The Hillman Minx was a
mid-sized family car
A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe normally-sized cars. The name comes from the marketed use of these cars to carry a whole family locally or on vacations. Most family cars are hatchbacks or sedan (automobile), sedans, ...
that British car maker
Hillman
Hillman was a British automobile marque created by the Hillman-Coatalen Company, founded in 1907, renamed the Hillman Motor Car Company in 1910. The company was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England. Before 1907 the company had b ...
produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as
badge-engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
variants sold by
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 between th ...
,
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 without ...
, and
Sunbeam.
From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, the Minx and its derivatives were the greatest-volume sellers of the "Audax" family of cars from Rootes, which also included the
Singer Gazelle
The Singer Gazelle name has been applied to two generations of motor cars from the British manufacturer Singer. It was positioned between the basic Hillman range and the more sporting Sunbeam versions.
Gazelle I and II
The Gazelle was the ...
and
Sunbeam Rapier
The Sunbeam Rapier is an automobile produced by Rootes Group from 1955 until 1976, in two different body-styles, the "Series" cars (which underwent several revisions) and the later (1967–76) fastback shape, part of the "Arrow" range.
The first ...
. The final version of the Minx was the "New Minx" launched in 1967, which was part of the "
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
" family and essentially a basic version of the
Hillman Hunter
Hunting is the human activity, 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 (skin), hide, ...
. Generally, the Minx was available in four-door
saloon and
estate forms, with a 1496-cc engine.
The
Hillman Super Minx
__NOTOC__
The Hillman Super Minx is a family car which was produced by Hillman from 1961 to 1967. It was a slightly larger version of the Hillman Minx, from the period when the long-running Minx nameplate was applied to the "Audax" series of desi ...
was a slightly larger model offered during the Audax era.
Throughout the life of the Minx, there was usually an estate version—and, from 1954 to 1965, a short-wheelbase estate, the
Hillman Husky
The Hillman Husky was a line of British passenger vehicles manufactured between 1954 and 1970 by Hillman.
Original Hillman Husky ("Mark 1")
The first (or "Mark 1") Hillman Husky, introduced in 1954, was a small estate car based on the contempor ...
, and a van derivative known as the
Commer
Commer was a British manufacturer of commercial and military vehicles from 1905 until 1979. Commer vehicles included car-derived vans, light vans, medium to heavy commercial trucks, and buses. The company also designed and built some of its own ...
Cob.
The Minx model name was revived briefly – along with the "Rapier" name, as applied to the Sunbeam Rapier version of the Audax family – as a special edition late in the life of the
Talbot Alpine /
Talbot Solara
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-Talbot ...
cars, produced by
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 ...
after its takeover of the Rootes Group.
Pre-WWII Minx
The original Minx was announced to the forewarned (in August) public 1 October 1931. It was straightforward and conventional
[Anders Detlev Clausager, ''Sunbeam-Talbot and Alpine in Detail'', Herridge, 2009. .] with a
pressed-steel body on separate chassis and 30 bhp 1185 cc engine producing ''cushioned power''.
[Instead of being bolted firmly to the chassis the engine was mounted so that it could rock from side to side restricted by a leaf spring.] It was upgraded with a four-speed transmission in 1934 and a styling upgrade, most noticeably a slightly V-shaped grille. For 1935 the range was similar except that synchromesh was added to all forward gears and this Minx became the first mass-produced car with an all-synchromesh gearbox.
[p. 54, Michael Sedgwick, ''Cars of the Thirties and Forties'', Hamlyn, London, 1975. .] it was designed by Rootes' technical director
Captain John Samuel Irving (1880-1953), designer of
Sunbeam aero engines and Sunbeam's
Golden Arrow' in conjunction with Alfred Herbert Wilde (1891–1930), recently chief engineer of
Standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
and designer of the
Standard Nine.
[
The 1936 model had a new name, the Minx Magnificent, and a restyle with a much more rounded body. The chassis was stiffened and the engine moved forwards to give more passenger room. The rear panel, previously vertical, was now set at a sloping angle, and the manufacturers offered the option of a folding luggage grid attached to the rear panel for "two pounds, seven shillings and sixpence" (slightly under £2.40) painted.] A Commer-badged estate car was added to the range.
The final pre-war model was the 1938 Minx. There were no more factory-built tourers but some were made by Carbodies
The London Taxi Company was a taxi design and manufacturing company based in Coventry, England. It formerly traded as London Taxis International and Carbodies.
It operated a coachbuilding business on Holyhead Road, Coventry. After half a c ...
. The car was visually similar to the Magnificent, with a different grille, and access to the luggage boot (trunk) was external (that on the predecessor was accessed by folding down the rear seat). There were two saloon models in the range, the basic "Safety" model with simple rexine Rexine is the registered trademark of an artificial leather leathercloth fabric produced in the United Kingdom by Rexine Ltd of Hyde, near Manchester, England. It was made of cloth surfaced with a mixture of cellulose nitrate (a low explosive also u ...
trim instead of leather, no opening front quarter lights, and less luxurious trim levels. The De Luxe model had leather trim, opening quarter lights, extra trim pads, and various other comfort benefits. The 1938 model was not the final iteration before the outbreak of war, however, as the 1939 model was considerably different mechanically, with virtually the entire drivetrain improved to the extent that few parts are interchangeable with the 1938 model. This includes gearbox, differential, half shafts, steering box, and a great many other mechanical and cosmetic changes. Even the front grille, which to the casual eye looks almost identical to the 1938 model, became a pressed alloy component rather than a composite.
Hillman Aero Minx 1933 (9218266477).jpg, Aerominx 1933
Hillman Minx sports tourer manufactured 1934 1185 cc.JPG, Minx sports tourer 1934
Hillman possibly Minx built 1935 according to DVLA database photo 2008 Castle Hedingham.JPG, Minx 1935 the first mass-produced car with an all-synchromesh gearbox[
Hillman Minx manufactured 1937 1184 cc according to tax office.JPG, Minx 1937
1937 Hillman Minx drop head coupé (29121528312).jpg, Minx tourer 1937
]
Wartime Minx
During the Second World War, British car companies produced simple Utility load carriers, the ''Car, Light Utility'' or "Tilly" which was later developed into the experimental Hillman Gnat. For Hillman it was the Hillman 10HP, a Minx chassis with a two-person cab and covered load area behind. The basic saloon was also produced for military and essential civilian use from 1940 to 1944.
Operators
*: British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
Minx Mark I to VIII (1945–57)
The Minx sold between 1945 and 1947 had the same 1185 cc side-valve engine, the same wheelbase and virtually the same shape as the prewar Minx. This postwar Minx became known as the Minx Mark I (or Minx Phase I). This was the first Minx with a protruding boot (trunk) that nodded to the Ponton, three-box design by then replacing the 'flat back' look, inherited from models that had debuted in the 1930s. Between 1947 and 1948, Hillman offered a modified version they called the Minx Mark II.
A much more modern-looking Minx, the Mark III, was sold from 1948. Three different body styles were offered initially, these being saloon, estate car and drophead coupé (convertible). Beneath the metal, however, and apart from updated front suspension, little had changed: the Mark III retained the 1185 cc side-valve engine of its predecessor. Claimed power output, at , was also unchanged. However, in 1949 the old engine was bored out and compression ratio increased, for the Minx Mark IV, to 1265 cc, and power output increased by 7 per cent to .[ A Mark IV saloon tested by '']The Motor
''The Motor'' (later, just ''Motor'') was a British weekly car magazine
''Car'' is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Republi ...
'' magazine in 1949 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0– in 39.7 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £505 including taxes, the price including radio (£36), over-riders (£5) and heater (£18).
The Mark V, introduced in 1951, featured side chromium trim and a floor-mounted handbrake.[Michael Sedgwick & Markes Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, page 87]
The Mark VI of 1953 featured a new grille, revised combustion chambers and a two-spoke steering wheel.[ A fourth body variation was added, badged as the Hillman Minx Californian, a two-door hard-top coupé with, slightly unusually, a ]b-pillar
The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door stat ...
that wound down out of sight along with the rear side window to give an unbroken window line when all windows were fully opened: the rear window assembly was of a three-piece wrap-around form. The wheelbase and overall length of the car remained the same as those of the four-door saloon and convertible permutations. The Mark VII, also introduced in 1953, featured longer rear mudguards and a bigger boot.[ For the Mark VIII, in 1954, a new ]ohv
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 bel ...
1390 cc engine was installed. This engine, two years later, went into the first of the new "Audax series" Minxes.
For a short time in the early 1950s, Hillman Minxes were sold in the US to Americans seeking better gas mileage. American reviews of the vehicle were lukewarm. Between 1953 and 1956 the Mark VI to Mark VIII Isuzu Hillman Minx was produced in Japan by Isuzu Motors,["Isuzu Memorial 1953 -2003", Yaesu Publishing (Japan) 2008] prior to their 1961 introduction of the Bellel.[
A 2-door ]coupé utility
A coupé utility is a vehicle with a passenger compartment at the front and an integrated cargo tray at the rear, with the front of the cargo bed doubling as the rear of the passenger compartment.
The term originated in the 1930s, where it wa ...
variant of the Minx Mark VIII was produced by Rootes Australia
Rootes Australia was the Australian affiliate of the Rootes Group, a British motor vehicle manufacturing company.The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 413
The company was formed immediately after the Second World War initially operati ...
as the ''Hillman de luxe Utility'', circa 1956.[
File:Hillman Minx Saloon of 1946.JPG, 1946 Hillman Minx Mark I saloon
File:Hilman 1947.jpg, 1947 Hillman Minx Mark I drophead coupé
File:1947 Hillman - 10 hp - 4 cyl - WBC 6777 - Kolkata 2017-01-29 3845.JPG, 1948 Hillman Minx Mark II Saloon
File:Hillman Minx Mark IV Saloon (1949).JPG, Hillman Minx Mark IV Saloon (1949)
File:1953 Hillman Minx Mark V IMG 3057.jpg, 1953 Hillman Minx Mark V
File:Isuzu Hillman Minx Mark Ⅵ, Rear view.jpg, 1953 Hillman Minx Mark VI
File:1954 Hillman Minx Phase VII Saloon.jpg, 1954 Hillman Minx Mark VII
File:Hillman Minx Mark VIII Cabriolet 1955.jpg, Hillman Minx Mark VIII drophead coupé ca 1955
File:Hillman Minx Mark 8 1955.JPG, Hillman Minx Mark VIII]
4-door saloon 1955
File:1955 Hillman Minx Californian (8578669699).jpg, Hillman Minx Californian Mark VIII
File:Hillman de luxe Utility (16085618332).jpg, Hillman de luxe Utility Mark VIII
File:1954 Humber 10 (11661843236).jpg, 1954 Humber 10 (Minx rebranded for New Zealand's Humber dealers)
File:1955 Humber 80 Saloon (46450330504).jpg, 1955 Humber 80 (Minx rebranded for New Zealand market)
Audax design Hillman Minx (Series I to Series VI, 1956–67)
The Audax body was designed by the Rootes Group, but helped by the Raymond Loewy design organisation, who were involved in the design of Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...
coupés in 1953. Announced in May 1956 the car went through a succession of annual facelifts each given a series number, replacing the mark number used on the previous Minxes. The Series I, introduced in 1956, was followed by the Series II in 1957, the Series III in 1958, the Series IIIA in 1959, the Series IIIB in 1960, the Series IIIC in 1961, the Series V in 1963 and the Series VI in 1965.[Michael Sedgwick & Markes Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, pages 88 & 89] There was no Series IV. Over the years the engine was increased in capacity from 1390 cc (in the Series I and II) to 1725 cc in the Series VI. A variety of manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
s, with column or floor change, and automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
s were offered. For the automatic version, the Series I and Series II used a Lockheed Manumatic two-pedal system (really only a semi-automatic), the Series III a Smiths Easidrive, which was the first production Dual-clutch transmission
A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) (sometimes referred to as a twin-clutch transmission) is a type of multi-speed motor vehicle, vehicle Transmission (mechanics), transmission system, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear train, g ...
, while the V/VI a Borg Warner. The Series VI was fitted with an all-synchromesh gearbox.
A Series III deLuxe saloon with 1494 cc engine tested by the British magazine ''The Motor'' in 1958 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0– in 25.4 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £794 including taxes of £265.
There were Singer Gazelle
The Singer Gazelle name has been applied to two generations of motor cars from the British manufacturer Singer. It was positioned between the basic Hillman range and the more sporting Sunbeam versions.
Gazelle I and II
The Gazelle was the ...
and Sunbeam Rapier
The Sunbeam Rapier is an automobile produced by Rootes Group from 1955 until 1976, in two different body-styles, the "Series" cars (which underwent several revisions) and the later (1967–76) fastback shape, part of the "Arrow" range.
The first ...
variants of all these Hillman Minx models and the names were again used on derivatives in the later Rootes Arrow
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group (later Chrysler Europe) from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from f ...
range. Some models were re-badged in certain markets, with the Sunbeam and 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 between th ...
marques used for some exports.
The New Zealand importer/assembler Todd Motors created the Humber 80 and Humber 90, badge-engineered models based respectively on the Minx and Super Minx, both as a way to secure scarce additional import licences for CKD assembly kits and to give Humber dealers a smaller car to sell alongside the locally assembled Hawk and Super Snipe. Although the 90 was identical to the Super Minx apart from badging, the cheaper 80 featured a horizontal bar grille design. The Humber 80 was acknowledged in the 1980s Roger Hall play ''Prisoners of Mother England'', in which a newly arrived immigrant in New Zealand spots one and exclaims: "Humber 80? There's no such car!"
In Australia, a Series Va model was released in 1965.[Hillman Minx Series V & VI and Hillman Gazelle, www.sa.hillman.org.au]
Retrieved 24 October 2017 It was fitted with a more powerful 1592cc engine and the all-synchromesh gearbox destined for the forthcoming Series VI model.[
The Audax Minx was also built in Japan by Isuzu Motors as the Isuzu Hillman Minx under licence from Rootes between September 1956 and June 1964.] Isuzu produced their own unique estate car version, the Isuzu Hillman Express, from 1958 to 1964.
File:1956 Hillman Minx Series I (14302774535).jpg, Hillman Minx Series I Saloon
File:Hillman Minx Series II registered May 1958 1390cc.JPG, Hillman Minx Series II Saloon
File:Hillman Minx Series III.jpg, Hillman Minx Series III Saloon
File:Hillman Minx Series III side.jpg, Hillman Minx Series III Saloon in side view
File:Hillman Minx Series IIIA.jpg, Hillman Minx Series IIIA Saloon - chrome grille
File:Hillman Minx Series IIIB.jpg, Hillman Minx Series IIIB Convertible featuring an alloy grille in place of the chrome grill of the Series IIIA
File:Hillman Minx Convertible.jpg, Hillman Minx Series IIIC Convertible: the last of the convertible Minx line
File:Hillman Minx Series V.jpg, Hillman Minx Series V: Roof and rear window restyled, 13-inch wheels, disc brakes, 1592cc engine
File:Hillman Minx series VI 1725 cc reg april 1966.JPG, Hillman Minx Series VI: Bumper over-riders deleted, 1725cc engine
File:1959 Humber 80.jpg, 1959 Humber 80 – a Hillman Minx Series III badged as Humber for some markets such as (here) in New Zealand
File:'66 Sunbeam Minx (Auto classique VAQ St-Lambert '12).jpg, 1966 Sunbeam Minx in Canada
Super Minx (1961–67)
Launched late in 1961, the Hillman Super Minx
__NOTOC__
The Hillman Super Minx is a family car which was produced by Hillman from 1961 to 1967. It was a slightly larger version of the Hillman Minx, from the period when the long-running Minx nameplate was applied to the "Audax" series of desi ...
was intended at one stage to replace the Minx Series III. In the event the Series III would be replaced in 1963 by the Series V, while the Super Minx was launched as a separate, albeit closely related, model.
New Minx (1967–70)
A replacement Minx (sometimes identified, retrospectively, as the New Minx) took over from the Series VI in 1967. It was a reduced specification version of the Hillman Hunter
Hunting is the human activity, 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 (skin), hide, ...
.[Michael Sedgwick & Markes Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, page 90] Saloon and estate versions were produced, initially equipped with a 54 bhp 1496 cc 4 cylinder engine.[ A 61 bhp 1725cc engine became available in 1968.][Smart new clothes]
Retrieved from www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk on 31 July 2012 The final Minx was replaced by a Hillman Hunter De Luxe model in 1970.[
File:1968 Hillman Minx Estate 1.5 Front.jpg, 1968 Hillman Minx estate
File:1967 Hillman Minx.jpg, 1967 Hillman Minx saloon rear
File:1968 Hillman Minx Estate 1.5 Rear.jpg, Estate rear
]
Models
Scale Models
*Meccano Dinky Toys
Dinky Toys was the brand name for a range of die-cast toy, die-cast zamak zinc alloy scale model model car, vehicles produced by British toy company Meccano Ltd. They were made in England from 1934 to 1979, at a factory in Binns Road in Liverpo ...
; No. 154 (production 1954–58), Minx Mark I to VIII (1945–57) approximately O scale
O scale (or O gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and rail transport modelling. Introduced by German toy manufacturer Märklin around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail alternating current O gauge was the most common model railroad sca ...
(1:44).
*Meccano Dinky Toys
Dinky Toys was the brand name for a range of die-cast toy, die-cast zamak zinc alloy scale model model car, vehicles produced by British toy company Meccano Ltd. They were made in England from 1934 to 1979, at a factory in Binns Road in Liverpo ...
; No. 175 (production 1958–61), Hillman Minx Series I approximately O scale
O scale (or O gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and rail transport modelling. Introduced by German toy manufacturer Märklin around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail alternating current O gauge was the most common model railroad sca ...
(1:44).
* Triang Spot-On Hillman Minx Series V 1:42 scale
Explanatory notes
References
External links
{{commons category, Hillman Minx
Hillman range for 1939 sales brochure
Isuzu's first Minx Mark VI off the assembly line
Hillman Minx website
Rootes-Chrysler website
Minx
Minx, MinX or MINX may refer to:
Music
* MINX (band), dissolved South Korean girl group replaced by Dreamcatcher
* MINX (musician) (born 1983), Australian DJ and producer
* ''Minx'' (Leatherface album), 1993
* ''Minx'' (Toyah album), 1985
Pr ...
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars introduced in 1931
1940s cars
1950s cars
1960s cars
1970s cars
Station wagons
Sedans