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My worst cars were the Hillman Imp (the Rootes Group 'answer' to the Mini) and its Sunbeam version, c. 1960 on. It rusted, even in the prospectus, and the handling was awful. The rear engine was in diecast aluminium to keep the weight down. On ice, it resembled a figure skater.
Not much better was the c. 1962 on Hillman Minx, which was a total redesign of a conventional popular car, with a 1600 cc engine. I bought one new (£400, tax-free for export) in 1963 and it had 28 major faults on delivery. Eventually, it was so bad Rootes exchanged it for one that was not much better. The earlier models of the Minx were superb, for the price and the market aimed at.
After a few months, I traded in the Minx against a Super Minx GT Station Wagon. This was a model made especially for the Swiss market and was powered by a Sunbeam Alpine twin carb engine with a close ratio gear box and a back axle with a ratio to give torque, more than speed. It lasted only 6 years: the integral "chassis" rusted through.
This lack of quality was the cause of the demise of the Rootes Group (Hillman, Singer, Sunbeam and Humber), which enjoyed an excellent reputation and a good market share in the UK and parts of Europe and Oz from the start of the 20th century through to about 1970. The beginning of the end was when Chrysler bought out Rootes in the 1960s and lost a pretty packet doing so. Today, a good pre-1960 Hillman is a collector's car.
My best car was a 1994 Toyota Camry, which I kept until I left Switzerland in 1998 - and I have had a few cars with a better 'name', such a Jaguar type E (too expensive: e.g., had to drop the engine to change the oil filter) and, of course, a mini-Cooper.
Not much better was the c. 1962 on Hillman Minx, which was a total redesign of a conventional popular car, with a 1600 cc engine. I bought one new (£400, tax-free for export) in 1963 and it had 28 major faults on delivery. Eventually, it was so bad Rootes exchanged it for one that was not much better. The earlier models of the Minx were superb, for the price and the market aimed at.
After a few months, I traded in the Minx against a Super Minx GT Station Wagon. This was a model made especially for the Swiss market and was powered by a Sunbeam Alpine twin carb engine with a close ratio gear box and a back axle with a ratio to give torque, more than speed. It lasted only 6 years: the integral "chassis" rusted through.
This lack of quality was the cause of the demise of the Rootes Group (Hillman, Singer, Sunbeam and Humber), which enjoyed an excellent reputation and a good market share in the UK and parts of Europe and Oz from the start of the 20th century through to about 1970. The beginning of the end was when Chrysler bought out Rootes in the 1960s and lost a pretty packet doing so. Today, a good pre-1960 Hillman is a collector's car.
My best car was a 1994 Toyota Camry, which I kept until I left Switzerland in 1998 - and I have had a few cars with a better 'name', such a Jaguar type E (too expensive: e.g., had to drop the engine to change the oil filter) and, of course, a mini-Cooper.
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