From Wikipedia: The Metropolitan was designed in the U.S. and it was patterned from a concept car, the NXI (Nash Experimental International), It was designed as a "commuter/shopping car" with resemblance to the big Nash, but the scale was tiny as the Met's wheelbase was shorter than a VW Beetle's. Nash was positioning this new product for the emerging postwar market for "personal use" autos. These specific use vehicles were as a second-car for women, or an economical commuter car. The Metropolitan was also aimed at returning Nash to overseas markets. However, Mason and Nash management calculated that it would not be viable to build such a car from scratch in the U.S. because the tooling costs would have been prohibitive. The only cost-effective option was to build overseas using existing mechanical components, leaving only the tooling cost for body panels and other unique components. Nash Motors negotiated with several European companies. On October 5, 1952, they announced that they had selected the Austin Motor Company (by then part of BMC) and Fisher & Ludlow (which also became part of BMC in September 1953), both English companies based around Birmingham, England. Fisher & Ludlow would produce the bodywork, while the mechanicals would be provided, as well as final assembly undertaken, by the Austin Motor Company. This was the first time an American-designed car, that was to be exclusively marketed in North America, 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. 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-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 AM radio, "Weather Eye" heater, and whitewall tires 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).

This is a heater from 1911, it's one of the first electric heaters. It has an on/off leaver and on the side it has another leaver that moves the top section of the heater to point upwards...informed this was to heat kettles/water etc... It was in a skip, and we got it for free!! (ask first before you dive in) They chucked it out because it didn't work. When we got it back it blew our fuse box. We gave it to my partners Dad who has now put a new wire on it as the old one was rotting, hence why it kept tripping. It's now good as new and works perfectly! Not bad for nothing ;-)