Nash Metropolitan

With its chromed grille, two-tone paintwork and spare wheel at the rear it was a smaller version of mainstream American cars. And that was precisely what George W. Mason, president of the Nash car company, had in mind. The Metropolitan was positioned as a car perfectly suitable for shopping or daily commuting.

However, Nash did not have the production facilities to build such small cars (!) and sought a joint venture with European manufacturers. An agreement was reached with Austin in 1952 to have the car built there, using primarily Austin components including the 1.2 litre A-Series engine. It was the first time that an American car intended for the North American market was produced in Europe. From 1956 onwards the car was also sold in Europe under the Austin name.

Its attractive appearance soon gave the car a certain cult status. Famous Metropolitan owners included HRH Princess Margaret of Great Britain, singers Phil Collins and Elvis Presley, American TV presenter Jay Leno and actor Paul Newman, proving that it was not only of interest to women.