Classic Car Catalogue

Hillman 1971

Imp
Avenger
Hunter

Great Britain

Hillman Avenger sold in the USA as Plymouth Cricket.

HILLMAN IMP
From £643 (incl. P.T.)
A very smooth and lively engine, nestling under the 'boot lid' at the rear and driving the rear wheels, is a special feature of the Hillman Imps, which come in three grades-Standard, de Luxe and Super, depending on the standard of finish you prefer. The engine is an 875 c.c. unit, built of light alloy and with an overhead camshaft. Its family tree leads back to the famous Coventry Climax racing 1100 c.c. engines. The Imp is over eight years old now but still a most attractive small car, with 80 m.p.h. performance - and that extremely useful lift-up rear window.
HILLMAN AVENGER DE LUXE
£883 (incl. P.T.)
Avengers come in a variety of stages of trim and performance, and the de Luxe is at the bottom end of the scale, offering a roomy four-door body and adequate performance for the lowest possible price. The engine is a 1248 c.c. unit, developing 53 b.h.p, and driving the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox. Top speed is 83 m.p.h. so it is no sluggard! The body style is of the fashionable semi-fastback school, which has the advantage of creating a bigger boot the Avenger has 19 cubic feet of luggage space. Interior finish is good, with practical rubber floor covering.
HILLMAN AVENGER GT
£1,046 (in d. P.T.)
Higher still goes the power output from that four-cylinder 1498 c.c. engine when you opt for the GT version of the Avenger. It has twin carburettors and a top speed only just short of the magic 'ton', with roadholding that enables you to use the extra performance. Brakes are servo-assisted and radial tyres are a standard fitting. Steering is by rack and pinion and suspension is coil spring all round, independent at the front and with a live axle at the rear. Equipment on the GT is particularly comprehensive, the seats are very comfortable and there are distinctive external differences.
HILLMAN HUNTER SALOONS
From £956 (incl. P.T.)
Like the Avenger, there are de Luxe, Super and GL versions of the Hunter, all of them appearing a year ago in a rationalisation programme that saw the disappearance of the name of Minx after 39 years. The de Luxe replaced it, and has a 1500 c.c. engine giving a top speed of 83 m.p.h. The Super is the middle one of the range, with a 1725 c.c. engine, wood veneer facia, console between the front seats and other touches of modest luxury. Top of the range is the Grand Luxe, which took the place of the former Singer (and Sunbeam) Vogue and is sheer luxury for its modest price.
HILLMAN HUNTER ESTATES
De luxe: £1,089 (incl. P.T.)
GL: £1,242 (incl. P.T.)
There are two estate cars in the Hunter family, both of them full five-seaters with 34 cubic feet of luggage space, or two-seaters with 62 cubic feet of roughly square-shaped emptiness. The de Luxe has the 1496 c.c. engine (though you can have the bigger one as an option) and the Grand Luxe has the 1725 c.c. unit. Interior trim follows the saloons, which means that the Grand Luxe is a very much better equipped workhorse for its substantially higher price. Both have a wide-opening lift-up tailgate and heavy duty rear springs to cope with a full payload of 850lbs.
HILLMAN HUNTER GT
£1,133 (incl. P.T.)
You don't get wood veneer in the GT - but you DO get an attractive matt black facia with comprehensive instruments, a long centre console, stitched gear lever gaiter, special wheels, neat GT badges and things like that. It is the fastest car in the Hunter range of course, with a 79 b.h.p. version of the 1725 c.c. engine that seems to turn up all over the place. Performance is impressive, with a top speed of around 100 miles an hour and 0-60 in 11.5 seconds. It's one of those cars that has four doors, four seats and a big boot and STILL manages to be sporting.

London show review

 

Imp

Imp (R4 cyl, 875 cc, 39 bhp; wb: 6ft 10in)
  Standard
  De Luxe
  Super


Imp


Imp


Imp Super

 

Avenger

Avenger (1248/1498 cc)
Avenger GT (1498 cc)


Avenger De Luxe


Avenger GT


Avenger GT

 

Hunter

Hunter Saloon
  De Luxe (1496 cc, 54 bhp)
  Super (1725 cc)
  GL (1725cc, 67 bhp)
  GT (1725 cc, 79 bhp)
Hunter Estate - new
  De Luxe (1496 cc, 54 bhp)
  GL (1725cc, 67 bhp)


Hunter GL

Hunter GT


Hunter GL Estate


Hunter Estate


Hunter in Australia