c1956 Nash Metropolitan Coupe (RHD)

Description

Produced from 1953 until 1961, the Nash Metropolitan was an eccentrically styled small American car. With a design based on the Nash NX1 concept car, the metropolitan was tiny for a machine that was developed with the American market in mind. Nash enlisted Austin in Great Britain to assist, knowing that Austin's expertise with small cars would give them a running start. The resultant Metropolitan used Austin mechanicals and could be ordered as a convertible or hardtop. Utilsing exiting hardware allowed Nash to keep the cost down, and Nash production commenced in 1953, initially with the 1.2-litre Austin A40 engine. The Metropolitan's quirky design enabled it to stand out from other small cars, with its bodywork protruding over the road wheels, bold colour combinations and Continental kit. From 1956 the Metropolitan used the 1.5-litre Austin B-Series motor and it continued with the same powerplant until production wound up in 1961. Smaller than a contemporary Volkswagen Beetle, the Nash Metropolitan sold reasonably well in the United States, and also sold new into the British and Australian markets for a time. It's believed just over 100,000 examples were produced for all markets from 1953-1961, with approximately 95,000 to the American market, making right-hand drive examples considerably rarer.