Buying Guide
Conventionally engineered, well-made, stylish, great value, dependable, practical and utterly usable – the Minx deserves a lot more attention. Here’s what to look for
Hillman Minx
‘Rootes was a fan of annual adjustments to keep people trading up’
The Hillman Minx that arrived in 1956 may be closely related to the Sunbeam Rapier and Singer Gazelle, but it’s now largely forgotten. Perhaps it’s because there was such a confusing array of derivatives over the years. Rootes was a fan of annual adjustments, in an attempt to keep people trading up, but there are few major differences between the various Minx iterations, aside from a variety of engines. The Sunbeam Rapier was introduced in October 1955 as a twodoor saloon with a 1390cc engine; it was the first of Rootes’ ‘Audax’ models. The Hillman Minx followed in September 1956; it was mechanically the same but came in four-door saloon and two-door convertible forms. A five-door estate reached showrooms in June 1957, then in August the Series II Minx arrived with a slightly revised engine, a floor-mounted gearchange for the Minx Special and the option of a Manumatic two-pedal transmission. The Series III (from September 1958) had a 1494cc version of the 1390cc engine, a new grille and revised fascia. Within a year there was another facelift; the Series IIIa brought roll-over rear fins, Smiths Easidrive automatic transmission in place of the Manumatic and another new grille. The Series IIIb appeared in August 1960 with a 53bhp single-carb engine and hypoid rear axle in place of the previous spiral bevel unit; a year later the Series IIIc brought an overhead valve 1592cc engine. There was no Minx Series IV; instead, the Series V went on sale in September 1963, almost a year after the estate and convertible Minxes had disappeared. This featured lower, wider bodywork with wider rear doors for the four-door saloons, disc brakes at the front and 13inch wheels. Most grease points were eliminated and there was a new dashboard, while the Smiths Easidrive automatic made way for a Borg-Warner unit. The last Minx was the Series VI of September 1965, equipped with a 1725cc engine originally offering 65bhp, but later downgraded to 59bhp. The ‘Arrow’ Minx and Hunter arrived in spring 1967, replacing the Series edition.