At $12,000, Is This 1955 Hudson Metropolitan That Good Thing That Comes In A Small Package?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Metropolitan isn’t the expected Nash edition, but a far rarer Hudson-branded car. While seemingly in good shape and cute as a button, we’ll still have to decide if its asking price reveals an ugly truth.

There was once a superstition amongst soldiers that if three of them lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed shortly thereafter. This led to the practice being seen as bad luck, and hence it was dissuaded, despite potential match supply challenges at the frontline. This superstition was well-known enough that it served as the title and plot device for the lurid 1932 crime potboiler ‘3 on a Match’, one of the earliest film outings for both Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.

The 1983 Trihawk roadster we looked at yesterday has three wheels, but potentially no curse related to that odd number. A $10,000 price tag was ill-fated, however, earning the oddball trike an 83% ‘No Dice’ loss.

Speaking of wars, we have two economic policies instituted immediately after World War II to thank for today’s 1955 Hudson Metropolitan. The first of those is the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the ‘GI Bill.’ This package of business loans, low-cost mortgages, and educational incentives made it easier for returning service members to transition back into civilian life. That, in turn, stimulated the American economy, creating a post-war boom, and allowed households the opportunity to have more than one car. Designed by Nash-Kelvinator, the Metropolitan was positioned as such a second car, intended for use in shopping or commuting to the train station for work. If you’d like to learn more about how the GI Bill affected returning veterans, I highly recommend this memoir.

The second post-WWII economic policy that affected the Metropolitan’s prospects was the Marshall Plan, officially, the European Recovery Program or ERP. Driven by the U.S., the plan offered foreign aid to Western European countries, allowing industries to rebuild and communities to become sustainable once again. Nash took advantage of this growth and available production capacity to make the Metropolitan a reality.

Nash’s bean counters calculated that the only way for a small, inexpensive car to be profitable was to contract out its build overseas with a carmaker that already had the mechanicals that would fit such a diminutive dynamo. After investigating several options, Nash settled on Austin Motors for the build and Fisher & Ludlow for the body stamping. Both companies were, at that time, based in Birmingham, England. Austin also provided much of the drivetrain componentry, including the OHV four-cylinder engine and three-on-the-tree manual gearbox.

Debuting in October of 1953, the first batch of cars was powered by Austin’s A40 1,200cc engine. By the second model year, that had been replaced by a 1,500cc edition of the BMC B-Series four, the same engine (albeit with one less carb) as in the MGA and later, the MGB. Fitted to the Metro, the 1500 B-Series made 55 horsepower, giving the car a 70-mile-per-hour stop speed and a zero-to-sixty time of a fortnight.

Initially, all Metropolitans were sold under the Nash brand. When that company merged with Hudson in 1954 to create the American Motors Corporation, a second model, the Hudson Metropolitan, was introduced. The Nash and Hudson models are differentiated by their grille medallions and the letters embossed in their hubcaps.

This one is a more rare Hudson edition, although it is missing all of its wheel covers. Despite that fashion faux pas, the car appears to be in ready-to-drive condition. According to the ad, it has also had a slew of recent mechanical refurbishments this year, with the seller claiming over $12K in receipts for the work.

This included rebuilding both the brake and fuel systems, a refreshed shifter mechanism, new steering and front suspension parts, and a full engine tune-up. On the aesthetic front, the car’s paint appears to be in solid shape, although, to its detriment, it is a solid color and not one of the common two-tone affairs that make these cars even cuter. In addition, there is a new convertible top that we see both raised and lowered. A full-width bench in black vinyl, accented by red piping, offers tight three-across seating, and there’s even a small seat/parcel shelf behind it, which also serves as trunk access. Per the ad, the car has 102,184 miles on the clock, and it comes with a clean title.

This Metro is described by its seller as “A nice car to drive and enjoy as-is, or take it to the next level.” Whatever level that might be, the first rung on the ladder to getting there is the $12,000 asking price. This seems to be a solid classic, needing little to be enjoyed as is, and a little more to be showcased competitively, with hopes of earning trophies. All the mechanical work means that it can be used and enjoyed while the decision is being considered.

What’s your take on this Hudson and that $12,000 price tag? Does that seem fair, all things considered? Or would you not spend that much even if some sort of government incentive was involved?

You decide!

San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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