Gas prices in California are already well over $4 per gallon and don’t show signs of dropping any time soon. The rest of the country is close behind or already at $4 per gallon as well. With ever increasing prices it is getting pricier and pricier to back that classic V-8 out of the driveway for a cruise.
Never fear though as we have a list of 1950s era cars that boast record breaking MPGs for their day that are still available to the classic car collectors of today. Our list happens to focus on 50s era vehicles, but if you were to look around you are certain to find other models as well from the 60s, 70s & 80s.
It should come to no surprise that some of these collector classics are midget-size cars like Crosley and the King Midget. However we also have a few that make the list that still can provide ample leg room and enough luggage storage for those weekend getaways. With gas price hikes showing no sign of slowing down, we believe these classic cars are a great investment for the future…as gas prices rise the price for these fuel efficient classics should rise as well. Plus you can presently save plenty of cash on fuel for your road trips today.
If you tow your collector to shows you can take advantage of savings as well. You will no longer need that super-duty full size truck and trailer to haul your prized possession. A mini-truck and small car trailer will work just fine. Not only will you save money on the initial truck and trailer purchase, but you will notice the difference when filling up your pickup hauler with gas as well.
1950 Nash 600: The proof is in the title. This car claimed to be able to travel 600 miles on a single tank of gas. This full size car had a 20 gallon tank and a small flathead V-6. Offered through 1950 this was the go to car for fuel efficiency that the entire family could pile into. The claim was made that this car could get up to 30 MPG and was the first of its kind.
1951-1954 Henry J: This vehicle was named after the famous industrialist Henry J Kaiser. Henry started building cars with his partner Joseph Frazer in 1945 and together they came up with this 100 inch wheel based coupe that claimed to be able to take up to 5 passengers for a ride and still get 25 MPG. It proved its economical worthiness in 1953 by winning the Mobilgas Economy run.
1952-1955 Aero Willys: This is one of the first true American-made compact cars. You can tell by the picture that they tried to capture the lines and styling of its full size competitors. These cars initially had the same four cylinder engine that was used in the Henry J shown above and claimed to reach a fuel efficiency of 35 MPG. You could pick up this model as a 2 door wagon, 2 and 4 door sedans, but it is the hardtop Eagle and Bermuda editions that collectors really go for.
1953-1954 Hudson Jet: Modeled to look like a full sized ford, the Hudson Jet was another American compact car that had a wheel base of only 100 inches. With a 202 cid six cylinder engine this car could reportedly still get 31 MPG. That is good even by today’s standards, but still suffered from slow sales in 53-54. Hudson tried to swing America’s vote of confidence with the Teacup Test by demonstrating how far the Jet could make it on a single teacup of gasoline.
1950–55 MG T-Series: After WWII the British brought the sports car craze to America with MG Midget car. These economy cars had low rear-end ratios and dual carbs that did not produce the MPGs everyone thought with the initial 1950-53 models. The 1954-55 models however were said to be able to accomplish 25+ MPGs which is still pretty impressive.
1951–54 Nash-Healey: Donald Healey, co-founder of the Donald Healey motor Company of England, was on his way to visit General Motors in America to see if they would provide a motor for his newest vehicle. On his way over Donald met up with George Nash on the Queen Elizabeth II and Mason promised that Nash Motors would produce the motors if GM was not up to the job. The result was a new era of American-European sports cars that had up to 135 hp and still delivered up to 28 MPGs.
1950–56 Nash Rambler: This was the car that was made famous by the popular song “Beep Beep” by The Playmates in 1958. Considered by many to be the first successful post-war compact, the Nash Rambler came with a 172.6 cid six cylinder motor that produced around 82 hp. It came with a 3 speed manual gearbox and offered an optional overdrive for an additional charge. With the overdrive the Nash Rambler could produce up to 25 MPG. The most coveted of all Ramblers is the Landau convertible that has a roll up top.
1950–52 Crosley: Powel Crosley was a very influential businessman, inventor and American entrepreneur. He owned the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and also created a number of consumer products for Americans including refrigerators, radios and other household appliances…he also built small cars. He turned his efforts toward producing military items during WWI, but soon after the war Crosley soon went back into producing cars. By 1950 Crosley was putting out cars that only sold for $850 and could get 25 to 35 MPG. By 1953 his vehicle production came to a full stop as Americans were still buying larger cars and didn’t care too much about fuel efficiency.
1950–59 King Midget: What looks like a cross between a midget racer and a child’s car is actually the King Midget. By 1958 they had squared off the body style and added some fancy wings (pictured above), but this 9 hp motor just wasn’t enough for the American demand for power. It got unbelievable gas mileage. Too bad it took five times as long to get anywhere. The one cylinder engine and automatic transmission was coupled with a belt-drive system that turned the back wheels. It was only $550, but still too steep of a price to pay for how painfully slow it was.
1954–59 Nash Metropolitan: Based of the Nash NXI show car, the little “Metro” was a spunky little Austin 4 cylinder engine car built in England and sold by Nash dealers in America. The Metropolitan was a cute little 2-seater that reportedly got anywhere from 25-39 MPG depending on driving conditions. This car is highly collected and if you ever get the chance to drive one you will see why. They are a blast to drive and even more fun when you have to fill up the tank.
Regardless of future gasoline prices, classic car enthusiast will always find a way to fill the tank and take their prized possessions for a spin. With that being said we all might want to consider saving our wallets from future fuel costs by picking up one of these little gas sippers.
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