Lot Ended
Description
Restored and repainted in 2010; current lady owner since 2012; recent
new interior; driven 30 miles to the sale
At a time when
most US car makers were wholeheartedly embracing the ‘bigger is better’
philosophy, executives at the Nash Motor Company decided to branch out in the
opposite direction and create a small, economical town car aimed specifically at
women. Designed by William J Flajole, the Metropolitan looked like a
scaled-down Nash Ambassador and had a shorter wheelbase than the VW
Beetle.
To keep tooling costs down, production
was farmed out to two British firms – Fisher & Ludlow would produce the
bodywork while the Austin Motor Company would provide the mechanicals and
undertake final assembly. This was the first time that an American-designed car
had been entirely built in Europe. Two body styles were offered, a
convertible and a hardtop coupe. Power initially came from a 1,200cc Austin A40
engine driving through a three-speed column-change gearbox.
The Metropolitan went through four series between 1953 and 1962 and
just short of 105,000 were sold in total, all but 9,400 in
the US and Canada.
This
particular car is a Series 3 model, easily distinguished by two-tone paint and
larger 1,500cc B-Series engine which produced 47bhp and gave the Nash a top
speed of 76mph. It does not have a boot lid, a luxury that was introduced for
the Series 4 of 1959, so luggage has to be stowed by folding the rear seats
forward.
The Heritage Certificate shows that it
was built in December 1957 finished in Sunburst Yellow over White. First
registered in London as UYF 850 (and supplied by Lex Garages according to the
brass sill plaque), it later gained the Radnorshire-issue number VFO 980 that it
wears today and which is transferable.
The V5C
states that it was first registered in 1996 so it must have been off the road
for a considerable period prior to that date. However, there are quite a few
invoices from the late-1980s, including one for a reground crank and various
other mechanical parts in 1989, so the engine was presumably rebuilt at that
time. A new wiring loom was also fitted in 1988.
Another invoice shows that it was sold to a Roger Vale of Alcester
in 1996 for £3,250, the invoice stating that it was ‘for restoration’. He
presumably did restore the car because there is an invoice for a respray in
2010.
Our vendor acquired the car in 2012 and
she has looked after it well, including getting the interior retrimmed in 2019
which cost over £1,400. She also ordered a new chrome grille surround from
America but rather wishes she hadn’t because by the time all the taxes and
carriage had been paid it cost her over £1,200! She has also fitted a new clutch
master cylinder, new brake shoes plus routine service items.
She reports that the Nash drives well and has
always been most reliable, two old MOTs showing that it has covered 2,500 miles
during her 11-year ownership, the odometer currently showing 58,452 miles.
It comes with some useful technical literature including a parts catalogue, a
book of period road tests, a Gold Portfolio book and various club magazines.
Driven some 30 miles to the sale, it has been
starting promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site.
For more information contact James on
07970 309907 or email [email protected]
* All charges are subject to VAT