For Sale at Auction: 1960 Nash Metropolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada

Chassis No. E91257
Body No. 98800

Designed in the United States by William J. Flajole for the Nash Motor Division, with coachwork by Fisher & Ludlow in Birmingham and mechanical outfitting by the Austin Motor Company, the Metropolitan became the first economy car conceived in North America. This cute post-war car adopted American aesthetic while embracing new considerations: a small, compact city car, highly nimble, easy to park, and intended as a household's second vehicle.

Officially launched in March 1954, it featured a unit chassis and body, first fitted with a 1,200-cc engine, later enhanced with a 1,500-cc unit with a single SU carburetor coupled with a three-speed manual transmission and hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels. The key evolution of the final series, to which this example belongs, was the addition of a trunk lid; earlier models required loading luggage into the trunk through the cabin.

First registered in 1961 in Canada, this Metropolitan 1500, chassis number E91257, was built according to its BMIHT Certificate in June 1960. Its previous owner, who had acquired it in 2010 from long-term ownership, restored it in its original livery of Berkshire Green and Frost White. With great care and using many new old-stock parts according to invoices on file, this enthusiast carried out the restoration with no expense spared before passing it on in 2017 to The Bill & Patti Spurling Collection, from which it is offered today.

As one of North America's earliest subcompact cars, the Metropolitan Convertible established itself as a pop-culture icon with its striking two-tone paint and set a precedent for future models that would prioritize urban functionality and fuel efficiency over sheer horsepower and size. This endearing final Series IV Metropolitan Convertible remains a collectible classic, perfectly suited to serving as a vintage ride to a weekend coffee-fueled car show or the occasional excursion, just as it was originally conceived.