In Argentina and Brazil, the Hillman Avenger was quité successful. In Argentina was called Dodge 1500, while in Brazil was called Dodge Polara, a.k.a. Doginho.
I remember when these first came out in America They were not reliable you would be better off buying a base model valiant It's a shame because they were the proper 4 door cars with a usable back seat unlike the pinto or vega
I was about 9 years old at the time these showed up in USA. A neighbor had one and it was an interesting car. Unfortunately he had trouble with it that the dealer couldn’t resolve. If it started in the morning it was fine all day. But many times it just wouldn’t start. He traded it in on a Duster. As an aside the next neighbor over went through the exact same thing with a Renault R10 except it would do the same when you’d want to return home. Not the best trade off! They traded it in for an AMC Hornet wagon. I liked both of these imports (I was a strange kid) except for that not starting thing. Thanks for the review!
Our local Plymouth dealer permitted my brother to test drive a Cricket in 1971, and I thought it was a cool car. Unfortunately, the reputation of most British cars in the US dimmed my expectations and my brother opted for a used Saab. Later, on my first trip abroad, I did a homestay in Ngongotahā, NZ, where the hosts had a beautiful Hillman Avenger in the garage. I so wanted a ride in it but didn't have a chance. Thanks for bringing back a great memory.
I am so happy to see this video & this car, what a classic, here in the Caribbean, my father had an Avenger I am 60 now & it brings back so many memories, thanks for posting when I get back to the U.K.. I will seek to get one & restomod it.
I own 4 Avengers here in New Zealand and have been classic racing one since 1984, they are the best cars, far better than the Ford Escort for speed and handling. Enjoyed your video.
I was just reading up on these a few weeks back. I’d love to get my hands on one. A forgotten car in USA nowadays… the few that still survive are probably rusty and unable to obtain parts/service for.
Awesome, thanks! I', an ex-pat Brit living on SoCal and would love to find a Cricket; I've been a Rootes fan since I was a little kid (when my dad had an ancient Hunter). IMHO these are highly underrated.
They did sell late 60s/early 70s Hillman Hunter saloons/sedans badged as Sunbeam Arrows in North America,but they were not as common as the Sunbeam Rapier coupés,there.
USA here, almost bought a Cricket as my first car. Then found out it was British and after seeing the problems my buddy was having with his MG I decided to pass.
Good joke...Germany here, I Almost bought a Corvette C3 during the early 1970...but when i found out about all the Problems my friend had with his Chevy Impala....i decided to pass
Great story & amazing to see this survivor! 😍😍 I am English,lived in Grantham,Lincolnshire until I was 5 years old,until my Mum & I emigrated to rural Pennsylvania. We did move back to Grantham for 6 months in 1975..then back to the village in Pennsylvania till I moved back to England alone at 19 years old,in 1986...have been here ever since,apart from 1 year back in Pennsylvania with my Mum & two younger American brothers for a year from 1990 until 1991. I've always been very interested in cars...my Mum said that when I was 3 or 4,I knew different car makes & models from the lights....Back in our village in PA in the 1970s & 1980s,an older couple on our street had an orangey gold Plymouth Cricket,which I was always fascinated by. During our time back in England in 1975,our next door neighbours & friends had a white Hillman Avenger & a white 1967 Triumph Spitfire. A young couple had a blue Triumph TR7 in our village that I also loved. Neighbours of ours also had a green 1973 Mercury Ford Capri with a crank sunroof..their son was a friend of mine,so we used to play in that car...pretending to drive,opening the sunroof & sticking our heads out! 🤣🤣 The North American Capris were German built,not English built ones,though. .i remember seeing 'Made in Germany' on the rear light cluster,& under the hood. One of our next door neighbours bought a brand new red Ford Fiesta S with alloys & black stripes in 1978,& there was a lady with a bright orange Ford Fiesta around the same time,at the other end of the village. The first gen North American Fiestas were also German built...but to me they were also 'English'...as were Capris. My Gran back in England used to send me thick Brirish Motor Show magazines every year in the mail,until she passed in 1978. My Mum sold her beloved white E reg Ford Anglia deluxe with red vinyl seats just before we emigrated to PA,and bought a dark green 1967 Mustang. Sadly a tractor trailer jack knifed on an icy bridge in Mill Hall & hit my step father head on & totalled Mum's beloved Mustang in early 1974,just 18 months after she bought it.. then she downsized due to the oil crisis & bought a 4 speed yellow 1972 Opel Kadett Rallye with black stripes,which she drove for several years...then bought a 1975 Pontiac Firebird TransAm in the late 70s,her first automatic car....I remember her saying that she still preferred driving manual cars...then when gas prices hit $1/gallon in 1980....she sold the TransAm & bought a gold 1978 Honda Civic 5 speed hatchback. They actually also sold English Hillman Hunters saloons/sedans in North America,badged as Sunbeam Arrows,but they were not as common as the much more successful(in the States) Sunbeam Rapier coupé...which I saw the top of a taillight of one in your video! 🤣🤣 In my last year of high school,I moved to State College,PA & two of the kids I went to high school with had English cars... Everyone used to wanna go for a spin in them after school let out! One guy had a green 1960s Mini Cooper,the other a yellow convertible 1960s Morris Minor! 😍😍 Both very rare cars in the US....at least in rural Pennsylvania....I only ever saw them occasionally,other than the ones my classmates had. I think one of the main reasons was that the dealers that sold them new were mostly in big cities in The US...where tiny city cars were more popular....although the VW Beetle was very popular even in rural areas,but not all small European cars were common away from big cities. I rember seeing a few last gen Ford Anglias,1st & 2nd gen Ford Cortinas,& mid 1960s Hillman Minxes in rural PA growing up,but Minis & Morris Minors were considerably smaller,& less practical.
There were plenty of Avengers in New Zealand. I suppose the Borg Warner automatic transmission is the same as what's in my Australian 1971 6 cylinder Chrysler Valiant ( BW 35) . I was watching a documentary about the American drag racer Herb Mc Candless recently, and noticed he had a Plymouth Cricket, painted and sign written in his team colours, just a run about I suppose.
@@aKiwiJoKeRThey changed from the 3 speed BW35 to the 4 speed BW45 in 1976. Essentialy the the same internals on the 45 the 1st gear was so low it was a wasted upgrade
I grew up in Idaho, in the States. We had potatoes, but very few British cars. I saw one cricket for sale, and I passed it up. I've been kicking myself for the past fifty years for that silly decision...
I owned one of those back in the day, back in the mid 70's I was in my late teens I set it up for Rallying, big Hella headlamps halogen headlamps in the buckets. Mine was green had the twin carbs but sadly automatic, I had to get rid of the 10 bladed plastic fan and go to the metal 4 bladed fan because when I rallied it the plastic fan would fly apart and take out the radiator(that happened twice). I owned mine in the east coast of Canada.
All U.K. Hillman Avengers including the base model dl had front disc brakes up until they introduced the basic model in 1972 aimed at the company fleet market. The drum front brakes on those were also only on the lower powered 1250 / 1300cc models. All 1500 / 1600cc Avengers had front discs fitted.
In Australia we only got the Hillman Hunter from 1970s we got the the Chrysler Century which was similar to the Hillman Avenger but by then the Japanese makes were getting a strong hold in the Australian market because they were more reliable and that's something Australian like obviously we got the Leyland cars because there was Leyland Australia but it failed miserably because the Japanese cars were so much reliable and better built and the British Australian cars couldn't compete and it continues today especially with Toyota there are more Toyota's on the road than any other make they are everywhere including my 1997 Toyota Hilux and it has an automatic choke and it is the original carburator and l was watching a you tube channel and he was domesticating the starting procedure on a Volkswagen Beetle with Webber carburators fitted and he showed that by depressing the accelerator once before stating the Volkswagen to set the automatic choke the Volkswagen started and l do that with my Hilux on tge original caburator and it starts on the button 100% all the time and the same Aisin carburator has been used since tge 1960s on the USA Toyota Ceicas with the 20R engines my Hilux has the 22R engine with 437000 kilometres and actually there is a hole in the dashboard for a manual choke and l can remember the kits for fitting a manual choke back in the 1970s because the automatic chokes didn't work but l thought l would have to fit a manual choke to my Hilux but not now since l found the starting procedure it works every time
You mention about Plymouth Crickets which were never exported. I think there were quite a few, as some of the Chrysler dealers in the Coventry area sold them at the time and one of my nextdoor neighbours bought one as it was much cheaper than a 'normal' Avenger. I have often wondered what became of that car.
I was aware of one offered to a Linwood employee we were asked to look at converting it to RHD and came to the conclusion that it was not possible using RHD parts as the engine compartment bulkhead was different between RHD and LHD
I find it ironic how your test drive of an old resurrected 1970’s Plymouth Cricket is a meander through graveyards. How so apropos!! The Plymouth Cricket was the Chrysler version of the British Leyland Austin Marina, like two Bic lighters, two disposable cars whether that’s what your intention was or not!
No.1 of 2 of the worst cars I have ever owned, A Hillman Avenger in the UK and then when I moved to the States No.2 a Triumph TR7 may they rust into oblivion. :)
I ran into this guy in Richmond VA spring/early summer. I had never seen a Cricket before
In Argentina and Brazil, the Hillman Avenger was quité successful. In Argentina was called Dodge 1500, while in Brazil was called Dodge Polara, a.k.a. Doginho.
I briefly mention the Polara, 1500, 1500M in the video but didn’t have time to go into them in much detail. Perhaps another time. Thanks for watching!
I remember when these first came out in America
They were not reliable you would be better off buying a base model valiant
It's a shame because they were the proper 4 door cars with a usable back seat unlike the pinto or vega
I was about 9 years old at the time these showed up in USA. A neighbor had one and it was an interesting car. Unfortunately he had trouble with it that the dealer couldn’t resolve. If it started in the morning it was fine all day. But many times it just wouldn’t start. He traded it in on a Duster.
As an aside the next neighbor over went through the exact same thing with a Renault R10 except it would do the same when you’d want to return home. Not the best trade off! They traded it in for an AMC Hornet wagon. I liked both of these imports (I was a strange kid) except for that not starting thing.
Thanks for the review!
Our local Plymouth dealer permitted my brother to test drive a Cricket in 1971, and I thought it was a cool car. Unfortunately, the reputation of most British cars in the US dimmed my expectations and my brother opted for a used Saab. Later, on my first trip abroad, I did a homestay in Ngongotahā, NZ, where the hosts had a beautiful Hillman Avenger in the garage. I so wanted a ride in it but didn't have a chance. Thanks for bringing back a great memory.
I remember these when they came out.
Great looking car.
IF only the quality would have been better.
🚗🙂
I am so happy to see this video & this car, what a classic, here in the Caribbean, my father had an Avenger I am 60 now & it brings back so many memories, thanks for posting when I get back to the U.K.. I will seek to get one & restomod it.
Thanks for watching! Brought back many memories for me too!
I own 4 Avengers here in New Zealand and have been classic racing one since 1984, they are the best cars, far better than the Ford Escort for speed and handling. Enjoyed your video.
Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed it. This car was a pleasure to see.
I was just reading up on these a few weeks back. I’d love to get my hands on one. A forgotten car in USA nowadays… the few that still survive are probably rusty and unable to obtain parts/service for.
Awesome, thanks! I', an ex-pat Brit living on SoCal and would love to find a Cricket; I've been a Rootes fan since I was a little kid (when my dad had an ancient Hunter). IMHO these are highly underrated.
They did sell late 60s/early 70s Hillman Hunter saloons/sedans badged as Sunbeam Arrows in North America,but they were not as common as the Sunbeam Rapier coupés,there.
USA here, almost bought a Cricket as my first car. Then found out it was British and after seeing the problems my buddy was having with his MG I decided to pass.
That’s a shame, they’re very rare now.
Good joke...Germany here, I Almost bought a Corvette C3 during the early 1970...but when i found out about all the Problems my friend had with his Chevy Impala....i decided to pass
Very nicely done.
It was a great time, thank you sir.
Great story & amazing to see this survivor! 😍😍 I am English,lived in Grantham,Lincolnshire until I was 5 years old,until my Mum & I emigrated to rural Pennsylvania. We did move back to Grantham for 6 months in 1975..then back to the village in Pennsylvania till I moved back to England alone at 19 years old,in 1986...have been here ever since,apart from 1 year back in Pennsylvania with my Mum & two younger American brothers for a year from 1990 until 1991. I've always been very interested in cars...my Mum said that when I was 3 or 4,I knew different car makes & models from the lights....Back in our village in PA in the 1970s & 1980s,an older couple on our street had an orangey gold Plymouth Cricket,which I was always fascinated by. During our time back in England in 1975,our next door neighbours & friends had a white Hillman Avenger & a white 1967 Triumph Spitfire. A young couple had a blue Triumph TR7 in our village that I also loved. Neighbours of ours also had a green 1973 Mercury Ford Capri with a crank sunroof..their son was a friend of mine,so we used to play in that car...pretending to drive,opening the sunroof & sticking our heads out! 🤣🤣 The North American Capris were German built,not English built ones,though. .i remember seeing 'Made in Germany' on the rear light cluster,& under the hood. One of our next door neighbours bought a brand new red Ford Fiesta S with alloys & black stripes in 1978,& there was a lady with a bright orange Ford Fiesta around the same time,at the other end of the village. The first gen North American Fiestas were also German built...but to me they were also 'English'...as were Capris. My Gran back in England used to send me thick Brirish Motor Show magazines every year in the mail,until she passed in 1978. My Mum sold her beloved white E reg Ford Anglia deluxe with red vinyl seats just before we emigrated to PA,and bought a dark green 1967 Mustang. Sadly a tractor trailer jack knifed on an icy bridge in Mill Hall & hit my step father head on & totalled Mum's beloved Mustang in early 1974,just 18 months after she bought it.. then she downsized due to the oil crisis & bought a 4 speed yellow 1972 Opel Kadett Rallye with black stripes,which she drove for several years...then bought a 1975 Pontiac Firebird TransAm in the late 70s,her first automatic car....I remember her saying that she still preferred driving manual cars...then when gas prices hit $1/gallon in 1980....she sold the TransAm & bought a gold 1978 Honda Civic 5 speed hatchback. They actually also sold English Hillman Hunters saloons/sedans in North America,badged as Sunbeam Arrows,but they were not as common as the much more successful(in the States) Sunbeam Rapier coupé...which I saw the top of a taillight of one in your video! 🤣🤣 In my last year of high school,I moved to State College,PA & two of the kids I went to high school with had English cars... Everyone used to wanna go for a spin in them after school let out! One guy had a green 1960s Mini Cooper,the other a yellow convertible 1960s Morris Minor! 😍😍 Both very rare cars in the US....at least in rural Pennsylvania....I only ever saw them occasionally,other than the ones my classmates had. I think one of the main reasons was that the dealers that sold them new were mostly in big cities in The US...where tiny city cars were more popular....although the VW Beetle was very popular even in rural areas,but not all small European cars were common away from big cities. I rember seeing a few last gen Ford Anglias,1st & 2nd gen Ford Cortinas,& mid 1960s Hillman Minxes in rural PA growing up,but Minis & Morris Minors were considerably smaller,& less practical.
My grandfather had a wagon that he reluctantly let go sometime in the 80s. He said that getting parts for it was nearly impossible....
Super, super rare …
There were plenty of Avengers in New Zealand. I suppose the Borg Warner automatic transmission is the same as what's in my Australian 1971 6 cylinder Chrysler Valiant ( BW 35) . I was watching a documentary about the American drag racer Herb Mc Candless recently, and noticed he had a Plymouth Cricket, painted and sign written in his team colours, just a run about I suppose.
Mike McCandless bought my friend Rick's Cricket from him in Long Island NY to create that replica Cricket Sox & Martin pit car
Very similar 35 yeah, my '76 GLS Avenger has a BW45 = 4 speed
@@rumcove07 That's interesting, and the fact that he sourced one from so far away is probably indicative of how many good Crickets are left .
@@aKiwiJoKeRThey changed from the 3 speed BW35 to the 4 speed BW45 in 1976.
Essentialy the the same internals on the 45 the 1st gear was so low it was a wasted upgrade
Fantastic! I have a 72 4 Speed sedan and I love it, I have a bunch of parts for it to get it back on the road but it does run and drive as it sits.
I grew up in Idaho, in the States. We had potatoes, but very few British cars. I saw one cricket for sale, and I passed it up. I've been kicking myself for the past fifty years for that silly decision...
You never know, cars like this tend to turn up in the most unlikely places!
I owned one of those back in the day, back in the mid 70's I was in my late teens I set it up for Rallying, big Hella headlamps halogen headlamps in the buckets. Mine was green had the twin carbs but sadly automatic, I had to get rid of the 10 bladed plastic fan and go to the metal 4 bladed fan because when I rallied it the plastic fan would fly apart and take out the radiator(that happened twice). I owned mine in the east coast of Canada.
No wonder it never sold well. The Americas never understand the game of Cricket. 😀 I will get me coat.
Haha!
You’d be surprised how big cricket has become over here these days!
🤣 Well played!
@@AutoAtlanticawow!
All U.K. Hillman Avengers including the base model dl had front disc brakes up until they introduced the basic model in 1972 aimed at the company fleet market. The drum front brakes on those were also only on the lower powered 1250 / 1300cc models. All 1500 / 1600cc Avengers had front discs fitted.
@@robertnutter4009 that’s right, as stated the discs were optional depending on trim. The smaller engined models didn’t get an anti-roll bar either.
ISTR Drum brake ones were all 2 door
In Australia we only got the Hillman Hunter from 1970s we got the the Chrysler Century which was similar to the Hillman Avenger but by then the Japanese makes were getting a strong hold in the Australian market because they were more reliable and that's something Australian like obviously we got the Leyland cars because there was Leyland Australia but it failed miserably because the Japanese cars were so much reliable and better built and the British Australian cars couldn't compete and it continues today especially with Toyota there are more Toyota's on the road than any other make they are everywhere including my 1997 Toyota Hilux and it has an automatic choke and it is the original carburator and l was watching a you tube channel and he was domesticating the starting procedure on a Volkswagen Beetle with Webber carburators fitted and he showed that by depressing the accelerator once before stating the Volkswagen to set the automatic choke the Volkswagen started and l do that with my Hilux on tge original caburator and it starts on the button 100% all the time and the same Aisin carburator has been used since tge 1960s on the USA Toyota Ceicas with the 20R engines my Hilux has the 22R engine with 437000 kilometres and actually there is a hole in the dashboard for a manual choke and l can remember the kits for fitting a manual choke back in the 1970s because the automatic chokes didn't work but l thought l would have to fit a manual choke to my Hilux but not now since l found the starting procedure it works every time
You mention about Plymouth Crickets which were never exported. I think there were quite a few, as some of the Chrysler dealers in the Coventry area sold them at the time and one of my nextdoor neighbours bought one as it was much cheaper than a 'normal' Avenger. I have often wondered what became of that car.
@@01jvb those which weren’t exported were all ‘73s. I’m only personally aware of two, although I’ve no doubt there were likely a good deal more.
I was aware of one offered to a Linwood employee we were asked to look at converting it to RHD and came to the conclusion that it was not possible using RHD parts as the engine compartment bulkhead was different between RHD and LHD
Awesome
Gteat car the sunbeam avenger!
Rare car thank for video
Looks like a Datsun B-210
Similar!
I find it ironic how your test drive of an old resurrected 1970’s Plymouth Cricket is a meander through graveyards. How so apropos!! The Plymouth Cricket was the Chrysler version of the British Leyland Austin Marina, like two Bic lighters, two disposable cars whether that’s what your intention was or not!
I hear you ! But the graveyard is behind my house and was convenient but I realized the irony at the time.
Looks like the colt
Similar styling yes.
I was an apprentice Mechanic for N Ireland main dealer when these came out. Paint shop was busy with paintwork recalls. As Bairds Whitehouse.
No.1 of 2 of the worst cars I have ever owned, A Hillman Avenger in the UK and then when I moved to the States No.2 a Triumph TR7 may they rust into oblivion. :)
Sorry about your bad luck!
TR7 was truly awful Avengers were 👍♥️
🥝✔️😎