1964 Hillman Super Minx Mk2 Goes for a Drive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2024
- The Hillman Super Minx was Rootes Group's mid level, mid size competitor in the fierce family saloon car market, against the like of Austin Cambridge, Ford Corsair and Vauxhall Victor, but was the Hillman's cool style, smoother engine and superior build quality enough to make it a better buy?
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Just love the Super Minx, my dad had one many moons ago and loved it. He sold it to the neighbour because he thought it would fail the MOT but actually flew through it. That was 1976 and the neighbour, Brian still has it to this day. He always makes a point of telling my dad that it's just passed another test.
i worked in a Rootes Group agency for a while - 1964 - 1966. The whole range were beautiful cars, we were proud of them! I had a 1961 Singer Gazelle convertible - what a beauty! Loved it! The lady I eventually married always said she only fancied me for the car.......
My Uncle had one of those, and towed a caravan. Can you imagine the spectacle, two adults and a dog in the front, two adults with two children in between squeezed in the back and no seat belts as we all trundled off to Wales or Blackpool for the weekend.
Boy, this brought back some memories most of which can't be described here. That bench style front seat came in very handy! It was my dad's car which I used for evening adventures. Always drove at car's limits - my best time was 0 -50 mph in 15 seconds. I also got 80 mph out of her as I had to drive through Glasgow's roughest toughest neighbourhood. Always drove flat out so in the event of engine failure maybe I could freewheel far enough to reach civilization and live to have an other adventure.
Just to be clear - my comments were about the Austin Cambridge. Somehow got tagged to Hillman Super Minx.
My uncle drove my dads 1961 at 100 miles a hour on the motorway many years ago.
Dad had this car for 19 years.
I've always admired the tail end treatment on these Minx - they look a lot like a mid-1960s Bristol.
I think they used the same tail lights.
And now the Bristol is no more,another great car disappearing into history and oblivion.
But the Bristol gives a far, far more superior ride, handles better and looks way smarter.
/
@@drspaseebo410 It's also wasn't built down to a price like the Hillman was. There is only so much that mass-market cars can achieve and I'd say that Rootes Group was an overachiever.
@@hugebartlett1884 luckily, someone has bought up the Bristol company, and is bringing it back!
Pretty good assessment of car which I don't think is as popular as many other 1960s classic these days. Very much enjoyed it as always!
Id rate it above the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall, a very nice car to drive
@@furiousdriving, yes, the Vauxhall Victor FC and the Ford Corsair were not as characterful as one of these, were they?
My dad had one as his first car. He drove from Kent to St Tropez in it in 1972.
I can't believe that I can still see videos about the 1964 Hillman Super Minx. This was my first car back in 2016 and I still drive it around the Gold Coast and it turns heads all the time. These things really were built to last.
As a boy in the 60s I remember Anderson's of Newton mearns a major rootes dealer in glasgow at the time,my uncle would browse the accessories and i would wander round the showroom looking at the hillmans singers and humbers.the staff allowed you sit in the cars and take away brochures,Great days.
Brochure collecting was a great hobby! I still have boxes of them in the loft, I have to organise them some time...
As you sat in them did you go Brrrmm Brrmm?
Jim Brown ooo
I owned one of these cars in the early 1970s for about 2 years it was a pleasure to drive on the open road just lacked a radio
This was our family car for many years, I still remember as a young boy looking at the pictures in the brochure when my parents were considering which car to buy, and thinking just how special it looked, so was really excited when Dad bought one. A great spacious family car with many happy memories for me.
Loved the Hillman Super Minx, it reminded me of my early childhood, as my parents had one almost identical as the family car! It was a 63 model, they had one of the first Austin 1100 prior to my arrival in 1967, but felt the 1100 was to small and got the Super Minx! Father hit an Escort van that had pull out on him, Escort was a write off. The super minx needed a wing and headlight. It lasted a few more years then failed an MOT it's the first car I remember as being the family car!
The days when safety was an afterthought, the aformentioned glove box lid, no seatbelts, head restraints and a fuel tank in the rear wing but what a lovely old car.
Here’s a true story. I owned a Singer Vogue which was a more luxurious version of the Super Minx and the handbrake was also on the right hand side tucked down on the floor between the seat and the door. In 1972 -1973 turnup trousers were the fashion and on a few occasions when I went to get out of the car my turnup hem would catch on the handbrake and I’d tumble ungraciously out the car.
Still loved it though !
Thanks for this. Great review. My very first car was a SuperMinx - and I'd swap my modern daily drive for one like this in a heartbeat!
For about 10 seconds!!!!!!!!
Was my first car as well. Wouldn't want one now though although it had great brakes as I remember.
Yes, the tail lights also featured on the Sunbeam Alpine, and I think the occasional non - Rootes small maker. I think the person who suggested Bristol was probably correct.
One of my absolute favorites. Hillman and Humber made some beautiful machines. Bring them on.
The garage I served my apprenticeship with became a Roots Group agency a couple of years before I completed my time . As a result I was sent to Coventry to do a course on the Hillman Minx I left Scotland in 1963 and went to Melbourne Australia and was workshop foreman at a Roots Group Dealership . was there for about 7 Years , during that time the dealership won the Roots Group Service Award. . In my opinion neither the Super Minx or any of the variants was as good as the older Hillman Minx my choice of the best was the Hillman Minx series 3 C
I had a 61 3B Minx as my first car in the 70's and then a 2A Hunter. In the 90's I bought a tidy low mileage 61 3B Humber 80 which was a NZ "badge engineered" Minx. Only real difference was the grill which had 2 sets of horizontal bars in place of the "mouth organ" set-up on the Hillman. I loved those series 3 cars ,unfortunately I to sell the Humber 80 when my marriage went down the toilet as I could only garage one classic car, so my 48 Ford V8 coupe won out. I still miss the Humber though. The Audax cars were my favourite Rootes vehicles, those rolled over fins on 3A to C "were it". My dad owned a 65 Super Minx in white that my Granddad got from the UK with overseas funds. It was 1600 not a 1725 and it had only one strip of chrome on the side rather than than the usual 2 for the flat back window cars. My dad also had a Hunter, a 3A Minx. and 55 Mark series Hillman. Between myself, Late father and Grandfather we owned 13 Hillmans or Humber variants.
Remember these as a child in around 1968 as a 3 year old firstly.
My best friends dad had a garage mechanic biz
He loved them. Drove one
Had one of these when I first started driving, went all over the country in it usually fully laden, did about 60,000 miles in it over 4years although had a couple of engine rebuilds in that period.
Brilliant car, great times and very fond memories.
That saloon was the definitive "Three Box" design. My father had the estate version - grey with red seats. I did drive it after I passed my test at 19. Biggest problem was rust. I later got a well used (ie beaten up) 1967 Humber Super Snipe which was like a Super Minx on Steroids with even more rust. Kids these days have no idea of what fighting rust was like.
Duke Nukem I think you mean Humber Sceptre, not a super snipe.
Fighting rust. I knew it well on my dad’s, later mine minx. BUT they lasted weeks before rotting through, as opposed to 60s Vauxhalls which only lasted days.
@@izziebon I had a Super Snipe. The Sceptre was on mild steroids, the Super Snipe was on stronger steroids.
Oh class. My neighbour took me to school in a metallic green estate one of these. I loved the way the rain wandered around the corners of the old fashioned windscreen. I thought that my Dad's Arrow Minx was so much more modern. Little did I know that the Super Minx was way more cool. Loads of chrome, character and style. The interior was also green and the heater really worked. Don't take it back Matt, buy it Man. You'll be cool 😎
I was very tempted to just keep driving...but they know where I live
We had the estate version, lovely green two tone jobby with the split tailgate gadget opening. The front windscreen leaked so much we actually drilled holes in the floor to let the water out, ah the good old days eh.
Had mine in the mid 60's during my agricultural college days before swapping for a Sunbeam Alpine (the tail lights were the same). Good solid car, went everywhere and could tell a few tales!
The Rootes Group built some wonderful motor cars. Have always liked the Minx, of any series. Great review of a lovely example. Thanks Matt.
I passed my test in a Hillman Super Minx in the sixties. I borrowed it from my brother-in-law. The examiner was very impressed with the car. I'm sure it helped me pass my test. They were lovely to drive and they turned heads when out driving.
One of my all time favorite Rootes models, including the big Humbers and the mk2 Sceptre. I would buy a superminx tomorrow if I thought that I could afford a good one. Unfortunately, like all good 1960's rootes cars the classic car prices have gone through the roof and they become harder to get hold of . The quality and reliability are still there for all to see. As a thirteen year old I used to scour the car showrooms and scrounge the brochures from kind salespeople . These brochures now (sadly I don't have them any more) are worth so much money, almost unbelievable. But the cars live on . I miss the Rootes days. Thanks for posting this.
I love cars from the 80s and 90s, but it's refreshing to see something as old as this.
Yes, I remember them - the Super Minx was built at the same time as the Minx (OK I'll be honest, I didn't find that out until very recently!) Singer made their own variants, named the Gazelle and Vogue.
The Vogue was a Humber.
@@basaltplainscreationsaustr1194 - In the UK it was a Singer, but Humber in Australia I think.
That disc near the heater controls was where the clock went on the Sceptre, that square clock was used on the Arrow for many years.
My dad used to talk about Hillman and Humber with a admiration. My grandpa had a Singer before the war.
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj No pun intended, but unfortunately not.
Rob English I can remember one of our customers in the garage had a 1938 Singer , the first over head camshaft motor I saw as an Apprentice Mechanic
@@billymorrison7919 my grandpa's was a prewar model, unfortunately don't know which. It was garaged during the war since restrictions on petrol and who could drive. Unfortunately he died many years ago.
As a keen motorcyclist I owned one of these as my rainy day car in the early 80’s, in yellow and white. It ran like a sewing machine - utterly reliable. They were really popular here in New Zealand. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
They were great days Steve. My Father had a Humber 80. And also. Singer Gazelle.
Auckland. NZ.
My mum had one of these in the 1960,s and it looked the same colour blue as in your film. I was only 6 in 1968 so most memories of it has gone
I've just made a risky offer on a Super Minx after watching this. I did always like them though, it reminds me of the car Justin Long drives in Jeepers Creepers, which was - you guessed it - an Impala.
Great video as always. However I am not sure that folk were that much smaller, though, in the sixties. They were less fat that is for sure You have said before that you are only 5’10” and rather slight, yet find this car cramped. We had one of these for all six of us (4 boys). My Dad was a big chap 6’3” and 18 stone yet we all managed... yes that front seat could take three. We were used to having cosy fits. When my Dad took us out in vans (he was a self employed driver) somebody always sat on a lemonade crate with a cushion. We all survived.
Have a look at shopping for retro/vintage clothes and its very interesting to see the more common sizes for mens jackets are 36" chests and shorter trousers, a 38" chest is the largest size you see much of but not so often. I think the statistics do show a slight increase since the 50s and 60s, childhood diet makes a big difference to adult size (not just weight!) and as thats improved over the decades we've become taller and broader. The height is good though as men wore hats!
Your dad must have seemed like a giant back then!
I recall helping my brother change the clutch on his Mk2 one bitterly cold Boxing Day long ago. It was a comfortable car & drove well.
Very nice to watch a video of this car - first time I've seen once since my childhood, but I have one as a scale model from British Heritage Models' Majesty Collection range - it's even the same colours as this one. Always liked the design, it has so much personality.
When I was growing up in the 70s, Rootes cars always seemed really old fashioned compared to other cars on the road.
Chrysler owned them then so they were no longer doing their own thing then, taken over, assimilated and watered down
@@furiousdriving By the time the Chrysler influence was apparent, they looked a bit more contemporary, at least in the eyes of a 6 year old.
The cars you're reviewing are just getting more weird. I love it. Keep it up!
The more obscure the better I say!
Weird? There were plenty of these around in the 1960s, not as common as Fords or Vauxhalls though. If you wanted to be weird back then you got a Citroen.
I had plenty of these through my hands as a used-car dealer when they were older, around 1969 -1972 and they were never a good seller. Others like Austin, Morris, Ford, even Vauxhall etc. were better, easier sellers.
Stewart
W.
@@dukenukem5768 only in the UK though xD
My dad had an estate Super Minx. It was poppy red with a birch grey roof and co-ordinating interior. Reg. no. SCP 299. :)
The rear lights - the other Roots Group car with them - Sunbeam Alpine.
The car is simply beautiful ☺️
Love this!! My Grandad has one of these when we were really little, late 70’s early 80’s. It was green on green with 2 lime green fluffy house cushions in the back window 😆. I adored that car. They were just different from the others. 👍🏼
Hillman is one of my favourite classic manufacturers too !
My dad had a Hillman (Hunter) GT back when I was about 6 or so and it was the car that really got me interested in cars.
It had a rev. counter, Rostyle wheels, overdrive and high-backed front seats. All quite the thing for a car from 1969/1970.
Hunters were cool, I wish there were more still about
My dad had one of these. A C reg one. I learnt to drive in it and polished it for hours. It was a glorious red colour and really stood out from the crowd.
You forgot to mention the high/low beam button is on the floor by your left foot. I used to own a 1963 convertible with column change 3 speed auto. The instrument lights in mine were barrel shaped and you could roll them into a bright or dim position.
got it in there, 8.20!
My Dad had one of these it was a mark 3 same colour. We did go to the beach with the Grandparents! The Roots Group ended up in the Peugeot group which is now Stellentis with the FCA group. What goes around comes around, they are now the 4th largest motor group in the world.
Thanks that brought back some memories. My grandfather was a meter collector and he saved up and got one of these. But found out he could not drive very well. So sold it to my parents. We had it for many years as a second car while other cars came and went. I got dropped off to primary school and high school in it, all the way until I left school. Our Super Minx was grey with red seats. Recall it had a handle on the front as an optional starter. My dad let me start it that way once, warning me to it do it properly or it may brake my arm! That wine as it accelerated from first gear exactly as ours sounded! Recall those strange rear headlights and fins. It seemed very Elvis and American to me. Yes, it did seem to have a nice ride. I recall those side windows at the front. And the wind noise. And styling on the dash. And the horn ring was great, pressed it a few times. Certainly felt different, even special, getting dropped off to school in this. I kind of assumed all old cars were like this, but your review tells me it as special and given a style. Sadly my dad scrapped it in the early 90s as had no room for it. It was still in good shape. He had done all the maintenance on it himself over the years. I still pass a beat-up super minx in grey on someone's drive while on a cycle ride, left outside. That brings back memories when I pass. But your video really reminded me of it. Things I forgot. And nice to know the history of it. Amazing the Uk was once making so many cars. Thanks!
I loved these as a kid. One thing I used to do was compare the differences between the Hillman and Singer variants. For example, the Singer had a different grille, twin headlights, 3 individual circular tail lights and the dash was wood veneer with a strip speedo. Great review!
This was the car my dad owned, I learned driving from him in this car, in 1967. My Dad always had Hillmans and so I followed his footsteps, we had owned Super Minx, Minx, Hunter round lights estate, Hunter saloon, and then finally Humber sceptre Hunter shape. After that I turned to Opel manta GTE, Calibra and now well into vauxhalls.
Owned a brand new one back in the day. A touch of Detroit with the wrap round windscreen.
My father loved the Rootes cars.
The one's I can remember were Hillman Minx, Avenger, Hunter, and the Sunbeam Rapier.
The Rapier was in that lovely purple.
Iv'e got a 1963 Hillman Super Minx and have had it for 43 years. I have also kept it registered and drivable for all that time. Mine is a Convertible and so the two doors are much wider which makes it much easier to climb in and out of. My model also has disc brakes on the front. It a good car and I am always amazed how perky it is for only 70BHP against my Jaguar with 240BHP. I was living in England when this car was released and I always remember that the ladies loved it. It was a very stylish convertible for the ladies who did not want a low sports car. I can still remember seeing beautiful ladies driving these around the city where I lived. Thank you for remind me I have one of these classics.
Love this kind of video, because here in Brazil we'll never have the chance to see nor drive such different, unusual cars (for us at least) as these ones you find!
Thanks, I do try to find cars you might not have seen before. Did you get Hillman in Brazil? They sold all over the place but might have worn a Humber or Sunbeam badge
@@furiousdriving no, not that I am aware of... Some cars from Jaguar, Land Rovers, and Minis, because there was a time when 'protective laws' from the Government (known as 'market reserve laws') forbide Brazilian citizens to import cars. For three and a half decades we just could buy brazilian-made cars, until 1990... Up to that year, only foreign embassies could import cars for their use.
The Hillman Avenger was sold in Brazil with a Dodge badge and in Argentina it became a Volkswagen.
Great clip, my parents ''Roots Group'' Hillman Super Minx was built in G.B. & shipped out to New Zealand in 1963, usually they were assembled in NZ, but not our one, we bought it 3 years later as a near new car in perfect condition. CG8700 was the number plate, it was white with a blue roof & we got 2 pots of touch up paint if we ever needed it (which we didn't), My parents took the ash tray out & put a valve AM radio in it's place. The gear stick was on the steering wheel & the car didn't have Syncromesh in 1st gear, which ment you had to stop completly in order to use 1st gear( a pain in the butt on steep hills at times). We had a bench seat right across the front with an ash tray on the back for smokers in the back seat. I recall in the 60's being able to lay right across the back on the parcel tray\shelf and had this fantastic view out that huge wide glass back window. Our car didn't have an opening dash board compartment, only the parcel tray underneath. The dash looked great just as in this clip, & the horn was a lovely sounding two tone sound (not like in this clip or the tinny sounding horns of today). The lights switch was on the dash but the dip switch was a button on the floor next to the clutch ( which was normal back then). The car had a very distintive sound coming from the motor & exhaust too. With it's distinctive head light configuration you could tell at night if another Hillman was approaching. Ours didn't have seat belts but mum & dad had them fitted a few years later. I learnt to drive & went for my dirvers licence in our Super Minx in 1977 age 16 & we had it until 1980 when mum traded it in on a Hillman Avenger Alpine. We loved our Hillman's I'd love to buy one again for the nostalgia & happy memories we had with our car on holidays & just daily use. It still amazes me how the whole British car industry has gone now. There must have been some right Wally's in charge for that to happen.
Those were the days ,white walled tyres , chrome and home maintenance diy. Great video as always .
Brilliant video ! I had problems starting my Ford Prefect the other day, so I did a video to show how I cured it, inspired by yourself, thank you, subscribed no problem !
My Dad had the estate Superminx, good car. We took it to the South of France 3 times. You're right about the plastic seats, my legs stuck to them in the hot summer days.
Very cool to see your review on the Super Minx :) I have to agree with you about the Rootes group cars being a cut above the rest :) I'm from Australia and my parents had a Hillman Minx when I was a kid back in the 70s. It was a1960s model, not sure what year, but it was green and white two tone :P A bit later my Father bought a 1964 Super Snipe, still in the 70s, I absolutely loved that car, that was a beautiful car. I would tell everyone about this amazing car my Father had, we called it a poor man's limousine :)
The Snipe was beautiful to ride in, it was an amazing cruiser. Many years ago we were driving across the Hay Plains, a big expanse of open plains and a very long straight road here in Western NSW, we would cruise at 80 to 90MPH effortlessly for hours :) And as far as bench seats go, I've been in a few cars over the years that had bench seats, the Snipe's were THE most comfortable. If I was lucky enough, I'd get a chance to ride up front in it :P
Through my Father I gained an appreciation for the Rootes Group cars, he particularly liked the Rootes Group cars, his favourite was the Sunbeam Alpine, he'd driven one, but never got to own one. Here in Australia, any of these cars these days are so few and far between. You might see one in a classic car show every now and then. I've seen the Humber Vogue, the Hawk, the Hillman and even a Sunbeam Alpine at car shows, but I haven't seen a Super Snipe for a very long time, unfortunately.
One of the nicest styled cars in the 60's and Hillmans up there with best my Dad had a new one and it was great that's a long time ago !
My dad did too - an estate. :)
@@ianbower7756 estates very rare now lucky dad
@@ianbower7756 At first glance, I thought it wasa Vauxhall cresta, yes it looked a very nice car, but the Cresta was the best car for me.
I can remember seeing the Super Minx in the 70s. In 1993 I got a nearly new Peugeot 405 1.6GR 93K from Peugeot Talbot. I also had the Modern equivalent 406.
Lovely car. My dad bought a two tone glen green with white roof super minx in 1967 . Reg BTY 565B. It cost him 325 quid at yorkdale motors in four lane ends newcastle. It conked out the next day . They gave my dad a new battery and away we went. He had the roof sprayed glen green in 72 and sold it for 75 quid. In 1974. He bought a datsun for 1300 quid that summer. And away he went . Great video.
Like a Citroen DS ?? Are you kidding? yeah, the comparison with the peugeot was in fact very accurate. Remember that Rootes became part of the Peugeot Talbot group!
I owned a '65 superminx estate for several years back in the early 80's. I loved it to death. I want another one!
I owned a 63 pippin red Super Minx from 80-82, absolutely loved it. 19,000 miles and it only broke down within walking distance of home! Still have the super minx door badges and rear number plate as it drove it to Tunbridge Wells tip at the end of it's life, sad day. Great cruiser, comfortable, one of my favourite cars
I had a 1965 Super Minx estate and a 1967 mk2 Humber Sceptre, both with the 1725 engine and overdrive on the Sceptre. I severely regret parting with them both. So much better and more stylish than the plastic tat sold nowadays.
I worked for a rootes group dealership in Croydon from 1962 and they were the best cars to work on
Very happy times
Great days
A friend's dad had one of these (a 1965). I don't know how old it was when he bought it but he was still driving it daily in 1983. A tribute to their longevity.
So pretty and the dash is great. We had a Series IIIc Minx and my aunt had a Series V Minx, fondly remembered. I noticed when driving past today today that most of the remaining old Rootes Group factory buildings in Port Melbourne, which had been used as warehouses for decades, have recently been obliterated so that blocks of apartments could be built. It was sad to see. Thanks for the road test.
Cracking motor. I had one following the MkVI Minx. It's a shame there's no smell option - the cabin, on a hot summer's day was a delight to the nose.
I was thinking the same thing!
I CANT BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT MY DAD HAD A 67 NEW MINX WHEN I WAS 2 AND THE SMELL OF VINYL AND PETROL IN THE SUMMER IS ONE OF MY STRONGEST MEMORIES sorry about the caps
Swiftest route to memory is smell.
My Minx was a little pearl, the aroma really was outrageously fine!
Love these cars,their styling saw many of the Hillman range on NZ roads during the late 60s-70s and some very examples at the classic car shows thanks for the post really enjoy watching your channel keep up the good work Auckland New Zealand 2022
I have a 1962 superminx.its 5 years older than me & I love it.its also in better condition than me too.my kids love it ,no radio no seatbelts and great vision through all the glass.my favourite car ever.👍
On top no shakes n rattles at all most people never knew how much better their build quality was next to a Ford, but a 5 minute ride in a Hillman n you knew instantly a Hillman was a far better quality it just felt solid no body flexing well nothing like a Corsair, I loved mine any thanks for uploading mate cheers
My grandfather had one in the 70's. His ownership experience was mixed. Great when it ran, which was not as often as one would like. He became quite the expert in the electrical system and carb rebuilding.
Great narration! Excellent job overall! I had a 1965 Sunbeam Alpine, (sold it in Iceland) :( so I get it about the old Routes group cars. Drive on!
I spent about a week travelling from Sydney to Adelaide in one of these (same colour) which was our family car in about 1961/62. There were six of us - no seatbelts! It seemed pretty cool at the time!
Nice car My dad had a Hillman Hunter gt 1700 with twin carbs and overdrive, what a car. I was trying to get a Hillman hunter but ended up with a Mk2 Ford Cortina 1600 estate at the time. Keep up the good work I love watching your videos and reviews of these old cars.
Yep we had a minx singer vogue and a super minx. Loved them.
Never had a Minx but I remember them and the Sceptre I did have Hillman Avenger in firebrand red with after market White mud flaps I fitted from Asda as they were starting out, it was a good car and other brands shared the components so when the carburetor diaphragm perished got one from a Vauxhall dealer fixed easily all those years ago!!! Fitted with Michelin zx tyres which were deadly in the damp got rid of those very quickly, Happy Days!!! Nice video keep them coming.
john goodall. You remember the smaller Hillman imp with rear engine &. Saw one in n.j recency & my father had a Hillman minx in the 60s .The Imp was excellent on gas 60 m.p.g when running good.
@@robertcampbell9946 I do remember the Hillman Imp there were quite a lot in Berwick where I live. As I remember they had a tendency to use a lot of oil from the aluminium engine but we're very successful at rallying.
@@johngoodall7097 Unfortunately, the British government forced Rootes to build a whole new manufacturing center in Linwood Scotland for the Imp. The costs, plus the Imp's teething-troubles, and a number of strikes, forced Rootes into the arms of Chrysler, who ultimately ran them into the ground!
The last gasp in North America was a rebadged Hillman Avenger, sold by Chrysler-Plymouth dealers from 1971 to 1973, as the Plymouth Cricket.
From about 1968 to 1970, we also got a version of the Hillman Hunter, badged as the Sunbeam Arrow, plus a fastback coupe Alpine to replace the roadster.
In the mid '80s, I knew a woman that owned a '68 Sunbeam Arrow. She purchased it new, kept it garaged, and it still looked immaculate in 1988 when she decided to sell it.
I remember it said 'Sunbeam Arrow' on the outside, but had a 'Hunter' badge on the inside!
@@sunbeam8866 good memories of my Avenger, so simple to look after but I was a lot younger and did my own servicing, can't do that now too old and too many sensors had to give up, Happy days😊
My late grandfather was a big Rootes guy of the Hillman variety. He had a couple of Minx (the smaller non “Super” versions) and then a Hillman Hunter in the 60s followed by an Avenger in the 70s. The latter not being so great!
They were assembled by Todd Motors in NZ, located in Petone pronounced Pe-tony, which is itself a mishearing of the correct name for area which is Pita-one, prounounced pee-ta-oh-knee. Pita-one is in Lower Hutt, which is North of Wellington. The locally assembled Rootes Group product was dire. They were utter junk by 60,000 miles, but they taught us how to repair a car body with fibreglass and house paint, and how to tear down an engine and bodge up the broken bits that were wildly out of tolerance when new. I'm pretty certain any Rootes Group vehicle would have been a Monday Morning or Friday afternoon build in the UK that failed QC and then got stripped and crated and sent to the dummies in the colonies at a price premium.
Love these reviews of the old classics, oh the memories! Thanks for this.
The Sceptre and vogue had the same body I think and were very classy back in the day. Remember, the Sceptre had a few dials in the centre of the dash which just looked great. Those were the days. Great review.
My very first car (in New Zealand) was a Humber 90 (= Super Minx). It was originally a column change but I bought it as a floor change conversion which meant that the gears were all reversed! Had big end bearings that would knock over a certain speed, but it never broke. Loved that car.
I remember my father had a Super Minx in the late 60`s , two tone paint, like light green/gray top and dark charcoal at bottom. Not sure but I think in South Africa the Peugeot engine was used. Like you said the grease nipples were deleted and most probably the reason why the right lower ball joint came adrift at 40 odd thousand miles and we kids were showered in sparks, even inside the car. Ah good old days and memories thanks.
We had a new one in 1963. Drove down to Devon on holiday. Don’t remember any problems. It was good for its day. You have to road test it with a 60’s head on.....
Had a superminx estate and it run like a dream and boy could you load it up ! Being able to crank it with the starter handle came in handy on more than one occasion. The headlight dipper on the floor next to the clutch pedal was i thought a good idea.
Lovely review of the Super Minx. It was intended to replace the Ajax Minx but that model took on a new lease of life as a cheaper alternative. At the time, it was considered nicely built but more stolid than a Corsair or Victor. I was surprised you found it handled well. Our neighbour went from Minx to Morris Oxford, for its greater interior space, and then to a couple of Humber Sceptres, which were lower and more dynamic than the Super Minx. Then the Rover 2000 arrived and changed the game. Meanwhile, my dad had a succession of Cortinas because he had a long commute and fuel economy was important.
The coverage and explanations you've given are really excellent, but I can't honestly say that this car is exactly my cup of tea either.....As someone else has commented below.
Wonderful video! Cracking little car. First time I have ever seen the total fuel tank capacity on the gauge!
What a beautiful restoration. Pretty car. My daughter has one and I'm rather hoping it looks like this when it is finished.
Really enjoy your videos - they are the standard for car reviews - research - film - camera work - all is so good.
Another one that you used to see everywhere and then just seemed to disappear off the face of the planet. Rust proofing was as evident as the safety features, i.e, not, at all! Very nice. Thanks.
I always preferred the following model, without the wrap around rear window, cos to me, it just looked "cleaner".
Had several wagons, which nullified that issue anyway, and the 1600 engine was absolutely indestructible.
I rolled one, hit a tree sideways in another, and the were all still driveable.
The only saloon I personally owned was a later model 1725, and went well.
I moved on to Hunters, and again, wagons - you can sleep in them, which is a plus.
Wish I still owned any of them.
Have had Rapiers and Sceptres, to.
Excellent machines.
My father had a two-tone green Mk.4 Super Minx with left-hand drive, bought in Rotterdam when he was posted there - he'd originally wanted a Mercedes W111 Fintail, but he had to buy a British car so a Hillman was his second choice. It survived the notoriously rough cobbled streets then common in Dutch towns, and it also made several all-day trips to Austria for vacations in the Tirol, running flat-out down the whole length of Germany on the Autobahns for many hours at a time. It even inadvertently crossed into Italy one day on a very rough mountain track when we got lost somewhere high in the Alps, but it never broke down or complained during all those years. After he returned to the UK he sold it to someone in North Norfolk for a pittance because it was LHD, and for many years after that we sometimes used to see it trundling around the country lanes near Holt, complete with its oval CD plate still on the back! I wonder whatever happened to WJJ 488G (the only Super Minx with a G registration!)?
Nice review from a newbie to your channel. As I'm from Aus, it's always nice to hear references to Australian Manufacturing. Chrysler continued to manufacture in Port Melbourne post 1965, making cars in the same facility until 1973,
And in New Zealand they were manufactured in Petone pronounced Pih tony ( P tone was a petty good try by "furiousdriving"). Petone is only a km away from me. That plant is long gone now, Todd Motors who assembled them moved to a new facility in Porirua in the 70s where they built Arrow series cars, Commer vans, Avengers, Aussie Valiants and Mitsubishis until that was eventually closed too.
The Vynide seat material was made by ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) and it became the standard used by many car manufacturers, because it was hardwearing and easy to clean and care for.
Hola yo tuve un Hillman del 64 , mi padre me lo regaló cuando me case , ese carro primero fue de su hermana y mi padre se lo compró , El avía tenido el Hillman Mix y después el Súper Mix , tengo lindos recuerdos del carro y estos carros estuvieron en Guayaquil Ecuador que es de donde soy , ha hora vivo en EEUU, soy nacionalizado por mi madre y justo ayer estaba hablando del carro , porque tengo un hijo que me veía limpiar el carburador y a mi hijo desde pequeño le gusto la mecánica y hoy por hoy es el gerente tecnico para toda la Florida de EEUU de la marca Hyunday, lindo vídeo y muchisimos recuerdos 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
We appreciate the effort you put into your reviews, so many cameras and angles! great stuff Furious Driving!
i realize I'm kind of off topic but does anyone know a good site to stream newly released tv shows online?
@Reuben Corey flixportal :)
@Azariah Keith Thank you, I went there and it seems to work =) Appreciate it!
@Reuben Corey Glad I could help :D
Always a pleasure viewing the presentation and impressions of such a diverse spectrum of cars. I was aware of the Superminx, but this is a very interesting learning exercise of such a classic car. On a completely unrelated point, if you ever get a chance to profile a 1963 to 1965 Buick Riviera, I'd love to see that especially. I find the design outside and in so clean and functional.
I know of one in perfect condition, Id have to wait for it but it would be worth it. I want to do more American cars on the channel
My dad had one of these I remember being on holiday in Cornwall 1973 and the starter motor failed. No problem - dad just went to the boot and got the starting handle. My job was to to rev it up as soon as the engine caught. I was 7 and could barely reach the pedals! 😀