commencing on 4 January 1950, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, to gauge the reaction of the American motoring public to a car of this size. The result of these "surviews" convinced Nash that there was a market for such a car if it could be built at a competitive price. A series of prototypes followed that incorporated many of the improvements from the "surviews" that included roll-up glass side windows, a more powerful engine, and a column-mounted transmission shifter with bench seat (rather than bucket-type seats with floor shift fitted in the concept car). The model was named NKI (for Nash-Kelvinator International), and it featured revised styling incorporatin

First reviews

Compared with the typical American car of the 1950s, the Metropolitan was considered "remarkably nimble" by many early testers, and "the consensus is that the Metropolitan isn't just fun to look at, it's fun to drive too." Owners of the cars reported that the "Metropolitan is a good thing in a small package". Automotive industry veteran and the largest publisher of automotive books at the time, Floyd Clymer, took several Metropolitans through his tests. He "abused" a 1954 Metropolitan convertible and "got the surprise of my life" when its "performance was far better than I expected", that he "felt very safe in the car", and that "it may well be that Nash has started a new trend in American motoring. Perhaps the public is now getting ready to accept a small car". Clymer also took a 1957 Metropolitan hardtop through a grueling 2,912 mi (4,686 km) road test that even took him 14,100 feet (4,298 m) up Pikes Peak. He summed up his experience that "I can not praise the Metropolitan too highly. It is a fascinating little car to drive, its performance is far better than one would expect, and the ride is likewise more than expected". According to Collectible Auto magazine, the car was described in Car Life's review as "a big car in miniature" that was "fun to drive" and "ideal for a second car in the family," while Motor Trend was not alone in regarding the rear "utility" seat as "a joke". Motor Trend praised the car's economy: its test Metropolitan returned: 39.4 mpg‑US (6 L/100 km; 47 mpg‑imp) at 45 mph (72 km/h), 27.4 mpg‑US (9 L/100 km; 33 mpg‑imp) at 60 mph (97 km/h), and 30.1 mpg‑US (8 L/100 km; 36 mpg‑imp) "in traffic". Mechanix Illustrated editor Tom McCahill wrote: "It is not a sports car by the weirdest torturing of the imagination but it is a fleet, sporty little buc

Production for U.S.

=== Series I === Production at Austin's Longbridge factory started in October 1953 (Commencing VIN1001). Nicknamed the "baby Nash", the cars were tiny compared to the standard domestic models at that time. They had an 85 in (2,159 mm) wheelbase, an overall length of 149.5 in (3,797 mm), and a gross weight of 1,785 lb (810 kg) for the convertible and 1,825 lb (828 kg) for the hardtop, thus making the Metropolitan smaller than the Volkswagen Beetle. The two models, a convertible and a hardtop, were powered by the OHV 1,200 cc (73 cu in) straight-4 Austin 'A40' series engine (as used in the Austin A40 Devon/Dorset) driving the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission. The initial order was for 10,000 units, with the option for Nash to increase it if sales were sufficient. The new car underwent rigorous testing at the Nash Proving Grounds, but the first assignment for newly hired Assistant Technical Advisor, Carl Chakmakian, was to conduct supervised testing to achieve advertising and sales training objectives. In December 1953, two new NKI-branded (serial numbers 1009 and 1013) were driven 800 miles (1,287 km) from their arrival port to the new Raleigh Speedway in North Carolina to conduct two days of speed endurance and fuel economy evaluation. The tests were run and certified by NASCAR officials that included Bill France. With two drivers from Shreveport, Louisiana, Roxy Dancey and Herschel Buchanan, one car finished the 24-hour endurance run achieving 1,469.7 mi (2,365 km) at an average speed of 61.2 mph (98 km/h) and 21.1 mpg‑US (11.1 L/100 km; 25.3 mpg‑imp) overall. It had eleven pit stops to change drivers, add fuel and oil, and make tire changes because of the track's abrasive aggregate surface and fast corners. The car did not need any service or part

International markets

In October 1956, Austin Motor Company obtained permission from American Motors to sell the Metropolitans in overseas countries where AMC did not have a presence. The early brochures for the Austin Metropolitans used a reversed photograph to depict a right-hand-drive (RHD) car parked in an English country town (Chipping Campden) since only left-hand-drive vehicles were available when the photos were taken. From December 1956, production of Austin Metropolitans began, and from 2 April 1957, approximately 9,400 additional units were sold in overseas markets, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand. List prices for the UK Series III models were £713 17s 0d for the hardtop and £725 2s 0d for the convertible. An estimated 1,200 Metropolitans were sold there in four years, according to several published sources. However, one British journalist estimated the figure at around 5,000. Markedly American in styling, the car was considered outlandish compared with the more traditional, British-designed models in the British Motor Corporation lineup. Only Series III and Series IV Metropolitans were marketed in the UK. However, the first cars sold in the UK were available only to American and Canadian service members stationed there. Series III models carried the prefix HD6 (convertible) or HE6 (hardtop). Some early Series III models carried the prefix HNK3H or HNK3HL (L=Left-Hand Drive). The prefix is thought to indicate "Home Nash Kelvinator Series 3 H = 1400-1999cc (Metropolitan = 1500cc)". Sales in the Series III in the UK ran from April 1957 until February 1959. The Series IV models, which carried the prefix A-HJ7 (convertible) or A-HP7 (hardtop), were sold from September 1960 through February 1961. The Metropolitan was unavailable for UK sales between February 1959 and Septe

Epilogue

The Metropolitan lost market appeal due to increasing competition from AMC's own Rambler American models and newly introduced compact cars from the Big Three. The last Metropolitan body was made by Fisher & Ludlow on 10 April 1961. US-bound Metropolitan production ended in April 1961, as a result of its "marginal sales plus the fact that a four or five-passenger Rambler American could be purchased for only about $100 more". The Metropolitan "was a car that appealed to an eclectic 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."

Police market

AMC marketed right-hand drive models to U.S. police departments for use in parking enforcement and other urban duties. Comparing the car to police motorcycles, an AMC brochure advertised superior all-weather protection, cost-effectiveness and storage space, and also the safety of single-unit construction. The Franklin Mint produced a die-cast toy model of a 1956 Metropolitan in a police car version. Among its features are a police hat and handcuffs on the passenger's seat, as well as a fire extinguisher on the floor.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Metropolitan

Manufacturer

Austin (BMC)

aka

Hudson Metropolitan (1954–1957), Metropolitan by American Motors (1958–1962), Austin Metropolitan

Production

October 1953–April 1961

Model years

1954–1962

Assembly

Longbridge plant, Birmingham, West Midlands, England

Class

Economy car, Subcompact car

Body style

2-door hardtop, 2-door convertible

Layout

FR layout

Engine

1200 cc B-Series I4, 1500 cc B-Series I4

Transmission

3-speed manual

Wheelbase

85 in

Length

149.5 in

Width

61.5 in

Height

54.5 in

Kerb weight

1785-1890 lb (base)

Designer

William J. Flajole

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1965741CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_MetropolitanCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1357672160 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nash_Metropolitan.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: The original uploader was Morven at English Wikipedia. · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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