For Sale: 1959 Nash Metropolitan in Concord, North Carolina

This 1959 Nash Metropolitan is a cool little car with an international perigee. Despite its small size, it has a huge enthusiast following the wonderful '50s style, in a compact package, that's easy on the fuel as well as the eyes.

The Metropolitan had American design flair with its full chrome front end and continental kit, but it's packed into a European size. That's what makes these cars so cool today. A series III model like this one is especially desirable because they finally added chrome down the side, which also provided for a dividing line to create a two-tone finish. This one carries its original Autumn Yellow and Frost White colors, but it has been resprayed to make this little guy shine his brightest.

The British-built Metropolitan is small, but the people at American Motors knew they had to import something that was going to fit two of their countrymen without a problem. The white vinyl bench is roomier than the car's size suggests and the split back does a fine job of keeping the driver, and passenger, comfortable. It looks pristine and matches the white vinyl folding roof. The driver gets one large main gauge pod dominated by a speedometer, but since the car was sourced from Britain, it happens to be a Smiths readout. So just imagine the looks on people's faces as you compare this Met to Jaguars and Aston Martins.

The Metropolitan is an interesting Anglo-American hybrid built in Europe, exclusively for the US-market by a US automaker. As a result, it carries a 1489 cc inline-four, built by Austin in England. It's a rugged little engine that delivers spirited performance in the lightweight Metropolitan. This was a popular motor in Europe, and so parts are still easy to find and inexpensive. Like a good frugal European, the fuel mileage generally hovers in the 30+ MPG range, making this a fantastic car if you're on a budget but still like to get out and drive. The three-speed manual transmission has light action, and with smart gearing, it cruises at 60 MPH without complaint, and without being buzzy on the highway. With a tight turning radius and nippy handling, this American Nash feels like a proper European import.

Whether you're a Nash enthusiast or just looking to have some fun cruising the town strip, this little Met is sure to deliver loads of fun, and surely draw the attention it deserves. Call today!!