METRO MADNESS

I don’t often buy motoring magazines but I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of your latest one ( NZ Classic Driver Jan/Feb 2022) – purely because of the cute little Nash Metropolitans on the cover. I really enjoyed your feature on these cars as it brought back many happy memories from my childhood. In the early ’60s when I was around 10-12 years old, one of my uncles owned a lovely red and white Metropolitan and I remember it looking so much brighter and more colourful than my father’s car – a dull green Ford Prefect 100E. I particularly remember one year squeezing into the Nash’s back seat with my younger sister for the drive from Liverpool to Blackpool for the switching on of the famous illuminations. I can’t remember how long the journey took, but at the time it seemed like hours and hours with us kids pestering Uncle Bob with our continual cries of “how much longer!” The Metropolitan’s rear seats weren’t that comfortable – although no worse than those in the family Prefect. However, they couldn’t have been that bad as both myself and my sister fell asleep on the return journey – hardly surprising after such an eventful day.

I’ll be 70 years old next year (and almost 30 years in NZ) but I still remember that day trip to Blackpool crammed into the Nash. Uncle Bob passed away many years ago and I have no idea what would’ve happened to his Metropolitan – hopefully it’s still around in the UK.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane – I promise to buy your magazine again!

J A Davis, via email

Glad you enjoyed the feature – I also remember trips to the Blackpool illuminations when I was a young lad. Candy floss, pickled periwinkles and George Formby records being played over the PA system! AGW