Precursor to the sub-compact
The Nash Metropolitan, also known as the Hudson, broke with just about every convention of the mid-1950s and early 1960s automotive landscape, eschewing the push for bigger and brasher and instead leaning into smaller and more economical in an effort to capture market share being left behind by trends. It was released in 1953 and produced until late 1961, with new sales continuing until the supply dried up in 1962. It was also an interesting trans-Atlantic partnership, designed by the small American marque Nash in the United States and mostly marketed here as well, with the actual manufacture handled by Austin and the British Motor Corporation (BMC) factories over in the United Kingdom.
It also saw several firsts, including being the first post-war automobile marketed specifically to women, with marketing calling it a ‘commuter/shopping car’ as well as an ‘economy car’, one that would make an excellent and affordable ‘second car’ in a two-car family. The Metropolitan is considered an important predecessor to the kind of design logic that eventually became the sub-compact, though the use of that term arose much later in the decade, with some enthusiasts even calling it “The Smart Car of the 1950s”.
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A color scheme rooted in 1950s aesthetics
The colors on this peppy machine are Berkshire Green and Frost White, said to have been given a re-coat sometime in 2014 as part of a larger restoration by a previous owner. A matching replacement white vinyl soft top sits under a body-matching green tonneau cover around the rear edge of the cabin. The car’s two-tone colors are separated by a raised metal strip that runs parallel along the front, then zags down along the door a ways before returning to horizontal all the way to the rear.
The front and back bumpers are hefty chrome, each with two bumperette overriders that rise over the main line. There is a ‘Flying Lady’ hood ornament jutting over the car’s front, under which sits a wide but not tall grille with a red Nash roundel set in the middle. The 13″ steel wheels, including a full-sized spare mounted on the rear, come with body-matching green paint jobs as well as silver Nash-branded hubcaps, and wearing 155/80 Uniroyal Tiger Paw whitewall tires.
We don’t talk about the back bench
The inside matches the same Berkshire Green and Frost White of the outside, with a two-toned split-folding front bench seat that is mostly green but with pleated white interiors. The same vinyl pattern can be found on what we hardly feel deserves to be called the rear bench; it’s better to use it for storage than to try to fit a person back there. Two-tone door panels, a green and unpadded metal dash, and black carpets round out the interior trim.
While Nash was an innovator in seat belts, this model features only front lap belts, sans shoulder straps, and absolutely nothing in the back. There is also a heater and an AM radio, though the owner indicates the latter is currently non-functional. The steering wheel is body-matching green with two slightly downward spokes, and behind it lies a very minimalist gauge cluster that only has a Smiths speedometer that caps at 85 mph (though the testing of the era found 75 mph to be the fastest speed), an inset fuel gauge, and a combo one for oil and water.
Impressive power relative to size
Under the hood is a 15F Austin B-Series engine, specifically a 1.5L (92ci) inline-four that was rebuilt in 2014, upgraded with a Weber carburetor as well as chrome parts, a negative-ground electrical system, and electronic ignition. Additional maintenance, including a carb rebuild in 2020 and new spark plugs and oil in spring 2025, was also performed.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox that was serviced in 2016. The clutch-release bearing was replaced two years later in 2018. All four corners feature disc brakes, the shocks were replaced in 2021, and the steering box was rebuilt in 2022. The true mileage is unknown, but the odometer since the rebuild has 7,000 miles on it, with fewer than 50 of those from the current owner.
Final thoughts: The spirit of the 1950s with a long view
The Metropolitan never had especially fantastic sales in either the US market or its later European introduction. However, the design was ahead of its time, servicing a need most automakers were allowing to languish in their pursuit of bigger, better, and faster (not to mention costlier). Not every car needed a V8 or even a V6 to be a joy to drive and be seen driving, and this Metropolitan provided economic and social mobility to many women who otherwise would be without wheels. This particular vehicle was actually sold over the summer on the same auction site, which means if you missed this piece of history the first time around, here’s a second chance before it’s gone once again!
