For Sale: 1956 Nash Metropolitan in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1956 Nash Metropolitan Series 3 Convertible

"Here is a smart foreign car flavor with all the convenience and comfort associated with American made cars. It's a head turning, crowd stopping gem of a car, and it's one you'll never tire of driving. Its sparkling new power, sensational handling ease and responsiveness make it a joy in heavy traffic or on the open road. There has never been a car that offered so much to so many as the smart new, all new Metropolitan 1500. Take the wheel and see." From the 1956 sale brochure.

For consignment, a 1956 Nash Metropolitan Series III hardtop with a title verified 59,570 actual miles. If there's one car that will always put a smile on the faces of owners and onlookers, it's the unique and friendly looking Nash Metropolitan.

Exterior
Fifties styling in miniature, the Nash wears a two tone coat of Sky Blue over Snowberry White and the colors are delineated with stainless trim that descends diagonally on the door to expand the blue over the rear quarter. A white canvas top hovers over the car with some of the typical graying, but fully intact. The slight bugeye face with diminutive grille and wrap around bumper adds to the Nash's cute demeanor and in profile, the short wheelbase on 13-inch wheels is consistent with the brand's reputation "as fun to look at as it is to drive". Out back, a more formal addition is the inclusion of a Continental type rear mounted spare, this one with a chrome rimmed white case and flanked by small, oval tail lights. Squeezing 50's style into a subcompact car results in a boxy little 149-inch car and this one presents very well. Imperfections include some touched up paint chips and scratches.

Interior
The two tone palette continues on the interior where vinyl door panels present smooth white uppers over black lowers, both presenting cleanly. The split bench artfully puts the angular white design on top as houndstooth cascades down meeting the lower bench which is wrapped in a white vinyl base. The small rear bench shares in the design and clean conditions with the vinyl covered inner fender wells serving as armrests. The simple dash begins with a sporty three spoke steering wheel framing a single gauge, the speedometer, in the center. Knobs, small horizontal gauges, and an AM radio fill the rest of the panel which is satin black in color and provides a storage shelf in lieu of a glove box. A triple gauge package has been added to monitor oil, water, and volts and it maintains the black and white palette, as does the black carpet and white vinyl that lines the footwells. Two 12 volt outlets have also been added to the dash.

Drivetrain
In contrasting green, we find the clean 1197cc inline 4 cylinder rated at 42 horsepower under the hood, fueled by a 1-barrel carburetor. A 3-speed manual sets the car in motion sending power to the rear axle with 4.60 gears.

Undercarriage
Driver quality conditions prevail underneath with some typical surface rust, drops of oil, oil sling, and some build up. There are areas of flaking invasive rust, areas of spray foam and some areas which were repaired while other parts encapsulated. Drum brakes are found at all four wheels and the single exhaust travels through a stock style muffler on its way to the back. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and leaf springs in the rear.

Drive-Ability
The brochure shows a Metropolitan parking between two enormous looking normal sized cars, and sitting inside it, it's easy to envision parking just about anywhere. The car is short, narrow, and provides decent visibility fore and aft. These were marketed as personal cars and it would be difficult to have more than one other person on board, think of the back seat as storage. Meanwhile the little four cylinder pulls us eagerly on our way around the test loop where the car shifts fine and tracks straight. There are limited features with this econo box, and each one of them works with the exception of the odometer and brake lights. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Just 7,645 Nash Metropolitans were produced in 1956. Want an instant show car that won't take up much garage space and elicit smiles wherever you go? This is among the most recognizable cars in the country and it presents mid century eccentricity and uniqueness wrapped up in a little package that's fun to own, fun to show, and fun to simply peek in on as it sits poised in your garage. Today, the Metropolitan Owners' Club of North America has a couple dozen regional chapters and holds an annual homecoming in Wisconsin this July. Mark your calendar twice. Once to pick up your new car and the next for your trip to Kenosha.

TRIM TAG

BODY NO 23517-Nash Body #
MODEL NO 561-Metropolitan Series III Convertible
TRIM NO T600-Black & White Houndstooth
PAINT NO P909, R910-Snowberry White, Sunburst Yellow

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!