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The Metropolitan was designed by William Flajole for Nash Motor Corporation, then built by Fisher & Ludlow and Austin Motor Company in Birmingham, England. The "Met" was first sold in the United States in March 1954 with a suggested retail price of $1,469 for the convertible and $1,445 for the hardtop. Only two-door versions were produced. Between 1954 and 1962, 94,986 units were sold in the United States and Canada. The 1500 series Metropolitan (produced from April 1956 to 1962) is powered by a 52 horsepower Austin A40 overhead valve four cylinder engine. There were thirteen original paint colors available. The car, which could be described as America's first compact, was intended to serve as a second car for suburban housewives to use while their husbands were at work with the big gas guzzler. There's room for groceries and small children, but not for big families. My Nash Metropolitan, red and white hardtop, serial number E-63450, was manufactured in late 1958 or early 1959. It was purchased by its first owner in Lima, Ohio, on June 26, 1959. I purchased the car from the second owner on July 17, 1992, after it had been sitting for years in a shed in rural northwestern Ohio. The original mileage on the car at that time was 55,341. Today the odometer shows 57,947 original miles. I brought it with me on a trailer when I moved to Greensboro in 1996. The car has been kept in a heated garage most of the time. When I purchased the car, it was not in very good shape. Some restoration had been attempted, but whoever did the work didn't care about authenticity or quality. He just painted over the existing paint job, failing to even match the original appearance of the car. The brakes didn't work, the radiator and gas tank leaked, some structural pieces had rusted, the seats were worn, and there was a problem with the clutch. It did run, so there was hope! Not having the aptitude to do the mechanical work the way it should be done, I hired a mechanic who knew Metropolitans. After the mechanical work was done, I took the car to a body shop. I had obtained a photocopy of the car's operating manual, so we had a blueprint to work with. In the body shop (where I told the owner to take his time-and he did: months), the car was stripped down to the bare metal and rebuilt on-chassis. The best quality materials were used, and the restoration was done to the original specifications. I poured thousands of dollars into the loving rebirth of this little car, but you do that kind of thing when you develop a relationship with this special kind of automobile. We got new tires-to spec-and had new seat covers installed that approximated the originals. There are still parts available for these cars, and it was exciting to order what we needed and be able to get it. I was president of the Ohio chapter of the Metropolitan Owners Club at the time, so I got lots of advice! I've driven the car a little bit around town in North Carolina. My local mechanic encouraged me to give it some exercise instead of just letting it sit all the time. It's been a lot of fun, but my work life has gotten busier. I really don't have that much time to play with the Met anymore. So, I'm offering this unique car for sale for $7,000, or best offer. Everything works fine except the radio, and that can be fixed by reconnecting the antenna. We have the manual and even a canvas car cover. It's not pristine…yet. You'd still have the opportunity to do some touch-up, have the chrome redone, and probably a couple of other things you'd find to work on. Interested? Call Roger Herman at (336) 210-3547.

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