The Hillman Avenger is a rear-wheel drive

small family car The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C- ...

originally manufactured by the former

Rootes Rootes may refer to: People *Baron Rootes, a peerage in the United Kingdom *Jamey Rootes (1966-2022), American sports executive *Maurice Rootes (1917–1997), British film editor *William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes (1894–1964), founder of the ...

division of

Chrysler Europe Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978. It was formed from the merger of the French Simca, British Rootes and Spanish Barreiros companies. In 1978, Chrysler divested these ...

from 1970–1978, badged from 1976 onward as the Chrysler Avenger. Between 1979 and 1981 it was manufactured by

PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive ma ...

and badged as the Talbot Avenger. The Avenger was marketed in North America as the Plymouth Cricket and was the first Plymouth to have a four-cylinder engine since the 1932 Plymouth Model PB was discontinued. The Avenger was initially produced at Rootes' plant in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, England, and later at the company's Linwood facility near Glasgow, Scotland.

1970: Hillman Avenger

Introduced in February 1970, the Avenger was significant as it was the first and last car to be developed by Rootes after the

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automot ...

takeover in 1967. Stylistically, the Avenger was undoubtedly very much in tune with its time; the American-influenced " Coke Bottle" waistline and semi-

fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style. Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as f ...

rear-end being a contemporary styling cue, indeed the Avenger would be the first British car to be manufactured with a one piece plastic front grille. It was similar in appearance to the larger Ford Cortina#TC Mark III (1970–1976), which was launched later in 1970. However, from an engineering perspective it was rather conventional, using a

4-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

all-iron

overhead valve An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...

engine in 1250 or 1500 capacities driving a

coil spring A selection of conical coil springs The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself. Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fi ...

suspended

live axle A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...

at the rear wheels. Unlike any previous Rootes design, there were no " badge-engineered"

Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary betw ...

Singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

versions in the UK market. The Avenger was immediately highly praised by the press for its good handling characteristics and generally good overall competence on the road and it was considered a significantly better car to drive than contemporaries like the Morris Marina. Hillman Avenger GL 1970

Initially, the Avenger was available as a four-door saloon in DL, Super and GL trim levels. The DL and Super could be had with either the 1250 or 1500 cc engines, but the GL was only available with the 1500 cc engine. Since the DL was the basic model in the range, it featured little more than rubber mats and a very simple dashboard with a strip-style speedometer. The Super was a bit better equipped, featuring carpets, armrests, twin horns and reversing lights, though the dashboard was carried over from the DL. The top-spec GL model featured four round headlights (which was a big improvement over the rectangular ones from the Hillman Hunter that were used on the DL and Super), internal bonnet release, two-speed wipers, brushed nylon seat trim (previously never used on British cars), reclining front seats, and a round-dial dashboard with extra instrumentation. Not only was the Avenger's styling totally new, but so were the engine and transmission units, which were not at all like those used in the larger "Arrow" series

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

. Another novelty for the Avenger was the use of a plastic radiator grille, a first in Britain and at wide claimed as the largest mass-produced plastics component used at this time by the European motor industry. The Avenger was a steady seller in the 1970s, in competition with the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Viva. Chrysler was attempting to make the Avenger to be a "world car", and took the ambitious step of marketing the Avenger as the Plymouth Cricket in the U.S. Complaints of rust, unreliability, plus the general unpopularity of smaller cars on the American market, saw it withdrawn from that market after only two years.

Introduction of body and trim variations

In October 1970, the Avenger GT was added to the range. It had a twin-carburettor 1500 cc engine, four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission (also optional on the 1500 DL, Super and GL). The GT featured twin round headlights, go-faster stripes along the sides of the doors and "dustbin lid" wheel covers, which were similar to those found on the various Datsuns and Toyotas of the 1970s. The basic fleet Avenger was added to the range in February 1972. It was offered with either 1250 or 1500 cc engines (the latter available with the automatic transmission option). The fleet Avenger was very basic: it did not have a sun visor for the front passenger, and the heater blower had just a single speed. In October 1972, the Avenger GT was replaced by the Avenger GLS, which came with a vinyl roof and Rostyle sports wheels. In March 1972, the five-door estate versions were introduced, in DL and Super forms (both available with either 1250 or 1500 cc engines) and basically the same specifications as the saloon versions. However, 'heavy-duty springing' was fitted and the estate had a maximum load capacity of , compared to for the saloon. Hillman Avenger 2 door

The two-door saloon models were added in March 1973, with all engine and trim options of the existing four-door range. Styling of the two-door was similar to the four-door, but the side profile was less curvaceous. The car was extensively marketed in continental Europe, first as a

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of particle-scattered sunl ...

. It was without the Avenger name in France, where it was known as the Sunbeam 1250 and 1500; later the 1300 and 1600. Some northern European markets received the car as the Sunbeam Avenger. Both engine sizes were upgraded in October 1973. The 1250 became the 1300, while the 1500 became the 1600 with nearly all the same previous trim levels except for the basic fleet Avenger, which was discontinued at this point. The GL and GT trim levels were now also offered with the 1300 engine and two-door saloon body.

1971–1973: Plymouth Cricket for North America

In North America, a rebadged variant of the Avenger was marketed as the Plymouth Cricket through

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

dealers as a captive import in 4-door saloon and 5-door station wagon variants. It had 9.5" front disc brakes and 8" rear drums. Brochures included a cartoon cricket, possibly trying to capitalize on the popularity of the

VW Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...

. A Chrysler Plymouth press release dated 30 June 1970 said the Cricket would be presented to the automotive press in November 1970. The first shipment of 280 Crickets from the UK arrived in the U.S. on 20 November 1970. Another press release issued on 23 February 1972 stated that the station wagon version would debut in early spring of 1972. The 1500 cc engine was offered on the Plymouth Cricket. Side marker lamps (US DOT required) were added, and front disc brakes were standardized; these were originally optional in the UK. The single carburetor / manual choke combination was standard. From 1972, the single carburetor / automatic choke combination, dual carburettors, and air conditioning were all options. In both the USA and Canada, federal motor vehicle safety standards required the round four-headlight grille of the GL and GT model Avengers. The Cricket was discontinued during the 1973

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

despite a sharp increase in demand for small cars in North America brought on by the gas crisis of 1973. The success of the similarly-sized Dodge Colt captive import, built by

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.emission laws were applied according to the calendar year when a car was manufactured or imported, as opposed to the model year when it was sold. A total of 27,682 Plymouth Crickets were sold in the U.S. During the same time period, the competing

Ford Pinto The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1971 until 1980 model years. The Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America. The Pinto was marketed ...

and

Chevrolet Vega The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact automobile that was manufactured and marketed by GM's Chevrolet subdivision from 1970 to 1977. Available in two-door hatchback, notchback, wagon, and sedan delivery body styles, all models were powered by a ...

each outsold the Cricket by a margin exceeding 10:1. The Cricket nameplate continued in Canada, when Chrysler Canada replaced the British-built Plymouth Cricket with a rebadged Dodge Colt in mid-1973 model year. The Cricket's version of the Colt GT was called the Cricket Formula S. For the 1975 model year, the Plymouth Cricket was rebadged as the Plymouth Colt. Thus began Chrysler Canada's dual marketing system for this car, selling the Colt as both a Dodge and a Plymouth. The later

Plymouth Arrow Plymouth Arrow was the nameplate used for multiple captive imports made by Mitsubishi Motors and sold by the Chrysler Corporation under the Plymouth marque: * The Mitsubishi Celeste, a compact car also sold as the Plymouth Arrow from 1976 to 1980 * ...

was similarly sold as a Dodge Arrow.

1972: Hillman Avenger Tiger

Named to evoke memories of the Sunbeam Tiger, the Avenger Tiger concept began as a publicity exercise. Avenger Super (four-door) cars were modified by the Chrysler Competitions Centre under Des O'Dell and the Tiger model was launched in March 1972. Modifications included the 1500 GT engine with an improved cylinder head with enlarged valves, twin

Weber carburetor Weber Carburetors is an automotive manufacturing company founded in 1923, known for their carburetors. History Eduardo Weber began his automotive career working for Fiat, first at their Turin plant (in 1914) and later at a dealership in Bologna ...

s and a compression ratio of 9.4:1. The engine now developed at 6,100 rpm. The suspension was also uprated, whilst brakes, rear axle, and gearbox are directly from the GT. A distinctive yellow colour scheme ("Sundance") with a bonnet bulge, rear spoiler and side stripes was standard, set off with "Avenger Tiger" lettering on the rear quarters. Road test figures demonstrated a 0–60 mph time of 8.9 seconds and a top speed of . These figures beat the rival Ford Escort Mexico, but fuel consumption was heavy. Even in 1972, the Tiger developed a reputation for its thirst. All Avenger Tigers were assembled by the Chrysler Competitions Centre and production figures are vague but around 200 of the initial Mark 1 seems likely. In October 1972, Chrysler unveiled the more "productionised" Mark 2 Tiger. The Avenger GL bodyshell with four round headlights was used. Mechanically identical to the earlier cars(from contemporary road tests, however,there were better performances and fuel consumption), the bonnet bulge was lost although the bonnet turned matt black, and there were changes to wheels and seats. These cars went on sale at £1,350. Production was around 400. Red ("Wardance") was now available as well as yellow ("Sundance"), both with black detailing.

1976–1979: Chrysler Avenger

In September 1976, the Avenger was rebadged as a Chrysler. It also gained a comprehensive facelift which included a new frontal treatment and a new dashboard. Both treatments looked similar to those of the Chrysler Alpine. The greatest change was at the rear where, on the saloons, the distinctive "hockey-stick" rear lamp clusters were dropped in favour of a straight "light-bar" arrangement. The top of the former "hockey-sticks" had metal plates in their place, whilst the fuel cap was moved from the rear to the right hand side of the car. Three trim levels were available, LS, GL (known as 'Super' in certain markets) and GLS—the GLS being only available in a high-compression 1.6 L form. From the beginning of production in 1970, the Avenger's bodyshell components had been manufactured at Linwood, and then transported south to Ryton on the component trains used to move materials for the

Hillman Imp The Hillman Imp is a small economy car that was made by the Rootes Group and its successor Chrysler Europe from 1963 until 1976. Revealed on 3 May 1963, after much advance publicity, it was the first British mass-produced car with the engine ...

north to Linwood. Following the Imp's discontinuation in 1976, the Avenger production line was moved from Ryton to Linwood where it was produced until the end of its UK production life., whilst Ryton was switched over to producing the Simca-based Chrysler Alpine and later the Talbot Solara.

1979–1981: Talbot Avenger

Following the collapse of Chrysler Europe in 1978, and its takeover by

, the Avenger was re-badged with the resurrected

Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talb ...

brand with the Avenger remaining in production alongside the hatchback-only Horizon to meet the demand which remained for traditional saloons and estates in this sector. Unlike newer Talbot models such as the

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether ...

, the Avenger and Sunbeam retained the Chrysler "Pentastar" badge, instead of the Talbot logo featuring a letter "T" inside a circle – this was because Chrysler had retained the rights to the Avenger and Sunbeam models after the sale of Chrysler Europe to PSA, who only had purchased the rights to the Simca-based Alpine and Horizon. Production continued until the middle of 1981, when PSA closed the Linwood production plant and concentrated all British production at the

Ryton Ryton may refer to: Places in England * Ryton, Gloucestershire, a location *Ryton, North Yorkshire *Ryton, Shropshire *Ryton, Tyne and Wear *Ryton, Warwickshire (in Bulkington) *Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire *Great Ryton, Shropshire People ...

plant. The Avenger was discontinued with no direct replacement – the Peugeot 305, introduced in 1977, was the closest car to the Avenger's size in PSA's lineup; although the slightly larger Talbot Solara (a saloon version of the Alpine/Simca 1307) had been introduced shortly before the Avenger's demise. Chrysler retained ownership of the "Avenger" trademark, subsequently used on the Dodge Avenger 2007–2014.

International production

Chrysler's operations in various countries around the world also marketed (and in some cases assembled) the car. In

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

, the car—like the larger Hunter assembled there—used

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then ...

engines and was badged as a Dodge rather than a Hillman, while in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

the car, assembled from CKD kits by importer Todd Motors (later Mitsubishi Motors NZ), was available initially in 4-door and, later, 5-door estate forms.

Denmark and Europe

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

, the versions being sold were: * 1300 (2-door saloon, 4-door saloon, 5-door estate car) * 1300 GL (2-door saloon, 4-door saloon, 5-door estate car) * 1600 GL (2-door saloon, 4-door saloon, 5-door estate car) * 1600 GLS (4-door saloon, 5-door estate car) * 1600 GT (2-door saloon, 4-door saloon) These Danish versions had two-door equivalents which were sometimes

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...

ed back to the UK, since two-door models were phased out in the UK market in 1979. The Hillman Avenger name was not used, instead the cars were simply badged as

and the engine size and trim level (e.g. Sunbeam 1600 GLS). Throughout most of Europe the Sunbeam name was used, except for the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Argentina

The Avenger was built in Argentina between 1971 and 1990, initially as the Dodge 1500 (or Dodge 1500M with the 1.8 engine) as a four-door sedan. In 1977, the Dodge 1500 GT-100 producing was introduced. It had the 1800 engine, two Stromberg carburettors, a diameter clutch and a high performance manifold. This model could be had only in dark blue or black with obligatory sports stripes. In 1978, the first station wagon (estate version)–Dodge 1500 Rural–were announced. Later on, the Rural was only available with the 1.8 liter engine, albeit still using the "1500" name. In the beginning of 1980

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post ...

acquired Chrysler International's remaining shares in their Argentinian subsidiary when the latter withdrew from South America (Volkswagen held 49% since earlier). The deal included the tooling to the Dodge 1500. The Chrysler range was discontinued, but the Dodge 1500 continued with a new "Serie W" suffix. In 1982 the car was renamed the Volkswagen 1500 (not to be confused with the totally different

Volkswagen Type 3 The Volkswagen Type 3 is a compact car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 1961-1973. Introduced at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show, ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA)'', the Type 3 was marketed as the Volkswagen 1500 and later ...

, which had been sold elsewhere in the world between 1961 and 1973 as a Volkswagen 1500 too). Under Volkswagen, the car received its final facelift, gaining a sloping front grille which was more in vogue in the early 1980s. Details such as the rearview mirrors and doorhandles were replaced by squared-off units in black plastic, rather than the earlier chromed filigrane ones. Production ended in 1990, replaced with the more modern Volkswagen Gacel/Senda, with a total of 262,668 units sold in its almost 20-year lifespan. This vehicle was very popular with taxi drivers, but by the end of 1998 they had all fallen foul of the ten-year age rule on Argentine taxi vehicles. It was also very popular in the early TC 2000 touring car racing series, winning the 1980, 1981 and 1982 championships.

Brazil

The Avenger was also built in Brazil from 1973 until 1981 in two-door sedan form only, sold initially as Dodge 1800, named for its motor — the engine design was the same as found in Avengers sold elsewhere, although enlarged to a 1.8 L capacity. Styling was completely different from the British built Avengers (which only arrived four months later), with the bodywork from the A-pillar back being unique. The differences are very small, with the rear side window being somewhat larger and the overall appearance being slightly less curvy than the British model. More obvious is the use of larger bumpers, a four-headlamp grille (which was different from the design found on the quadruple headlamp Avengers and the American Plymouth Cricket), and conventional tail lights, which did not have the "hockeystick" shape of the Hillman Avenger. It was presented at the São Paulo Motor Show in November 1972. In 1976, the car was renamed Dodge Polara (a nameplate Chrysler previously used on full-sized Dodge models in the U.S. and on a series of large Dodges in Argentina), and underwent a comprehensive facelift (in 1978), gaining the Chrysler Avenger's front styling, and dashboard setup, the revised bumpers and tail light treatments remaining unique to Brazil. A further light facelift was given in 1980 before production ceased in 1981.

New Zealand

The Avenger was sold by Todd Motors in

from 1970–1980 in four-door sedan and five-door wagon (1975 onward) forms only. Todd's of Petone and, later,

Porirua Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide swee ...

also sold

Chrysler Australia Fiat Chrysler Australia, officially FCA Australia, is the official Stellantis subsidiary in that country, operating as distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Fiat vehicles. However, there had previously been a "Chrysler ...

and

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 187 ...

products and their assembly lines both at the original Petone plant (dating from the 1920s) and the new purpose-built plant opened in Porirua in 1974 were notable for the variety of models coming down the twin final assembly lines at any one time—vehicles sharing the trim lines with the Avenger on a daily shift might include the Hillman Hunter, Chrysler Valiant and Alpine hatchback,

Mitsubishi Galant The Mitsubishi Galant is an automobile which was produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1969 until 2012. The model name was derived from the French word ''galant'', meaning "chivalrous". There have been nine distinct generations with ...

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meani ...

and

Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...

, as well as the

Datsun 180B The is a compact car with a model name introduced in 1957. It has been Nissan's most internationally recognized sedan, in multiple body styles, and is known for its dependability and durability. The Bluebird originated from Nissan's first vehic ...

(due to Todd Motors for a time having a contract to build those as Nissan's other contractor at the time, Campbell Motor Industries, did not have enough capacity). The New Zealand Avenger initially was similar to the British line but there was just one engine and trim level to start: the 'Super' (two headlights, vinyl trim, 1.5 L single carburettor engine, manual 4-speed gearbox.). In 1971 Todd's added a unique-to-NZ, sporty, 1.5-litre twin-carburettor 'TC' model with all-black interior trim, dashtop rev counter, side striping, high-back 'tombstone' front seats, special bright paint colours and new wheel trims, among other detail changes. This was loosely based on the UK GT but lacked that car's 'Rostyle' wheels, using locally-made, look-alike pressed aluminium wheel trims instead. The TC was effectively replaced in 1973 by the more upmarket Avenger Alpine, another local special loosely based on the UK 'GL' (four headlights, four-round-dials dashboard instead of a rectangular instrument cluster (though early cars had a blanked-off space instead of the rev counter standardised later), better trim, twin carburettors and vinyl roof), initially with the twin-carburettor 1.5 L engine (changed to a 1.6 L from 1973, later changed again to a single-carb unit and also available for the first time with automatic transmission, the Borg Warner 45 four-speed unit). The Super sedan also gained the 1.6 L engine and auto option in '73 while the range was expanded in 1975 when 1.3 L variants (a result of the fuel crisis that also prompted rival Ford New Zealand to reintroduce a Cortina 1.3) and 1.6 L manual or automatic 'Super' wagon models were added to the New Zealand assembled range. Todd's updated its Avenger line in 1978 with the Simca-style front end and dashboard and new tail lights, and added a luxury GLS version, similar to the UK model, in place of the earlier Alpine while the range was rebranded Chrysler Avenger. It again broadly followed the British lineup, albeit with a limited range of models, now consisting of a 1.3 GL sedan, a 1.6 LS wagon (marketed as Avenger Estate) and 1.6 GLS sedans, again with manual or automatic transmissions. The 'base' 1.3 GL sedan was a very popular entry level B-category model for rental car company Avis right up to the Avenger's demise in 1980. While Avenger models in Europe were rebranded as Talbot, the New Zealand Avengers kept the Chrysler branding for 1980. 1980 models could be identified by a black grille, protective black body-side mouldings, window blackouts and unadorned steel wheels. An unusual variant unique to New Zealand, available for some years, was a "van", basically the manual Avenger wagon with a flat rear floor in place of rear seats and fixed, rather than wind-down, rear door windows. This, and rival models, was introduced around 1975 to get around strict post-oil crisis government hire purchase laws in the country that required a 60 per cent deposit for a new car with only 12-month terms versus 25 per cent and three years for a light commercial vehicle, which is what these so-called "vans" were classified as. Unlike British models, all New Zealand Avengers from 1973 onwards had metric instruments. Along with the 1971–1979 Vauxhall HC Viva, 1965–1971 FB and FC Victors, and 1976–1981

Vauxhall Chevette The Vauxhall Chevette is a supermini car that was manufactured by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1975 to 1984. It was Vauxhall's version of the " T-Car" small-car family from Vauxhall's parent General Motors (GM), and based primarily on th ...

ranges, and Austin Allegro, Maxi and

Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subs ...

, the Avenger was one of several British models to be sold in

but not Australia. The Avenger was planned initially as a Hillman Hunter replacement for Australia but, due to economics of sourcing, the Japanese

was chosen instead by

for that market, though it was marketed as the 'Chrysler Galant'. By contrast in

, the Avenger, Hunter and Mitsubishi Galant (offered from 1972–1977 in coupe form only) co-existed together in Todd Motors' overall lineup, though the Avenger-sized (but much more cramped inside) Mitsubishi Lancer eventually went into local assembly in 1975.

South Africa

The Avenger was assembled and sold in South Africa badged as the Dodge Avenger. To satisfy local content rules a locally made 1.6 L

engine, shared with the locally assembled Peugeot 404, was used. The Avenger was available from 1975 until its discontinuation in 1976, when it was renamed as a

. After ''Chrysler ZA'' was merged into Sigma Motor Corporation in 1976, the Avenger was soon cancelled to allow ''SIGMA'' to free up more production capacity for the

Mazda 323 The , also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004. It was marketed as the ' ...

Iran

The Avenger was built in Iran from 1978–1980 in two-door, form by Iran Khodro Co. and called the Hillman Avenger aside the locally manufactured Hillman Hunter (called Paykan). The engine used in it was the Hunter engine also used in the Paykan. The 4-door Avenger was imported to Iran for a few years starting in 1975.

Uruguay

An Avenger-based

coupe utility A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

(pickup) called the Dodge 1500 Pickup was made in

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

, but the conversion failed to properly account for structural rigidity and they literally broke apart.

1977: Chrysler Sunbeam hatchback

In 1977, a

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

variant was introduced, known as the Chrysler Sunbeam. This was based on a shortened version of the Avenger's floorplan, and was intended to compete in the lower "supermini" class. It also shared doors with the 2-door Avenger. Initially three engines were available: a 928 cc

-derived unit and 1300 and 1600 Avenger units. A sporty "Ti" version was soon introduced, also with a 1600 engine. The model's name was a revival of the Rootes

marque, which had recently been killed off along with the final Sunbeam model, the

Rapier A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Impo ...

. In 1979, Chrysler unveiled the Sunbeam Lotus at the Geneva Motor Show. Developed in conjunction with

Lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

with rallying in mind (because none of the existing models were competitive) and using a 2200 cc Lotus engine, the road-going version of the rally car was not actually ready for delivery to the public until after the

buyout, and thus became the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus. At first, these were produced mostly in Lotus' then tobacco-sponsorship colours of black and silver, although later models came in a turquoise and silver scheme.

Avenger and Cricket in motorsport

Despite the humble underpinnings, the Avenger was a successful car in motorsport; it was a frequent strong achiever in the

British Touring Car Championship The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...

owing to the "tuneability" of its engine. The road-going version, the 4-door Avenger Tiger, is now a sought-after

classic car A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...

. * In the U.S., driver Scott Harvey was known to have rallied a Plymouth Cricket to win the Press on Regardless Rally of 1971. * Northern Ireland based Robin Eyre-Maunsell was a works driver for the factory Avenger rally team, run by Des O'Dell, and won the British Group 1 Rally Championship in 1975 and 1976. * The late Bernard Unett won the

using Avengers in 1974, 1976 and 1977. * Scottish rallydriver Andrew Cowan won the 1976 Heatway

Rally of New Zealand The Rally New Zealand is an annual rally race in New Zealand. It was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977. The race is famous for its fast flowing gravel roads which carry the competitors through forests and alongside ...

in a Hillman Avenger 2-door in 1976, fitted with the expanded 1800 cc Brazilian Dodge 1800/Polara engine.

Survival rate

The Avenger was one of the most popular British cars of the 1970s, although by the end of the decade its popularity was falling, probably due to the arrival of more modern competitors like the

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/ small family car ( C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various namepla ...

, although

had launched the more modern

to compete in the same market sector as the Avenger. In February 2016, it was reported that just 260 examples of the Avenger were still on Britain's roads.

References

External links

Avenger/Cricket/Sunbeam page at Allpar.com

{{Chrysler vehicles

Avenger Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

Sunbeam Avenger Cars introduced in 1970 1980s cars Touring cars Station wagons