The elfish Geo Metro amounted to one of the nine lives of the Suzuki Cultus, a car that was badged variously as the Suzuki Swift, the Chevy Sprint, and the Pontiac Firefly from 1985 to 1989. General Motors, partnering with Suzuki to cultivate the halo of fuel efficiency, launched the Geo Metro brand in 1989, and the car was rebadged yet again. The magic of marketing (“Get to Know Geo!”) helped propel the car through four generations. With decades of hindsight, some hearts have grown fond of this nearly disposable econo-box: a low-mileage example of the later Chevy Metro (same car) sold for over $18k, while RM Sotheby’s auctioned a cheerful ’92 convertible for $4400. That Sotheby’s would even touch a Metro is a bit shocking. But perhaps they were on to something because a more recent offering (also a convertible) breached five figures. All of this is by way of introducing this 1992 Geo Metro convertible here on craigslist, with an asking price of $6600. This car is located in Port Saint Lucie, Florida and you can drive it home. Rocco B found this pint-sized listing for us – thanks!
By all accounts, the Geo Metro was an awful car. Thrown together using the thinnest possible sheet metal, a chassis that could outflex Gumby, a skimpy plastic interior, rainy-day grey upholstery, zero power accessories, and a noisy, asthmatic 55 hp three-cylinder engine, the poor thing could barely get out of its own way despite weighing only about 1600 lbs. Production at CAMI – GM’s Canadian plant charged with making the Metro/Swift/Firefly variants – peaked at about 100,000 for a few years, then fell drastically by 2000. The offset to this misery is sterling fuel efficiency – about 50 mpg. The seller notes that his car has been well-maintained and the odometer reads only 68,000. Ok, it’s also kinda cute.
The bare-bones interior is not built to cradle or comfort you. The seat padding is thin and there’s virtually no insulation in the cabin. On the other hand, as Geo Metros go, this interior is in great condition – and it’s equipped with a five-speed manual, a step above the three-speed automatic.
A couple of dents mar the decklid, but all in all, for a cheap car this one is remarkably preserved. If the mileage really is only 68k, there’s likely some life in her yet: here are mileage claims that run well over 100k on original engines and transmissions. Speaking of which, yes, there are a few Geo Metro clubs (I think they pal around with the Yugo guys), proving that this tiny, terrible car is slinking toward cult status. Could this car ever be accepted into your garage?
Wow, we only got the Suzuki hatch over here (it’s full name) with the 543cc 3 cly, or the “big block” 800cc 3 cly and the mighty boy, the ute version.
My gf (now ex wife) at the time bought one as her first car.
Lunch box on wheels we called it. I traded it in for a Suzuki katana, lol. She got my Brock Commodore as her daily drive.
Our version might have had one or two more hp than yours! Doesn’t matter, they all needed a tailwind to merge with traffic on the highway….
When my gf and I moved in together, she said I had to drive her Suzuki to work, as it was cheaper than my V8 Brock Commodore, her reasoning, she had 3 miles to go to Work and I had 30.
The writing was on the wall way back then, and I still married her, lol.
Oh on our wedding day, she gave me an ultimatum, the katana or her, need I say AFTER we were married lol.
Whatever the brand name, I wouldn’t give 2, cents for one of these.👎. Maybe to place in the trunk of a LAND YACHT as a spare 😉. Even smaller than a friend’s Maverick. Once reluctantly took a road trip in THAT POS. Felt like by butt hit the floor with every bump while legs were cramped. Not surprised that Sotheby’s refused, as they are only about the BEST, as opposed to the WORST. Give me my Great American Land YACHTS any day. Let these little POS eat my dust and be Gone With the Wind, as I am On to VERSAILLES! 😀 😄 😁 🤣. To each his own, but this 👶 baby would be difficult for even mama to love!
Too funny. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. They were never desirable, not when they were new, not now.
Maybe in 250 years.
There are actually a lot of people into these.
Puddles, I hate to think what the WORLD will be in 250 years! Truly believe we are fortunate to have lived the better part of our lives in the BEST nation 🇺🇸 ever, at the BEST time.
Actually the writeup says that Sotheby’s sold one for $4400
Actually, many liked these… there was a guy down the street from me that had a collection of them… I remember when he bought and built one of those Home Depot sheds to stash the overflow… He was having a lot of fun, and that’s all that matters. Not much different than all the little British and Italian things in my fleet…
What´s wrong with you? Do you beat your wife and kick the dog also? Sure souinds like it. Somebody loved this little tyke and here you come along tearing it (and thereby him) down. If you can{´t say anything nice and I doubt you have said anything kind in your life, you should just go away in your land yacht. You mentioned that you took a trip in a friend´s Maverick — you have a friend? Wonders will never cease.
When I worked at the shop in Denver a customer brought a Metro to us for diagnosis. It needed an engine and I ended up purchasing the car to replace the engine and resell. It was a tinny crappy little car but I knew I would have no problem selling it because they were sought after for their fuel mileage. People ultimately need cheap reliable transportation and most live hand to mouth.
So I fixed this car up made sure it was in top mechanical condition and sold it after listing a couple days. Four years later I got this random call on my cell. I answered it and it was the person who bought the Metro. They asked me if I had another one they could buy because they put over 100K on the one I sold them. They loved that car.
The Metro convertible might be the modern day Nash Metropolitan, and I’m not saying that just because it shares practically the same name. It’s a tiny ragtop that’s fairly reliable and can seat two. I’m glad to see the manual in this one. This will appreciate slowly but at least it can be enjoyed as an in-town cruiser as long as just a few weekend miles are put on it.
Back in the 90s, we owned a 5-speed Sprint and later an automatic one for my son to drive on his delivery job. The automatic was a real dog, draining any acceleration they had and causing the engine to run at much higher revs on the freeway. Yeah, they rode rough and were very spartan, but we loved them for what they were, not deriding them for what they weren’t. We also owned (within years of the Sprints) a couple of 76 Coupe de Villes, but the thought of comparing the two never entered our minds. Too much “apples to oranges”.
I owned a yellow one. When stationed I California. Put over 100k on it w/o any problems. 3 cylinder 1.0 engine would run 77 mph on a flat road. 50 mpg was easy. Had to down shift going up the hills to Vegas
Had an associate who was into these.
Can understand why anyone who survived these would frequent Vegas
My friend’s brother had a Turbo version of the Swift. He swears that his brother could chirp the tires in three gears!
They are sought after by RV motorhome drivers as tow cars.
My daughters first car that we built and customized from 3 relics
It had the swift interior , a dodge stealth rear wing ,bumpers were also swift and it had a pink panther color paint job , neon lights in and out with a booming sound system … it wasvery age appropriate and she actually made it to a few car shows following me. When i had my convertible firebird …
Good times
YOLO
I owned one and loved it. Great around town. Great on gas and insurance. Toughest thing was finding tires for it. Had over 200k miles when I sold it.
Everyone I knew who had a Metro or Storm absolutely loved them. They aren’t tire fryers nor were they met to be. Just little commuters or city cars. Often they were the cheapest way into new car ownership that was affordable.
Mine was used by the time I had it but a long way from the beater status every car I’d had before was at. A blue ’93 5-speed 2 door hatchback. Good car for me in my early 20s since I could drive it flat-out all the time and still stay out of trouble.
Wow. Remarkable price. I have a 1990 red convertible sitting in our garage. Automatic unfortunately. It was always fun as we didn’t expect much. Lol
Had a coworker that was 300+lbs that drove one of these back in the 90’s, funny as heck seeing him getting in & out of it.
Miserable car? Only if your tastes run to power everything, driver “assists,” Bluetooth, numb electric power steering.
I have had three of those. Only complaint is, they do not last. 100k is all you’re likely to get out of them – anything over, is luck, basically.
But in driving, the car was a hoot. Light direct steering, that three-cylinder wasn’t powerful but it loved to rev. The shift linkage worked better than any X-body GM car, and the tactile feel in running it, was that you were WEARING the car. Like a belt pack.
That, and 45-50 mpg. The high mileage, and the ridiculous low prices these things sold for used, meant basically you were driving for nothing. A great second commuter car – leave the good car in the garage, take this down to the shop daily.
When I ran Far West Rent a Car I owned 6 of them They were simple but great cars. We did service the cars after each rental including changing the oil and filter every 2500 miles ( Cars now at 10K miles??)
I drove one North to Lake Tahoe the “back way” up hiway 395. It zoomed with the 5 speed; Come to a grade downshift to 4th or even 3rd gear. It got 50 mpg.
Like the Yugo, an underrated car by owners of ugly SUV’s
I rented one of these. Once. Never again. Brand new as a rental car with less than a thousand miles, I almost wadded it going around a ramp from I 405 to US 101 in LA when the rear end started to come around. The day before I had taken the same ramp at least 15mph faster – in my grandmother’s 1970 Peugeot 504.
Probably there was a low rear tire.
Perhaps a slow leak or a nail. It happened to me, also…the rear was so light, the tire, with about eight pounds in it, didn’t look flat. But it sure sent me wobbling on a wet, slippery road.
Here we go again…a few Metros I see on a regular basis including a Tracker in the retirement community.
“zero power accessories” I mean really, how hard is it to roll down a window or push the door lock button yourself? A car this size doesn’t need power steering. Looks like a fun little convertible to drive around town in the summer. It would depend on how it was treated by the previous owner.
Do you want a car that has plenty of available parts? Actually drives like a sports car should? Then buy a Mazda miata! I’m glad I did – OEM parts galore + after market + large club following + events + designed and drives like a real sports car. Leave the odd ball stuff to the guys with “deep pockets”.
Old Kurt
these were made a good while ago but still sought out locally (esp this 3 cyl) by all the truck drivers when the gas price tips up a few cents.
I just turboed it’s nephew the Tracker & threw ina standard for a customer. Sotheby’s is just too stuck up. Plenty ppl want them. In the same direction (opposite?) I’m surprised to see Michelle do the write up.