Chassis No. 1412
Engine No. 15F-N-H 24434
Body No. 1445

This 1954 Nash Metropolitan Hardtop hails from the first year of production. According to period marketing, the new Metropolitan was created as a “completely new and different kind of automobile” that promised record-breaking economy and performance. While large Cadillacs and Lincolns began to rule the proposed highways of the Eisenhower Interstate System, the growing cities and suburbs of post-war America gave the Nash Motor Company the idea for an economical transportation alternative. What they created for 1954 as both a Hardtop and Convertible, was the first subcompact automobile offered in the U.S.

This first-year production Metropolitan was specified from new as a Hardtop, finished in a Green / Grey combination over a fabric interior with a rear continental tire mount. Following a comprehensive restoration, it features a “15F” 1.5-liter High-Compression inline-four engine and column-mounted three-speed transmission. Acquired by the Academy of Art University Collection in 2009, the restoration remains in tidy condition. According to invoices from 2015 that accompany the car, the wheel cylinders, brake hoses, and brake master cylinder were replaced that year. While the Metropolitan may have once offered exceptional economy and performance in a small package, today tidy examples like this are known the world over for unmatched smiles per gallon.