Rowayton, Connecticut isn’t necessarily a hotbed of classic car hobbyists, but I was recently surprised to see a Nash Metropolitan being advertised for sale on someone’s lawn. This small American microcar was a fixture on American roads through the ’50s, primarily with frugal and attention-craving motorists alike.
Seeing one up close reinforces that there’s not much to this car in terms of overall size, but what is there is more styled than a roadside diner. Its combination of teal and white two-tone paint, intricately sculpted flanks, chrome everywhere, a “continental” kit out back, insanely beautiful hood ornament, and partially-covered wheels works surprisingly well together. It’s like a ’57 Chevy, just shrunk in the wash.
The Metropolitan was a pretty popular car in its heyday, with more than 90,000 built in Coupé and Convertible variations; it’s also one of those classics that’s still well-loved and still pretty affordable. This example is for sale; at most, the Metropolitan seems to top out at $20,0000 on the used market. It won’t be the fastest car on the block–zero-to-60 mph is done in like 30 seconds—but it’s a classic that will make anyone smile.
When I saw this Metropolitan in Rowayton, Connecticut, I sure did.
