Editing Nash Metropolitan (section)

==Design==
While most domestic automobile makers were following a "bigger-is-better" philosophy, [[Nash Motors|Nash Motor Company]] executives were examining the market to offer American buyers an economical transportation alternative. The Metropolitan was designed in [[Kenosha, Wisconsin]]. It was patterned from a [[concept car]], the ''NXI'' (Nash Experimental International), that was built by [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]-based independent designer William J. Flajole for [[Nash-Kelvinator Corporation|Nash-Kelvinator]].<ref name="foster05"/> It was designed as the ''second car in a two car family'', for Mom taking the kids to school or shopping or for Dad to drive to the railroad station to ride to work:<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Nd8DAAAAMBAJ&q=Americas+Smallest+Car&pg=PA88 |title=America's Smallest Car – the Metropolitan |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=April 1954 |volume=101 |issue=4 |pages=88–90, 260–262 |first=Arthur |last=Railton |via=Google Books |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> the "commuter/shopping car" with resemblance to the big Nash, but the scale was tiny as the Met's wheelbase was shorter than the [[Volkswagen Beetle]]'s.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1954-1956-nash-metropolitan-series-54.htm |title=1954–1956 Nash Metropolitan Series 54 |website=How Stuff Works |date=24 July 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200805081704/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1954-1956-nash-metropolitan-series-54.htm |archive-date=5 August 2020 |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>

The NXI design study incorporated many innovative features and attempted to use interchangeable front and rear components (the symmetrical door skins were the only interchangeable items used in production). Although more complex, the new vehicle also incorporated Nash's advanced single-unit ([[Vehicle frame#Unibody|unit body]]) construction. It was displayed at several "surviews" (survey-previews), commencing on 4 January 1950, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, to gauge the reaction of the American motoring public to a car of this size. The result of these "surviews" convinced Nash that there was a market for such a car if it could be built at a competitive price.

A series of [[prototype]]s followed that incorporated many of the improvements from the "surviews" that included roll-up glass side windows, a more powerful engine, and a column-mounted transmission shifter with bench seat (rather than bucket-type seats with floor shift fitted in the concept car). The model was named ''NKI'' (for Nash-Kelvinator International), and it featured revised styling incorporating a hood blister and rear wheel cutouts.<ref name="foster05"/>

Nash was positioning this new product for the postwar market for "personal use" autos.<ref name="sketch">{{cite book|last=Foster |first=Patrick R. |title=The Nash Styling Sketchbook |publisher=Olde Milford Press |year=1998 |page=2 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BPqI4GNSPNQC&q=Women&pg=PP7 |isbn=978-0-9662019-0-1 |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> These specific use vehicles were as a second car for women or an economical commuter car.<ref name="sketch"/> The Metropolitan was also aimed at returning Nash to overseas markets. However, Mason and Nash's management calculated that building such a car from scratch in the U.S. would be impossible because the tooling costs would have been prohibitive. The only cost-effective option was to build overseas using existing mechanical components (engine, transmission, rear end, suspension, brakes, electrical), leaving only the tooling cost for body panels and other unique elements.

With this in mind, Nash Motors negotiated with several European companies. On 5 October 1952, they announced that they had selected the [[Austin Motor Company]] (by then part of [[British Motor Corporation|BMC]]) and [[Fisher & Ludlow]] (which also became part of BMC in September 1953, later operating under the name Pressed Steel Fisher), both English companies based in [[Birmingham, England]] and vicinity. Fisher & Ludlow would produce the bodywork, the mechanicals would be provided, and the Austin Motor Company would perform the final assembly. This was the first time an American-designed car was exclusively marketed in North America and had been entirely built in Europe. It became a [[captive import]] – a foreign-built vehicle sold and serviced by Nash (and later by American Motors) through its dealer distribution system. It is believed that Austin completed the first pre-production prototype on 2 December 1952. In all, five pre-production prototypes were built by Austin Motors and tested before the start of production. The total tooling cost amounted to US$1,018,475.94 (Austin: US$197,849.14; Fisher & Ludlow: US$820,626.80), a fraction of the tooling cost for a U.S.-built vehicle.

The styling for all Nash vehicles then was an amalgam of designs from [[Pininfarina|Pinin Farina and his design house]] of Italy and the in-house Nash design team. The Nash models, from the Ambassador to the Metropolitan, utilized similar design features, including fully enclosed front wheels, notched "pillow" style door pressing, bar-style grille, etc.

The new Metropolitan was made in two body designs: convertible and hardtop. All came with several standard features that were optional on most cars of the era. Among these factory-installed benefits for customers were a map light, electric windshield wipers, cigar lighter, and even a "[[Continental tire|continental-type]]" rear-mounted spare tire with cover. To give a "luxury" image to the interior, "[[Bedford cord]]" upholstery trimmed with leather was used (similar to larger Nash vehicles). An [[amplitude modulation|AM]] radio, "[[Weather Eye]]" heater, and [[whitewall tire]]s were offered as optional extras for the U.S. market. (It is unlikely that a Metropolitan could have been purchased without a heater and radio, as all vehicles left the factory with both items fitted.)

The Metropolitan was the first postwar American car that was marketed specifically to women.<ref name="Fitzgerald">{{cite magazine|url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1961-nash-metropolitan-convertible |last=Fitzgerald |first=Craig |title=1961 Nash Metropolitan Convertible |magazine=Hemmings Classic Car |date=October 2005 |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref> The [[Dodge La Femme]] was introduced one year later. The first spokesperson for the car was Miss America 1954, [[Evelyn Ay Sempier]]. The car was prominently advertised in ''[[Women's Wear Daily]]''.<ref name="Fitzgerald"/> American Motors' marketing brochures described the new model as "America's entirely new kind of car" (1955), "Luxury in Miniature" (1959), and "crafted for personal transportation" (1960).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.metropolitan-library.com/BrochuresNA1.html |title=Sales brochures (various years) |publisher=Metropolitan Library Website |access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>