Description
I GUESS many of you classic car enthusiasts will know what this is. But then there will also be people reading this advert who have probably never heard of the model, let alone ever seen one!
This is my 1961 Austin Metropolitan - the model formerly known as the Austin Nash Metropolitan. How come you ask? Well, put simply, in the early 1950s the Nash Motor Company in the US wanted to build a small car and really did not know how to go about it. So, they turned their attentions to good old Austin based at Longbridge and asked the company to design one for them. This was pretty much the result, although the car did progress from a Series 1 to a Series IV which this example is. Production ceased altogether in April, 1961 and this is a March '61 car. It could well be the youngest known survivor.
For the first three years of production, the car was built for export only. Then, in 1957, Austin decided to try the UK market dropping the name Nash from the model's title. All in all 104, 000 were built of which just a mere 9, 000 were for these shores.
The car began with a 1200cc unit and progressed to the B Series 1500cc engine as used in the Austin A50. This final variant came with the larger engine as well as a one piece rear window (they had previously been designed in three pieces), an opening boot (access had been via the rear seat), opening quarter-light windows and the luxurious offering of a cigar lighter.
So quirky, they will have been something of a "marmite car" and perhaps that still applies today. But you cannot deny their cute toy-like appeal. It skips along very nicely with that 1500cc engine and this one is so quiet that I kept thinking I had stalled at junctions.
She is in superb condition, arguably even Condition One. She also sits well with the two black and white front seats. Metropolitans all came with a bench seat and the original - in good order and also black and white - comes with the car. Panels and paint are superb.
She has a current MoT until November 2025 and is a hoot to both behold and drive. The cars are backed by a healthy looking Owners' Club and this little gem comes with a neat history file revealing just three former keepers on the V5.
Rock solid, she still carries her original jacking points and sits so well. Want to stand out from the crowd? Well here is your chance!
I am Martin (Martin Howey Classics, Est. 26 years) and I can also assist with delivery and so please ask for a quote. Thanks, Martin.
