My first car was a 56 Metro. Loved it. It always started and ran well and got me where I wanted to go as long as you didn't want to go very fast. It taught me how to change a tire and the oil. The controls were indeed different from any other car available at the time. My other vivid memory is of the "Tube" radio that took a minute or two to warm up before it would play. My Metro also taught me what NOT to do when driving in the snow when I rolled it into someones front yard. A passerby helped me put her back on her wheels and I drove away. Thanks for the video and the memories it brought to mind.
When you said you rolled it. That brought me to the top gear reliant robin episode where clarkson rolled the robin every chance he got.. I know that’s on UA-cam check it out if you never saw it before. Thank you so much for sharing that awesome story =)
My grandparents gave one of these to my mother when she turned 18. My mother said it was so underpowered that it simply didn't have enough horsepower to make it up some of the hills where she lived, even in first gear. She did say though that she had it up to 80 MPH going downhill on the highway once.
This was a light body on a standard BMC chassis. I have had cars with the identical engine and it would have no problems getting up any normal road hill. It was definitely slow and you had to use the gearbox properly but it would always slog its way up. Way more torque than power..
@@curtisducati Maybe because the Jaguar cost several times as much as the Metropolitan and used several times the amount of fuel at a time when people couldn't afford gas. Pretty much the same reason I'm driving a small SUV rather than a Ferrari.
My mother, who was a petite 5'2", LOVED these. She would light up when she spotted them on the road and gush, "Isn't that CUTE!!!" My dad, a towering sequoia at 6'2", would scowl dismissively and mutter, "Not a chance, Honey. Not a chance." Your engine bay dismay was hilarious. Great video!
What a cool little car. I think they got it right, commuting in the city, running errands or just for fun. Leave the luxury liner or SUV at home and just go. In the city where I live, parking is at a premium and this would fit right in. I love the design. Thanks for seeking it out.
The Austin A 40, was the first car I ever drove. (it was a long-abandoned farmer's car, left in a field for decades. It just needed petrol and a battery.) It was an excellent way to learn drifting and correcting moves at 12 years old.
My dad had one around 1965 that he used as a “station car” , a second car that he used to go from the house to the train station in town . He then took the train into NYC. Anyway one day when his big regular car was in the shop , my mom , dad, and my big brother and I all crammed into the car to drive to the beach . I can remember being smashed into the “ back seat” with my brother with NO room between us like a can of sardines !!!!!!
Awesome story thank you so much for sharing =) you guys must have been on the smaller side to fit back there because the opening to get the the back isn’t that big.
Thank you for posting this. Great memories. My dad had one of these when I was a kid in the early 1960s. I'm pretty sure it was a 1961. It was his daily driver. I remember he had to buy special British Whitworth or British standard tools to maintain it. I learned to operate a clutch and shifter in this car driving it around our property. Our family car was a Rambler station wagon with 3 on a tree.
@@What.its.like. I think it was a 59 or 60. I remember sometimes when it was cold it wouldn't start so we'd have to put it in first and push it and why Mom would pop the clutch.
Four door or two door the four door 1959 is my absolute favorite of the styling I would like to own one, one day I reviewed 1956 Hudson cross country wagon check that out it was first car that wasn’t my own.
@@What.its.like. I remember that it was a green four-door. No AC. Radio delete. I remember when we would go to the drive-in mom and dad would sit in the the front seat then me and my sister would get up on the roof with blankets and watch the movie.
Thank you so much =) This car felt bigger than a karman Ghia.. which really surprised me I want to drive one it snowed this week so didn’t get to drive lots of snow on the road still =(
As a kid in the 50s, our next door neighbor owned a gas station, and he had a barn full of restored antique cars. His wife drove a red and white Metropolitan. Everyone liked that car.
My mother bought one of these around 1954 just to drive to the store and around the neighborhood, and I got to drive it on dates when I was a senior in high school. I remember in particular how small it was, and that it had no lights that automatically came on when you opened the doors, so that when my girl and I were making out we could throw open the doors and stretch out....... How great was that!
Awesome story I drive a 52 one ton truck it is manual everything lights don’t come on when doors are open no back up lights I guess thought process was if you need to see in dark when reversing just hit the brakes it will be a red hue but will provide a wee bit of light so you can see.. no buzzers to let one know that they’ve left lights on.
I remember My grandmother had one of these. One day we loaded enough wood to build a small fort, we were kids at the time. Then there was to 2 of us kids and my grandmother go in and headed for my mothers house. It was very memorable and fun.
Had a 56 in 65 in hi school,lots of fun,paid 100 bucks for it ,trunk ,great place to keep Friday night beer,sold it and bought a 60 Imperial ,quite a change!
Really appreciate your chanel. Discovered it a few days ago, and your reviews have been a great source of escapism and relaxation while I deal with some serious stress in my life. I really appreciate the coverage of all the 50s cars!
That really means a lot thank you so much for the good vibes I’m trying to decide going forward if I even want to do a new cars some of them are cool but... I’m passionate about the older stuff I will the cars from the 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s... not to say that the other generations aren’t any good because they are all good in their own unique way... I should make a poll and ask you guys what would you like to see on this channel?
My friend and I got a ride home with his mother every Tuesday afternoon from catechism class in her Nash Metropolitan. The day she gave her 300 pound coworker a ride, as well, was most memorable. We two were relegated to riding on the 'shelf' that served as the back seat.
That’s crazy... I’m really intrigued by this car it’s sucks they didn’t really make that many compared to the beetle (94,000 something imported to the us and Canada, rust was a problem) I wonder how many are left.. I’m kicking myself because there was a shell/ essentially a roller no engine or trans and the interior was gone but all the glass was there and it the body didn’t look terrible for $800, but money has been tight lately so I never mentioned it to my wife reviewed this car and was like I got to see if that’s still listed.. it’s gone there will always be another one.. if gas keeps coming the way it’s going this might be the solution with 100 hp v twin or a small reliable four cylinder that has some pep in its step and wife says has to be automatic... driving stick isn’t that difficult especially when you don’t have to rev match and double clutch. =)
@@What.its.like.The only thing I saw that was along the same line during the same period of history (mid-1950s to mid-1960s) was a carcass of a "Goliath" that my across the street neighbor acquired. I think it was East German, or someplace behind the Iron Curtain, where they were produced. It had a two-cycle engine, so there was a dedicated oil reservoir mounted on the firewall. They replaced the rusted out floor with a sheet of plywood.
Thanks for ALL your great videos, but there's a special place in my heart for this Metropolitan story as my first car in 1969 was a red and white 1957 Metro. Of course all my highschool buddies got a good laugh while drooling over their Camaros, Mustangs, Vettes, etc., ( although I had the last laugh as far as gas ( 35 - 40 mpg), maintenance (I performed myself ), tires ( 175 x 13 ), and of course insurance !) Looking back of course I liked my friend's cars, but I always LOVED my Metropolitan ! I would give anything to find another one. At one point while working at my Dad's service station, I had 6 Metros ( '54 conv., '55, 2 '56's, my '57, and a '59). People would stop by my Dad's service station just to ask about the " cute, little, 2 tone bumper - cars parked in a row out front. I got most of them from people that just wanted me to get them out of their yards. So I'd use them for parts cars and ended up making 2 "Frankenstein" Metros from all the extra donor parts. To tell you the truth I learned practically everything I know about cars by restoring mine. Oh how I wish I could relive those days. Toodaloo !😁
I love the Nash metros I would love to have one Especially now with gas the way it is. I love all the Nash cars as well ramblers I’m gonna do my best to feature some nashs on this channel this year They are getting harder and harder to find but I know of a shop not far from here that has a Nash tow truck I’m hoping they’ll let me do that for the channel they are super rare and his is in really nice shape
My Dad thought my older sister and myself should have these. He got a deal on 3 of them. One had the engine partially disassembled and I put it back together at when I was 14 and would drive it around our large property. My sister had a yellow and white one and I had a blue and white with a black convertible top. This was in the late 60s. The convertible I had actually had small truck hatch along with access behind the seats.
For anyone wondering about the track footage around the 5 minute point. That was the Mobil economy test. Each year companies would submit cars to check their mileage. They ran for 12 and 24 hours. The rules for what you could do to optimize mileage were pretty loose. Nothing non factory could be added or taken off, but that was about it. Modern hypermilers would be proud of some of their tricks. Examples like not stopping. The driver would slide over to the passenger side while the relief driver jumped in as the car kept rolling. They did the same thing while refueling. Someone would run along side or behind the car with a gas can and add more while it ran. Tires were usually set to near maximum pressure too. Eventually this was phased out as the DOT and EPA developed a more standardized test and required everyone to submit to it. Of course, every manufacturer quickly figured out how to score higher (cheat) on that too, hence the "Your mileage may vary" tag in any ad that mentioned it.
Awesome thank you so much for adding that information it sucks i couldn’t find any footage of series 3 or 4 cars being tested back in the day (not saying there isn’t any footage I just couldn’t find any ) =) If companies really cared about gas mileage as they claim. There would be a free wheeling spot on key switch for example accessories run on.. if gas mileage was the end goal make it fuel efficient if you are in a hilly area put in neutral and turn off the car won’t use any gas and just coast with power brakes vacuum pressure goes away but if you have mechanical brakes you always have pressure unless line brakes it just makes you wonder
That is such a neat little car at a time when a lot of cars were tanks! You did a great job showing the details of the interior. I remember at a car show, Das Awkscht Fescht, they featured the Metropolitan . There was a spare engine sitting in what looked like a suitcase! Yes it was like an early example of the Smart Car.
Glad you digged this episode I kind of sort of wanna buy one of those I think that they would be really cool little car and a have i’ve been looking you could pick one up on the cheap still
Thank you again. As I said about the Nash or Hudson Metropolitan, I was born in 1948 and was somewhere between 5 & 10 years old in the 1950's. But I do remember that one of my Father's friends had a Metropolitan. Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Thank you so much for sharing some of those memories down that lane greatly appreciate it =) I want one of these so bad I was gonna try to buy one this year but I don’t know if I’ll be able to
one of these sat on an old home heating concrete pad behind my parents house for years growing up in the early sixties. i believe we still have pics. my aunt also had one.
They are such cool cars The sad thing is is they only produced was a little under 100,000 cars in nine years... these things used to be really cheap but I’ve been walking and values of skyrocketed... out of all the subcompacts this is probably the best one because Crosleys are smaller... American bantam is a very interesting car that I really wanna do but those are so expensive... they were made in Butler Pennsylvania which is only 25 miles down the road from me..
A small engine mechanic (worked on lawn mowers, outboards and such) had a baby blue two-tone Metro in the mid '60's. He was like 5' 11" tall but weighted in north of 250 lbs. He really filled up that front seat! His only vehicle as I recall.
I have a close friend that transplanted a Chevy 327 into one. His was blue, don’t know the year. He took off the whole front end and reworked it to hinge on the front. He had the Chevy 350 trans and a ford 9 inch rear end. The driveshaft was about 6” long (give or take, anyway it was really short) this was in approximately 1973
1:39 Fluh-JOE-lee 7:25 Look closely and you'll see that Metro doors are interchangeable left to right & vice versa so the factory only had to build 2 identical doors for each car and have the assembly workers drill the holes reversed for the door handles and door latches when building each car. 7:52 Later on in the Metro's life, about 1958, a rear trunk lid was added so you didn't have to fold down that rear seat back in order to stow your stuff.
That's really interesting- I never noticed that before! Taken to extremes - check out the NEW Citroen Ami : Even the front and rear of the car are interchangeable!
Thank you for watching it do you like the inclusion of the vintage footage i’m going to try to make that a thing going forward.. whether it’s an ad or a test.. and to be completely honest I haven’t found a format in which I’m 100% happy with the Metropolitan one is getting there. But what do you think?
Hitchhiking from Rochester NY to Elmira NY, I was lucky to get a ride all the way in a Metro. I couldn't belive my luck, it was such a cool little car!
OH.Thank you for the mention of the Karmin-Geeah.my friend had a red Karmin-Geeah in 1964 & as he was 16 & I was only 14 I rode with him a lot & we went to numerous places in his car.
A friend of mine drove one for while back in the 67 to 69. He inherited it from his father. Looking back, aside from it's small size, it was not a bad little car. Again, its small size did make riding in it on the Southern California Freeways, a bit nerve wracking.
As a long-standing fan of fine corinthian leather, I too have only just discovered this channel and it is AWESOME! Thank you for making this content - it is really fantastic (maybe with the exception of equating Lieberman with Clarkson, which I'll overlook given how great your work otherwise is!) Honestly, big future for this channel and I'll watch and like loyally from this point on. What next for a review? As an Aussie, I'm always interested in US 'orphan' sub-brands that were intended to be distinct, but part of a larger company, like Continental, Imperial, Edsel, or JV's like Eagle, Sterling etc. And fascinated by special editions with other brands - Bill Blass, etc. Regardless, I'll keep watching!!
Awesome I’m glad you like this channel.. Lieberman has nothing on clarkson but both talk in ways like Tom mcCahill definitely doing Edsel this year 1958 was my favorite growing up I’ll include toms road test of that car.. =)
Yeah that would be awesome have you even seen a 60s Subaru they are super small somewhere between the metro and a fiat 500 (original the new fiat 500 is close to the size of the metro)
That’s awesome series IV was the best series as far as improvements made but I like the styling of the series I II cars that’s just me. But would be nice to have vent windows and access to the trunk
I had a 1958 Metro convertible. My Metro HAD a trunk lid.. You had to remember to turn the radio off when you parked, or you might have a dead battery when you came back. Fun little car and very economical.
Awesome I really want to buy one this year and do a long-term review. I really like the series one cars but the series one cars are kind of expensive the series 4 cars are the best ones in regard to external trunk accessibility who knows.
I was never into comics but I do like the flash and dc legends show I want to get into Superman the new show but I don’t really watch a lot of tv if I’m honest.. I do watch PD cam and mystery shows when working lol
When I was at Primary School in south-west London during the 1960s, my headteacher, a Miss Lee owned one of these, although I think it was sold as an Austin. The white-wall tyres and the spare mounted on the back impressed me no end.
This car comes from a time of cars being designed and built in all kinds of makes, models and configurations. These metropolitan cars have always had a following from the time they were new, and still do today. They were really a good small car in their day. Unless you are standing next to one, you don’t realize just haw small these cars are. Like a 64-66 mustang, a VW Beetle, or a 68-70 Dodge Charger, this is an iconic car that spans generations in its appeal.
Yeah the metro is a foot shorter than the VW beetle. Most of that is in the wheel base despite the metro being smaller than the vw ive never been in a beetle but owned a karman Ghia and thought the metro has more space up front than the Ghia did
Nice video. I had a friend who went into the Marines for a few years after high school, he had one and gave me the keys to drive it around once in a while (his parents wouldn't touch it!). Interesting car and (as you mention) would be a nice city car. I got it up to 60 mph on the local highway once with the gas pedal floored. Room in the engine compartment - look at any car from that era and you'll see a big engine bay (even 8-cyl engines) which made it really easy to work on the engine for tune-ups, etc. No real issues changing a flat as there was plenty of room under the fenders to maneuver the loosened wheel out. I thought the later models (last 2-3 years) did have a trunk lid, but you had to remove the spare tire to get to the latch. Added FYI: Rather than the Smart ForTwo, try a Scion IQ if you want a modern 'mini'. More room, better handling, easier engine access, and the Toyota dealers still service them and stock basic engine parts (at least my local Toyota dealer does). The Mercedes dealers need to order parts for the Smart ForTwo's if one come in for servicing, even though there are still plenty of them on the roads.
I remember riding in a metro, driving one was a trip it would "burn" rubber by just by mashing the gas. Never knew it didn't have trunk lid. Thanks for the memories
In UK built under the Austin name. Coloquially known as the Aero Car as it was used in a TV advert for Rowntree (Now Nestle) Aero Choclate- full of bubbles.
I first saw the Smart Car in Canada. It had a diesel engine and according to Google: "Consumption on the combined cycle is a staggering 85.6mpg. This means the new smart can travel 670 miles between fill-ups. This incredibly frugality is thanks to the development of the world's smallest direct injection diesel engine." For whatever reason (this would be a good topic for a video from some car guy) when it was introduced to the US, it just had a small under-powered gas engine. It only got 33/39 mpg. Go figure. What a disappointment. When I saw that my desire for one evaporated.
Yeah I just talking to my son about Chrysler turbine car, which led into other types of fuel I remember someone in France made a car with a motor that ran off of compressed air never heard from them again. It was supposed to hit the scene in 2010. There was a also a guy who claimed to have made a water cell he disappeared after that didn’t hear anything else about it
Had a friend who had one and fitted a Ford of Germany V4 with auto transmission upgraded brakes to handle the extra speed but was super efficient in mpg to
I had an 80 Datsun b210 5 speed that I drove to check the milage, I got 50 mpg driving hills, curves, dirt roads and towns. I wish I still had it but as old as I'm getting i might not be able to get out of it now
In high school (back in the mid-'70s), a kid in auto shop, his mom gave him a Metro. In auto shop, he overhauled the engine of the Metro. All the "cool kids" were working on big V-8s, but this guy had the "four banger" (as we derisively called them). I could not BELIEVE how small that engine was! One guy could pick it up!
I absolutely love those cars I want to compare one to a Thunderbird there is so much more space in the metropolitan and there is a Thunderbird.. It’s actually very comical I think because the space situation and they look very similar one behind the wheel
When I was a ten year old boy back in the 1950s, my uncle had a red and white coupe just like the one in this video. I remember riding in the back seat.
Thanks for the great videos! I started watching them last night and did so for two hours. For a young person, you certainly have a lot of old car knowledge. I especially like your attention to detail, on interior, dash and things that are often overlooked. We know about your book- (time to let that part go) Richard Langworth is an excellent authority and former writer for Automotive Quarterly. Keep them coming........
My Uncle had one. I vaguely remember riding in it when I was about five or six years old. My Uncle was really tall. It was funny watching him unfold out of it. I like that Hayabusa idea.
The little engine and transmission with a chain drive down to a 4 speed Dodge transmission sure made a nice swamp buggy in Miami, Florida back in the early 60's....The swamp buggy was scratch built and didn't us the Metro body....
This is nice. '74, i'm a Jr in HS and a friend has a Metro in creme yellow and white . Like new, from family. He would sometimes drive me to see my girl friend....couple of shoulder length hair hard rock and Fusion fans but in the Metro, only Classical music. Loved it. Sadly after about a year, it got wrecked on Halloween.
baby sitter had a black and white. i got to sit in the back. it was a 2 seater with a package seat in the rear where a kid could sit legs crossed. i loved it, gave me a love for mini and bubble cars.
Had a 58 as a teenager and dogged that thing badly. It never died but it limped home a few times. Your cons should have mentioned the Lucas electrical system, The prince of darkness. Lights worked as they wanted, connections came and went and one day with no one in the car the generator became a electric motor and burned the fan belt off slipping trying to turn the motor
Oh wow, I love how you explained that my mustang 67 had electrical issues and had a bad neutral safety switch one day when it was in the shop it decided to start (while mechanic was working on it almost went tho the wall) because without the safety switch it would start in gear and just take off I had them replace the wiring never did that after.
The A series engines powered all the original versions of the "Mini" as well as the earlier Morris Minor - a version powered the MG midget until 1973. While the "B" series engine was powering the MGB until 1980. As you might guess over the years there were a whole variety of sizes and tuning levels on these engines.
Could have honestly gone down a rabbit hole so to speak with that engine I almost an April fools video where I just kept going down rabbit holes and never got to the point
@@What.its.like. I'm an old British engine guy... they are a total rabbit hole. (Ie - the 997 and the 998 are completely different.) but the funny part - that's a "B" motor - which is the "Big" motor - by quite a bit! The British engines tend to make a lot of torque for their horsepower.
I had a 59 metro. Bought it when I was 14 with my paper route money. Paid my first parking ticket before I had a drivers license. I would drive all around the neighborhood before my dad got off work, never got caught. That was a great car, wish I still had it. Never had a girl in the back seat though. Good memories.
I restored a 57 a few years back . When I drove it, I always got the same question "Does that car go in the water?" People confused it with an Amphicar.
I had one of the early units. Great little car, except the heat came from a radiator opening on the floor/firewall. Heat on meant you opened the doors to the cover. Heat off meant you closed them. Very hot car in Nebraska heat of the summer.
I was invited to show my Roush Mustang at the 2006 Hilton Head Concours and across the grass promenade was a Studebaker Speedster and a few cars down was a Metropolitan station wagon - the only one I've ever seen. The girl with the car was 10 and her granddad brought her down from Canada. Light blue and white.
That would have been awesome what was that feeling like driving across the promenade? I never knew they made a metropolitan wagon Rambler makes a really nice looking wagon in the early 50s I’ve only seen one in my lifetime if I ever came across one for sale and it’s affordable I would totally buy it. I really love the look of those plus I heard they get really good Gas mileage it’s a car that you can still use I mean it sounds sacrilege but if I ever had one of those I think I would probably swap the engine only because that engine requires a ton of maintenance. Still keep it a six cylinder may be a more modern AMC in line overhead valve six. You got my wheel spinning I just love off the beaten path Classic Cars that nobody talks about
Yeah but the skirts are fixed.. and the rear wheels you can’t spin to to line up the bolts.. it’s not as bad as say the Nash airflyte but it would still be tricky.
My Mom had a 54 Nash Metro before my folks got married. My Dad absolutely hated the car and always quipped you needed a 40 acre field to pull a U turn😂 My Mom loved it though:)
10:20 My mom's 1960 Ford station wagon had a similar setup for the heat control. ONE KNOB. Turn for fan off-1-2-3; pull for defrost. I assume this was the "cheapie" version of heater; the "rich people" got a couple sliders for heat/defrost and fan speed. (we were not rich, obviously ;-)
My parents had a used 58, either brown and white or brown and tan. I saw a couple pics of it from a relative. Mom says I rode in it, but I don't remember. Dad told me it was hard to get parts for the Austin engine, so they replaced it with a used 60 Volkswagen Beetle. Dad was basically impressed with the Met, and loved the gas mileage. He once joked that he'd fill up the oil, and check the gas, lol. Evidently, those Austin engines leaked oil like a seive.
@@What.its.like. My parents' memories. 😊 I do remember our 60 Volkswagen well, and I kind of remember our 64 Ford Country Sedan, and its "knee-knocker" hung-under air conditioner.
I always think of the Superman TV series when I see the Metropolitain. (Lois Lane drove one - Nash/AMC/Rambler was probably a primary sponsor of the show, because it is pretty well the only brand of car in the series). I think it would be a VERY cool city-runabout to have. A convertible would be especially schweet. I'D probably improve access to trunk storage by ditching the back seat and just leave the trunk open to the interior (you need a key to get in the car, so the second key and trunk door seem superfluous. Lots of room for fun retromodding with this one.
They would go one to make this car in four series in its final form it had vent windows and outside trunk access they also were offered as a convertible did a review on the convertible model haven’t got to drive one yet tho
That’s awesome... at least I’m not the only one.. I’ve never been in one but if you’re gonna buy a car that small and get the dismal gas mileage that it gets for being that small should find a peel p50 that car was said to be cheaper than walking back in the day hundred miles to the gallon depending on how big you are not fast but economical.. I had a 92 civic DX Five speed the engine was out of A del sol B16A that car for what it was was one of the most fun cars that I’ve ever owned the snot out of it and get 40 miles to the gallon it would do 120 it was front wheel drive you could burn out in the first year second gear second gear and chirp third gear when I bought mine it was all riced out big fart can on the back The only reason I sold the car was I got married and it wasn’t big enough and the shifter kept breaking.. and got tired of fixing it sold it I had that and the 67 mustang same time
I’m sorry I just listed the engines on the one reference I didn’t go through each car that offered that engine.. this engine can also be found in not all the other cars this engine is found in
What extremes. Back then one of Mom's coworkers had the '57 Metro and that back seat was just big enough for 4 year-old me. Another coworker friend had the '57 Merc Turnpike Cruiser you could have probably fit the Metro in if it folded at the waist.
They were also sold here in Australia, but as Austins. Tiny cars in bright colours, very much a British idea of what would appeal to US motorists. Not very many sold here either.
They did appeal to US motorists. American Motors, which sold them here, did a lot of public opinion polls on the Metro before they committed to selling them.
@@hebneh More likely that despite their lack of appeal to either the US or Australian markets, they were kept in production in the hope of selling enough to pay for the design and tooling.
I really want to own a Nash product really like the cross country wagon, as well as the metropolitan I’d like to drive the met, well both really.. I’ve been looking for a met to Commute in lol
My first car was a 56 Metro. Loved it. It always started and ran well and got me where I wanted to go as long as you didn't want to go very fast. It taught me how to change a tire and the oil. The controls were indeed different from any other car available at the time. My other vivid memory is of the "Tube" radio that took a minute or two to warm up before it would play. My Metro also taught me what NOT to do when driving in the snow when I rolled it into someones front yard. A passerby helped me put her back on her wheels and I drove away. Thanks for the video and the memories it brought to mind.
When you said you rolled it. That brought me to the top gear reliant robin episode where clarkson rolled the robin every chance he got.. I know that’s on UA-cam check it out if you never saw it before. Thank you so much for sharing that awesome story =)
@@What.its.like. I heard they messed with the differential to make it roll
My grandparents gave one of these to my mother when she turned 18. My mother said it was so underpowered that it simply didn't have enough horsepower to make it up some of the hills where she lived, even in first gear. She did say though that she had it up to 80 MPH going downhill on the highway once.
Awesome story I had a karman Ghia you had to plan going up hills with that car.. get up to speed before getting to a hill..
I went down a few really steep hills in the Seattle area, and got my old Bug, up to 80 or 90. don't really remember, but it was scary...
This was a light body on a standard BMC chassis. I have had cars with the identical engine and it would have no problems getting up any normal road hill. It was definitely slow and you had to use the gearbox properly but it would always slog its way up. Way more torque than power..
What always amazed me about these is how well they sold in an era of big V-8 engine vehicles. A totally cool micro car, IMHO:)-John in Texas
Agreed =)
A second fun car that can go where big cars can not especially in congested cities.
I have a buddy they got a few metropolitans they put a little V6 in them
@@curtisducati E types were £2000, Metropolitan only £754.
@@curtisducati Maybe because the Jaguar cost several times as much as the Metropolitan and used several times the amount of fuel at a time when people couldn't afford gas. Pretty much the same reason I'm driving a small SUV rather than a Ferrari.
My mother, who was a petite 5'2", LOVED these. She would light up when she spotted them on the road and gush, "Isn't that CUTE!!!" My dad, a towering sequoia at 6'2", would scowl dismissively and mutter, "Not a chance, Honey. Not a chance." Your engine bay dismay was hilarious. Great video!
I couldn’t believe how tiny the engine was I’m 6’2 and fit in this car nicely.
@@What.its.like. When these cars were brought in to the USA, the Americans looked at the engine and said that is a lawn mower engine.
This made me smile. My dad got me a 1954 convertible Metro when I was in high school. I loved it, and we had many adventures together.
That’s awesome thank you for sharing that story.
What a cool little car. I think they got it right, commuting in the city, running errands or just for fun. Leave the luxury liner or SUV at home and just go. In the city where I live, parking is at a premium and this would fit right in. I love the design. Thanks for seeking it out.
Yeah that’s what I’m saying
I had the 57, brand new. It was a fun car great on gas. I loved shifting that engine. I still take it to car shows for shows.
The Austin A 40, was the first car I ever drove. (it was a long-abandoned farmer's car, left in a field for decades. It just needed petrol and a battery.) It was an excellent way to learn drifting and correcting moves at 12 years old.
Once again, your impressive exclamations are a stand-out. Your eclecticism is first-rate and historically informative.
Thank you it means a lot I want this to be the go to classic car channel for anyone looking for information on their car
You'll get there.
My dad had one around 1965 that he used as a “station car” , a second car that he used to go from the house to the train station in town . He then took the train into NYC. Anyway one day when his big regular car was in the shop , my mom , dad, and my big brother and I all crammed into the car to drive to the beach . I can remember being smashed into the “ back seat” with my brother with NO room between us like a can of sardines !!!!!!
Awesome story thank you so much for sharing =) you guys must have been on the smaller side to fit back there because the opening to get the the back isn’t that big.
Thank you for posting this. Great memories. My dad had one of these when I was a kid in the early 1960s. I'm pretty sure it was a 1961. It was his daily driver. I remember he had to buy special British Whitworth or British standard tools to maintain it. I learned to operate a clutch and shifter in this car driving it around our property. Our family car was a Rambler station wagon with 3 on a tree.
Awesome what year was the rambler wagon??
@@What.its.like. I think it was a 59 or 60. I remember sometimes when it was cold it wouldn't start so we'd have to put it in first and push it and why Mom would pop the clutch.
Four door or two door the four door 1959 is my absolute favorite of the styling I would like to own one, one day
I reviewed 1956 Hudson cross country wagon check that out it was first car that wasn’t my own.
@@What.its.like. I remember that it was a green four-door. No AC. Radio delete. I remember when we would go to the drive-in mom and dad would sit in the the front seat then me and my sister would get up on the roof with blankets and watch the movie.
One plus over VW is that it has a heater that really puts out heat in freezing temperatures. Good, comprehensive review. IMO
Thank you so much =)
This car felt bigger than a karman Ghia.. which really surprised me I want to drive one it snowed this week so didn’t get to drive lots of snow on the road still =(
As a kid in the 50s, our next door neighbor owned a gas station, and he had a barn full of restored antique cars. His wife drove a red and white Metropolitan. Everyone liked that car.
I really have my heart set on the Metropolitan I want to own one one day. =)
I like the seating arrangement because you can get in on the passenger side and slide over to the driver's side.
Fun fact: The left and right doors are identical. The hinges and door handles are drilled and installed as required.
Awesome =)
I had one as my first car. BTW, I get over 50 MPG on my Smart Fortwo. And the Smart is a blast to drive.
Get the same with our scion IQ
My mother bought one of these around 1954 just to drive to the store and around the neighborhood, and I got to drive it on dates when I was a senior in high school. I remember in particular how small it was, and that it had no lights that automatically came on when you opened the doors, so that when my girl and I were making out we could throw open the doors and stretch out....... How great was that!
Awesome story I drive a 52 one ton truck it is manual everything lights don’t come on when doors are open no back up lights I guess thought process was if you need to see in dark when reversing just hit the brakes it will be a red hue but will provide a wee bit of light so you can see.. no buzzers to let one know that they’ve left lights on.
I remember My grandmother had one of these. One day we loaded enough wood to build a small fort, we were kids at the time. Then there was to 2 of us kids and my grandmother go in and headed for my mothers house. It was very memorable and fun.
That’s awesome story thank you so much for sharing
Had a 56 in 65 in hi school,lots of fun,paid 100 bucks for it ,trunk ,great place to keep Friday night beer,sold it and bought a 60 Imperial ,quite a change!
That’s a huge change in more ways than just sheer size..
Really appreciate your chanel. Discovered it a few days ago, and your reviews have been a great source of escapism and relaxation while I deal with some serious stress in my life. I really appreciate the coverage of all the 50s cars!
That really means a lot thank you so much for the good vibes I’m trying to decide going forward if I even want to do a new cars some of them are cool but... I’m passionate about the older stuff I will the cars from the 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s... not to say that the other generations aren’t any good because they are all good in their own unique way... I should make a poll and ask you guys what would you like to see on this channel?
My friend and I got a ride home with his mother every Tuesday afternoon from catechism class in her Nash Metropolitan. The day she gave her 300 pound coworker a ride, as well, was most memorable. We two were relegated to riding on the 'shelf' that served as the back seat.
That’s crazy... I’m really intrigued by this car it’s sucks they didn’t really make that many compared to the beetle (94,000 something imported to the us and Canada, rust was a problem) I wonder how many are left.. I’m kicking myself because there was a shell/ essentially a roller no engine or trans and the interior was gone but all the glass was there and it the body didn’t look terrible for $800, but money has been tight lately so I never mentioned it to my wife reviewed this car and was like I got to see if that’s still listed.. it’s gone there will always be another one.. if gas keeps coming the way it’s going this might be the solution with 100 hp v twin or a small reliable four cylinder that has some pep in its step and wife says has to be automatic... driving stick isn’t that difficult especially when you don’t have to rev match and double clutch. =)
@@What.its.like.The only thing I saw that was along the same line during the same period of history (mid-1950s to mid-1960s) was a carcass of a "Goliath" that my across the street neighbor acquired. I think it was East German, or someplace behind the Iron Curtain, where they were produced. It had a two-cycle engine, so there was a dedicated oil reservoir mounted on the firewall. They replaced the rusted out floor with a sheet of plywood.
Ampicar is about the same size.. I want to do you so bad I found one for sale but interior is out of it =(
Cool video. I love history! I hit the sub button for ya👍
Thanks for ALL your great videos, but there's a special place in my heart for this Metropolitan story as my first car in 1969 was a red and white 1957 Metro. Of course all my highschool buddies got a good laugh while drooling over their Camaros, Mustangs, Vettes, etc.,
( although I had the last laugh as far as gas ( 35 - 40 mpg), maintenance (I performed myself ), tires ( 175 x 13 ), and of course insurance !) Looking back of course I liked my friend's cars, but I always LOVED my Metropolitan ! I would give anything to find another one. At one point while working at my Dad's service station, I had 6 Metros ( '54 conv.,
'55, 2 '56's, my '57, and a '59). People would stop by my Dad's service station just to ask about the
" cute, little, 2 tone bumper - cars parked in a row out front. I got most of them from people that just wanted me to get them out of their yards. So I'd use them for parts cars and ended up making 2 "Frankenstein" Metros from all the extra donor parts. To tell you the truth I learned practically everything I know about cars by restoring mine. Oh how I wish I could relive those days. Toodaloo !😁
I love the Nash metros I would love to have one
Especially now with gas the way it is. I love all the Nash cars as well ramblers I’m gonna do my best to feature some nashs on this channel this year They are getting harder and harder to find but I know of a shop not far from here that has a Nash tow truck I’m hoping they’ll let me do that for the channel they are super rare and his is in really nice shape
My Dad thought my older sister and myself should have these. He got a deal on 3 of them. One had the engine partially disassembled and I put it back together at when I was 14 and would drive it around our large property. My sister had a yellow and white one and I had a blue and white with a black convertible top. This was in the late 60s. The convertible I had actually had small truck hatch along with access behind the seats.
That was an awesome story thank you so much for sharing =)
For anyone wondering about the track footage around the 5 minute point.
That was the Mobil economy test. Each year companies would submit cars to check their mileage. They ran for 12 and 24 hours. The rules for what you could do to optimize mileage were pretty loose. Nothing non factory could be added or taken off, but that was about it. Modern hypermilers would be proud of some of their tricks. Examples like not stopping. The driver would slide over to the passenger side while the relief driver jumped in as the car kept rolling. They did the same thing while refueling. Someone would run along side or behind the car with a gas can and add more while it ran. Tires were usually set to near maximum pressure too.
Eventually this was phased out as the DOT and EPA developed a more standardized test and required everyone to submit to it. Of course, every manufacturer quickly figured out how to score higher (cheat) on that too, hence the "Your mileage may vary" tag in any ad that mentioned it.
Awesome thank you so much for adding that information it sucks i couldn’t find any footage of series 3 or 4 cars being tested back in the day (not saying there isn’t any footage I just couldn’t find any ) =)
If companies really cared about gas mileage as they claim. There would be a free wheeling spot on key switch for example accessories run on.. if gas mileage was the end goal make it fuel efficient if you are in a hilly area put in neutral and turn off the car won’t use any gas and just coast with power brakes vacuum pressure goes away but if you have mechanical brakes you always have pressure unless line brakes it just makes you wonder
a good friend of mine has one, it was also his Dads car! a fun car he gets many positive remarks
It definitely seems like it would be a fun car
The 59 through 61 Metropolitan had vent windows and a trunk lid.
Yeah the best series vent windows and outside trunk lid on series IV cars. Thank you so much for that information =)
That is such a neat little car at a time when a lot of cars were tanks! You did a great job showing the details of the interior. I remember at a car show, Das Awkscht Fescht, they featured the Metropolitan . There was a spare engine sitting in what looked like a suitcase! Yes it was like an early example of the Smart Car.
Glad you digged this episode I kind of sort of wanna buy one of those I think that they would be really cool little car and a have i’ve been looking you could pick one up on the cheap still
Thank you again. As I said about the Nash
or Hudson Metropolitan, I was born in 1948 and was somewhere between 5 & 10 years old in the 1950's. But I do remember that one of my Father's friends had a Metropolitan. Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Thank you so much for sharing some of those memories down that lane greatly appreciate it =)
I want one of these so bad I was gonna try to buy one this year but I don’t know if I’ll be able to
one of these sat on an old home heating concrete pad behind my parents house for years growing up in the early sixties. i believe we still have pics. my aunt also had one.
They are such cool cars The sad thing is is they only produced was a little under 100,000 cars in nine years... these things used to be really cheap but I’ve been walking and values of skyrocketed... out of all the subcompacts this is probably the best one because Crosleys are smaller... American bantam is a very interesting car that I really wanna do but those are so expensive... they were made in Butler Pennsylvania which is only 25 miles down the road from me..
A small engine mechanic (worked on lawn mowers, outboards and such) had a baby blue two-tone Metro in the mid '60's. He was like 5' 11" tall but weighted in north of 250 lbs. He really filled up that front seat! His only vehicle as I recall.
I’m 6’2 240 and fit in it great
I have a close friend that transplanted a Chevy 327 into one. His was blue, don’t know the year. He took off the whole front end and reworked it to hinge on the front. He had the Chevy 350 trans and a ford 9 inch rear end. The driveshaft was about 6” long (give or take, anyway it was really short) this was in approximately 1973
1:39 Fluh-JOE-lee 7:25 Look closely and you'll see that Metro doors are interchangeable left to right & vice versa so the factory only had to build 2 identical doors for each car and have the assembly workers drill the holes reversed for the door handles and door latches when building each car. 7:52 Later on in the Metro's life, about 1958, a rear trunk lid was added so you didn't have to fold down that rear seat back in order to stow your stuff.
Thank you so much for sharing that information =)
That's really interesting- I never noticed that before! Taken to extremes - check out the NEW Citroen Ami : Even the front and rear of the car are interchangeable!
@@hunchanchoc8418 Sacré bleu! Elle est cela.
It would be cool to install a Miata drivetrain in one of these.
Or a Honda engine they’re bulletproof could you imagine this with a B 16
I've always liked Metropolitans. They always seemed so unique and destined to be collectible.
Totally agree =)
Nice car design. Thank you for putting this together
Thank you for watching it do you like the inclusion of the vintage footage i’m going to try to make that a thing going forward.. whether it’s an ad or a test.. and to be completely honest I haven’t found a format in which I’m 100% happy with the Metropolitan one is getting there. But what do you think?
I had a 1954 model when I was in High School (1958). The Austin Sprite engine would have been a good swap. It was a great little car though.
I love the styling of the series 1 and series 2 cars over the styling this one fake hood scope in front.. it really makes me want one.
Hitchhiking from Rochester NY to Elmira NY, I was lucky to get a ride all the way in a Metro. I couldn't belive my luck, it was such a cool little car!
That’s a long way to hitch hiker cool story
OH.Thank you for the mention of the Karmin-Geeah.my friend had a red Karmin-Geeah in 1964 & as he was 16 & I was only 14 I rode with him a lot & we went to numerous places in his car.
Really cool memory thank you so much for sharing that
A friend of mine drove one for while back in the 67 to 69. He inherited it from his father. Looking back, aside from it's small size, it was not a bad little car. Again, its small size did make riding in it on the Southern California Freeways, a bit nerve wracking.
Believe it or not there is more room in this than there is in a 56 thunderbird
As a long-standing fan of fine corinthian leather, I too have only just discovered this channel and it is AWESOME! Thank you for making this content - it is really fantastic (maybe with the exception of equating Lieberman with Clarkson, which I'll overlook given how great your work otherwise is!) Honestly, big future for this channel and I'll watch and like loyally from this point on. What next for a review? As an Aussie, I'm always interested in US 'orphan' sub-brands that were intended to be distinct, but part of a larger company, like Continental, Imperial, Edsel, or JV's like Eagle, Sterling etc. And fascinated by special editions with other brands - Bill Blass, etc. Regardless, I'll keep watching!!
Awesome I’m glad you like this channel.. Lieberman has nothing on clarkson but both talk in ways like Tom mcCahill definitely doing Edsel this year 1958 was my favorite growing up I’ll include toms road test of that car.. =)
Yeah, I just stumbled in.
Great review you give.
Fun, like this car. 💁🏼♂️
Awesome so glad you liked it =)
Thanks for a fun tour of a fun little car! Someone should recreate these as an electric vehicle for The Villages in Florida!
Yeah that would be awesome have you even seen a 60s Subaru they are super small somewhere between the metro and a fiat 500 (original the new fiat 500 is close to the size of the metro)
The spare tire looks like a life preserver on The Good Ship Lollipop. I had a '61 convertible back in the early '70s, lots of fun.
That’s awesome series IV was the best series as far as improvements made but I like the styling of the series I II cars that’s just me. But would be nice to have vent windows and access to the trunk
I had a 1958 Metro convertible. My Metro HAD a trunk lid.. You had to remember to turn the radio off when you parked, or you might have a dead battery when you came back. Fun little car and very economical.
Awesome I really want to buy one this year and do a long-term review. I really like the series one cars but the series one cars are kind of expensive the series 4 cars are the best ones in regard to external trunk accessibility who knows.
To me, a comic book reader from the 1950s, this will always be Lois Lane's car.
I was never into comics but I do like the flash and dc legends show I want to get into Superman the new show but I don’t really watch a lot of tv if I’m honest.. I do watch PD cam and mystery shows when working lol
Lois Lane in the Superman TV series did drive a Metro.
When I was at Primary School in south-west London during the 1960s, my headteacher, a Miss Lee owned one of these, although I think it was sold as an Austin. The white-wall tyres and the spare mounted on the back impressed me no end.
That’s awesome =) thank you for sharing
This car comes from a time of cars being designed and built in all kinds of makes, models and configurations. These metropolitan cars have always had a following from the time they were new, and still do today. They were really a good small car in their day. Unless you are standing next to one, you don’t realize just haw small these cars are. Like a 64-66 mustang, a VW Beetle, or a 68-70 Dodge Charger, this is an iconic car that spans generations in its appeal.
Yeah the metro is a foot shorter than the VW beetle. Most of that is in the wheel base despite the metro being smaller than the vw ive never been in a beetle but owned a karman Ghia and thought the metro has more space up front than the Ghia did
Nice video. I had a friend who went into the Marines for a few years after high school, he had one and gave me the keys to drive it around once in a while (his parents wouldn't touch it!). Interesting car and (as you mention) would be a nice city car. I got it up to 60 mph on the local highway once with the gas pedal floored. Room in the engine compartment - look at any car from that era and you'll see a big engine bay (even 8-cyl engines) which made it really easy to work on the engine for tune-ups, etc. No real issues changing a flat as there was plenty of room under the fenders to maneuver the loosened wheel out. I thought the later models (last 2-3 years) did have a trunk lid, but you had to remove the spare tire to get to the latch.
Added FYI: Rather than the Smart ForTwo, try a Scion IQ if you want a modern 'mini'. More room, better handling, easier engine access, and the Toyota dealers still service them and stock basic engine parts (at least my local Toyota dealer does). The Mercedes dealers need to order parts for the Smart ForTwo's if one come in for servicing, even though there are still plenty of them on the roads.
Awesome story and thank you for the added information =)
I remember riding in a metro, driving one was a trip it would "burn" rubber by just by mashing the gas. Never knew it didn't have trunk lid. Thanks for the memories
Thank you for sharing your experience on here =)
In UK built under the Austin name. Coloquially known as the Aero Car as it was used in a TV advert for Rowntree (Now Nestle) Aero Choclate- full of bubbles.
I had a 57 Met I bought from my older brother and had it for 10 yrs , just sold it 2yrs ago , fun driver
I really want to drive one they are so cool =)
I first saw the Smart Car in Canada. It had a diesel engine and according to Google:
"Consumption on the combined cycle is a staggering 85.6mpg. This means the new smart can travel 670 miles between fill-ups. This incredibly frugality is thanks to the development of the world's smallest direct injection diesel engine."
For whatever reason (this would be a good topic for a video from some car guy) when it was introduced to the US, it just had a small under-powered gas engine. It only got 33/39 mpg. Go figure. What a disappointment. When I saw that my desire for one evaporated.
Yeah I just talking to my son about Chrysler turbine car, which led into other types of fuel I remember someone in France made a car with a motor that ran off of compressed air never heard from them again. It was supposed to hit the scene in 2010. There was a also a guy who claimed to have made a water cell he disappeared after that didn’t hear anything else about it
The gas the SmartCar used also had to be Premium grade, to avoid engine ping and develop the advertised power.
Had a friend who had one and fitted a Ford of Germany V4 with auto transmission upgraded brakes to handle the extra speed but was super efficient in mpg to
That’s sounds awesome v4 a good contender
My father in law taught me to drive a 3 on the tree on a 1956 Hudson Metro convertible . Yellow and white. Wish I had one!
That’s awesome what great memory =)
One bright spring day, many car collectors were driving around Denver. I saw a Shelby Cobra and a pink Nash Metro within one block.
Two totally different cars in one day =)
Best feature is the sure-grip embossed external arm holder on the top edge of the door. No more sliding arms!
I love the Tad Burness snapshot
My dad had 2 when I was young- a convertible that my brother drove and a hardtop. Good little cars. Wish I had one now!👍
Awesome I’m looking for one to do a long review with and a couple other episodes =) hoping by spring
I had an 80 Datsun b210 5 speed that I drove to check the milage, I got 50 mpg driving hills, curves, dirt roads and towns. I wish I still had it but as old as I'm getting i might not be able to get out of it now
Datsun d210 that’s a car to look for to review I haven’t seen one in years see more 240z or 1600, 2000... the 510 are getting hard to find as well
In high school (back in the mid-'70s), a kid in auto shop, his mom gave him a Metro.
In auto shop, he overhauled the engine of the Metro. All the "cool kids" were working on big V-8s, but this guy had the "four banger" (as we derisively called them). I could not BELIEVE how small that engine was! One guy could pick it up!
6:30 I see you had the same reaction to this engine size !
I absolutely love those cars I want to compare one to a Thunderbird there is so much more space in the metropolitan and there is a Thunderbird.. It’s actually very comical I think because the space situation and they look very similar one behind the wheel
When I was a ten year old boy back in the 1950s, my uncle had a red and white coupe just like the one in this video. I remember riding in the back seat.
That’s an awesome story thank you so much for sharing =)
Thanks for the great videos! I started watching them last night and did so for two hours. For a young person, you certainly have a lot of old car knowledge. I especially like your attention to detail, on interior, dash and things that are often overlooked. We know about your book- (time to let that part go) Richard Langworth is an excellent authority and former writer for Automotive Quarterly. Keep them coming........
Thank you so much for liked this channel more awesome stuff coming =)
Get rid of pros and cons section?
My Uncle had one. I vaguely remember riding in it when I was about five or six years old. My Uncle was really tall. It was funny watching him unfold out of it. I like that Hayabusa idea.
Yeah I think it would be cool go down a path that usually wasn’t taken with the metro
The little engine and transmission with a chain drive down to a 4 speed Dodge transmission sure made a nice swamp buggy in Miami, Florida back in the early 60's....The swamp buggy was scratch built and didn't us the Metro body....
This is nice.
'74, i'm a Jr in HS and a friend has a Metro in creme yellow and white . Like new, from family.
He would sometimes drive me to see my girl friend....couple of shoulder length hair hard rock and Fusion fans but in the Metro, only Classical music. Loved it.
Sadly after about a year, it got wrecked on Halloween.
Great story I didn’t like the ending but thank you for sharing =)
The partly-covered wheel wells were a design element that Nash cars were known for at this time, so this design was used for the Metropolitan.
baby sitter had a black and white. i got to sit in the back. it was a 2 seater with a package seat in the rear where a kid could sit legs crossed. i loved it, gave me a love for mini and bubble cars.
I love these they are bigger than they look =) want to buy one been looking
My dad had a 1959, I sure wish I had it today! Oh the childhood memories....
It’s amazing how just a car or music can take you back. =)
Had a 58 as a teenager and dogged that thing badly. It never died but it limped home a few times. Your cons should have mentioned the Lucas electrical system, The prince of darkness. Lights worked as they wanted, connections came and went and one day with no one in the car the generator became a electric motor and burned the fan belt off slipping trying to turn the motor
Oh wow, I love how you explained that my mustang 67 had electrical issues and had a bad neutral safety switch one day when it was in the shop it decided to start (while mechanic was working on it almost went tho the wall) because without the safety switch it would start in gear and just take off I had them replace the wiring never did that after.
My dad bought one in 57. I inherited it when dad got a new Chevy. Hard to start in high humidity.
I've always liked these, actually got in and sat in one a friends Dad had, and I'm 6' 5 1/2" tall! It was definitely a feat to do so!
I’m 6’2 and fit perfect in this car.. yeah your dad would have trouble 6’3 maybe might be the tallest before not being comfortable
The A series engines powered all the original versions of the "Mini" as well as the earlier Morris Minor -
a version powered the MG midget until 1973. While the "B" series engine was powering the MGB until 1980.
As you might guess over the years there were a whole variety of sizes and tuning levels on these engines.
Could have honestly gone down a rabbit hole so to speak with that engine I almost an April fools video where I just kept going down rabbit holes and never got to the point
@@What.its.like. I'm an old British engine guy... they are a total rabbit hole. (Ie - the 997 and the 998 are completely different.) but the funny part - that's a "B" motor - which is the "Big" motor - by quite a bit! The British engines tend to make a lot of torque for their horsepower.
I had a 59 metro. Bought it when I was 14 with my paper route money. Paid my first parking ticket before I had a drivers license. I would drive all around the neighborhood before my dad got off work, never got caught. That was a great car, wish I still had it. Never had a girl in the back seat though. Good memories.
Yeah I was thinking it would be a good car to have now with gas prices the way they are going..
The push button to the left of the ignition is the Choke to aspirate the carburettor to get the car started. It's not fuel injected!
my aunt Edith had one of these back in the day!
I just found your channel with this video on the fascinating little Metropolitan!!! What a cool car. I just had to subscribe!! 👍👍
Welcome to the channel... lots of cool content on here with more to come =)
@@What.its.like. Thank you, I'm looking forward to seeing your cool videos!!! 😎
Good video, my friend. The later ones had a trunk door which was a big improvement.
Thank you I want/hoping to drive one sometime I’m interested in seeing what it’s like driving would love to compare this as a thunderbird
This was my first car and I LOVED IT.It was a 1962 1500 model Black and White.I wish I had it now.I miss it :(
After doing this review I want one!!!
I restored a 57 a few years back . When I drove it, I always got the same question "Does that car go in the water?" People confused it with an Amphicar.
Same size ish totally different cars
@@What.its.like. Yes.
I used to see these around and they were adorable
I had one of the early units. Great little car, except the heat came from a radiator opening on the floor/firewall. Heat on meant you opened the doors to the cover. Heat off meant you closed them. Very hot car in Nebraska heat of the summer.
I never drove a Met I would love to though maybe one day I got to drive a factory 5 cobra today might make a preview and post that tonight
I had two of these,a '54 and a "55.
I was invited to show my Roush Mustang at the 2006 Hilton Head Concours and across the grass promenade
was a Studebaker Speedster and a few cars down was a Metropolitan station wagon - the only one I've ever seen.
The girl with the car was 10 and her granddad brought her down from Canada. Light blue and white.
That would have been awesome what was that feeling like driving across the promenade?
I never knew they made a metropolitan wagon Rambler makes a really nice looking wagon in the early 50s I’ve only seen one in my lifetime if I ever came across one for sale and it’s affordable I would totally buy it. I really love the look of those plus I heard they get really good Gas mileage it’s a car that you can still use I mean it sounds sacrilege but if I ever had one of those I think I would probably swap the engine only because that engine requires a ton of maintenance. Still keep it a six cylinder may be a more modern AMC in line overhead valve six. You got my wheel spinning I just love off the beaten path Classic Cars that nobody talks about
Changing a tire would not be a problem. As you jack the car up the wheel drops down. Have you ever changed a tire?
Yeah but the skirts are fixed.. and the rear wheels you can’t spin to to line up the bolts.. it’s not as bad as say the Nash airflyte but it would still be tricky.
My Mom owned one of these. It was like riding inside a small tin can.
My Mom had a 54 Nash Metro before my folks got married. My Dad absolutely hated the car and always quipped you needed a 40 acre field to pull a U turn😂 My Mom loved it though:)
Great story =)
I really want one of these
10:20 My mom's 1960 Ford station wagon had a similar setup for the heat control.
ONE KNOB. Turn for fan off-1-2-3; pull for defrost.
I assume this was the "cheapie" version of heater; the "rich people" got a couple sliders for heat/defrost and fan speed. (we were not rich, obviously ;-)
I loved that car when I was a kid back in the late sixties.
I want so bad found one for $5k in decent shape still too expensive for me at the moment need tires for truck
I never see these cars anymore, in New York.
My parents had a used 58, either brown and white or brown and tan. I saw a couple pics of it from a relative. Mom says I rode in it, but I don't remember. Dad told me it was hard to get parts for the Austin engine, so they replaced it with a used 60 Volkswagen Beetle. Dad was basically impressed with the Met, and loved the gas mileage. He once joked that he'd fill up the oil, and check the gas, lol. Evidently, those Austin engines leaked oil like a seive.
Awesome memories thank you so much for sharing =) I want one of these
@@What.its.like. My parents' memories. 😊 I do remember our 60 Volkswagen well, and I kind of remember our 64 Ford Country Sedan, and its "knee-knocker" hung-under air conditioner.
I always think of the Superman TV series when I see the Metropolitain. (Lois Lane drove one - Nash/AMC/Rambler was probably a primary sponsor of the show, because it is pretty well the only brand of car in the series). I think it would be a VERY cool city-runabout to have. A convertible would be especially schweet.
I'D probably improve access to trunk storage by ditching the back seat and just leave the trunk open to the interior (you need a key to get in the car, so the second key and trunk door seem superfluous. Lots of room for fun retromodding with this one.
They would go one to make this car in four series in its final form it had vent windows and outside trunk access they also were offered as a convertible did a review on the convertible model haven’t got to drive one yet tho
Great cars🎉 toodaloo!
I have said EXACTLY what you said about the Smart car. Great video!
That’s awesome... at least I’m not the only one.. I’ve never been in one but if you’re gonna buy a car that small and get the dismal gas mileage that it gets for being that small should find a peel p50 that car was said to be cheaper than walking back in the day hundred miles to the gallon depending on how big you are not fast but economical..
I had a 92 civic DX Five speed the engine was out of A del sol B16A that car for what it was was one of the most fun cars that I’ve ever owned the snot out of it and get 40 miles to the gallon it would do 120 it was front wheel drive you could burn out in the first year second gear second gear and chirp third gear when I bought mine it was all riced out big fart can on the back The only reason I sold the car was I got married and it wasn’t big enough and the shifter kept breaking.. and got tired of fixing it sold it I had that and the 67 mustang same time
Excuse me, but the very first car to get the 1500 (1489 cc) was the MG Magnette ZA, but it never gets a mention.
I’m sorry I just listed the engines on the one reference I didn’t go through each car that offered that engine.. this engine can also be found in not all the other cars this engine is found in
when i was a kid, my mother's friend had a black/white one. we got 2 large adults in the front and 5 kids in the back!
Awesome story thank you so much for sharing that awesome memory =)
Always Loved These Little Metropolitans ❤🤠🇨🇦
Me too I’ve been looking for one to buy
What extremes. Back then one of Mom's coworkers had the '57 Metro and that back seat was just big enough for 4 year-old me. Another coworker friend had the '57 Merc Turnpike Cruiser you could have probably fit the Metro in if it folded at the waist.
Turnpike cruiser was a big car.
They were also sold here in Australia, but as Austins. Tiny cars in bright colours, very much a British idea of what would appeal to US motorists. Not very many sold here either.
Same here in Britain, I've always known them as the Austin Metropolitan, didn't know it had American roots.
They did appeal to US motorists. American Motors, which sold them here, did a lot of public opinion polls on the Metro before they committed to selling them.
@@hebneh Production of under 100,000 in 8 or so years does not show much appeal.
@@doubledee9675 Being in production for 8 or so years shows enough appeal to be carried for that long.
@@hebneh More likely that despite their lack of appeal to either the US or Australian markets, they were kept in production in the hope of selling enough to pay for the design and tooling.
Good job 👌 watching from Ohio Smitty out 👋👋👋
That’s awesome thank you so much I’m glad you like this review it took me forever to put this one together =)
Small car - great look - miss these on the road.
I really want to own a Nash product really like the cross country wagon, as well as the metropolitan I’d like to drive the met, well both really.. I’ve been looking for a met to Commute in lol