1954 Nash Metropolitan

While most American automobile manufacturers and consumers embraced 'bigger is better,' Nash went a completely different direction with a small and economic product. The Nash NKI (Nash-Kelvinator Corporation) Custom was put into production in 1953, and the following year, the car became known as the Metropolitan. This was the first car designed by an American company to be manufactured overseas for the United States. Metropolitan sales were counted against England's war debt to the United States.

The Nash Metropolitan had the familiar American style with un-American proportions, with its wheelbase (85-inches) being smaller than the Volkswagen Beetle. It offered a soft and luxurious ride with a well-appointed interior with conveniences that included an AM radio and windshield wipers. The styling was in-line with the appearances of Nash's other big cars. Power was from an inline four-cylinder unit displacing 1489cc rated at 52 horsepower. They had a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

Production of the Nash Metropolitan lasted from 1954 to 1961 with 83,442 being sold in the U.S. and 11,544 in Canada. For 1954, a total of 11,198 examples were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019