There were indeed two versions of the Metropolitan horn button produced.
The Nash style horn button is pictured in the pre Metropolitan technical
service manual entitled "Nash Technical Service Manual NKI models
541/542". There are two figures, numbered 42 and 44 respectively, that
clearly depict a Nash horn button. Its part number was 811-1450. It has
been my personal observation over the years that this horn button
appears primarily on the very first "A series" 540/541 body styles. The
Metropolitan parts catalogue does not refer to any service notes which
would otherwise designate via a specific serial number when any
changeover to the more prevalent "plain" horn button may have taken
place. AMC's parts manual simply refers to one horn button as the 540
series "Nash", and the other as the 560 series "plain" horn button. That
"plain" horn buttons' part number was 811-1911.
The hubcap on the Met was either the Nash script, part number 811-0888,
or the M style hubcap, part number 811-1909. No other hubcap was ever
listed for the Met. I have never seen a Met with the script of "Hudson"
stamped on its wheel hub cap in any factory photos, or mentioned in any
interdepartmental letters or service bulletins.
It is my belief that any confusion with respect to what was original
equipment or not on the Hudson badged Metropolitan is the result of the
apparent liberties taken by the artists in AMC's advertising department
when they produced those very colorful lithographic brochures for both
Nash and Hudson 540 series Mets. The Hudson Met brochure (Form number
AM5458) clearly depicts both 540 and 541 Hudson models with no "M" and
certainly no "Nash" script on the wheel hub caps. The wheel hub caps
appear to be simply a plain chrome disc. If it was AMCs intention to
produce a plain wheel hub cap for the Hudson badged Met, they
certainly never bothered to give it a corresponding part number!
Careful examination of those two almost identical color brochures
produced by the advertising department for both the
Nash(NSP55-1858-1-200M-5-55) and the aforementioned Hudson (AM5458)
sales brochures, confirms the air brushing of the Hudson Brochure. In
both brochures, identical vehicles are depicted in the exact same
position, carrying identical passengers, who are positioned in exactly
the same place, each having the same expression on their faces. There
is, however, one difference between the two brochures. Have you guessed
it? The Hudson brochure pictures the Met with a Hudson grill medallion,
while the Nash brochure depicts that same Met with a Nash grille
medallion! It is highly unlikely a photographer could snap two
seperate photos that just happened to turn out to exactly match each
other with respect to position and content. Indeed, even the "M"
hubcaps appear airbrushed in the corresponding Nash brochure. The
letter "M" depicted on the rear hubcap of one Met in the Nash brochure
appears to cover the entire circumference of the hubcap!
It is my guess that most of the confusion with respect to the existence
of a Hudson Metropolitan hubcap is in large part a result of Met owners
reading those colorful Met brochures such as form AM5458. You certainly
would have had a hard time ordering a plain chrome "Hudson" road wheel
cap from your local AMC parts counter. As far as I can tell, the part
number did not exist.
I hope this helps.
best wishes;
Chris Custin
MOCNA History Team