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Hillman Imp - Does he have an EEC chance?

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Created on October 20, 2020

Text:

Erich Boyer

Photos:

Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

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Archiv

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Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

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Archiv

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - the additional storage space created by folding down the rear seat backrest could be easily loaded through the hinged rear window

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Hillman Imp (1963) - picturesquely positioned in front of the Firth of Forth Bridge

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - neatly arranged with a lady

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Sunbeam Imp Sport (1967) - the sporty version with more power (50 hp) was added later

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Hillman Imp (1963) - squat silhouette

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Hillman Imp (1963) - wide-opening doors for easy access

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - the rear view has hardly changed over the entire construction period

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - View of the aluminum engine in the rear

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - exceptionally large windows

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Test drives in the Arctic circles

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Hillman Imp Deluxe (1964) - the English rear-engined car shows similarities with the NSU Prinz 4 - at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Hillman Imp (1964) - first rear-engine model from England - nice to see the aluminum engine in the foreground - Geneva Motor Show 1964

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Hillman Imp (1964) - Presentation at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Sunbeam Imp (1968) - the only rear-engined vehicle of the Rootes Group - Geneva Motor Show 1968

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Sunbeam Imp Chamois (1965) - Variant of the Hillman Imp with a more elegant interior - Geneva Motor Show 1965

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - IMP 2 and IMP 3 in one picture

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Hillman Imp (1964) - four happy passengers in the Imp

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Hillman Imp Deluxe (1964) - two golf bags can also be accommodated in the Imp

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Hillman Imp (1963) - front section with the type designation "Imp"

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Taillights

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - wonderful press recording

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Hillman Imp (1963) - one of the vehicles used in the Automobil Revue endurance test

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Hillman Imp (1963) - early Imp in the handling test

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Hillman Imp (1963) - front view of the long-distance test vehicle - the Imp lettering on the front is clearly visible

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Hillman Imp (1963) - an early Imp in a long-distance test - front section, trunk with spare wheel

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Hillman Imp (1963) - three different vehicles were used for the AR endurance test

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Hillman Imp de Luxe (1963) - the interior door panel contained a practical storage compartment

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Hillman Imp (1963) - an early Imp in the long-distance test - the seats were not only praised

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Hillman Imp (1964) - View of the dashboard of the endurance test car

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Hillman Imp (1963) - the early models had a tape speedometer

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Everything folded down in the long-distance test vehicle

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Rear seat folded down on long-distance test car

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Hillman Imp (1964) - the hinged rear window on the test car

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Hillman Imp (1964) - View into the engine compartment of one of the endurance test cars

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Hillman Imp (1963) - the vehicles were not spared during the test drives

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Front axle construction

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Hillman Imp (1964) - Transparent drawing

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Transparent drawing

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Hillman Imp (1964) - sketch; engine block

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Hillman Imp (1963) - drive units ready for installation

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Hillman Imp (1963) - Sketch - Cylinder head and overhead camshaft

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Hillman Imp (1963) - the four-speed gearbox in an aluminum housing

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Hillman Imp (1964) - the innovative light-alloy engine based on the Coventry Climax engine - at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show

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Hillman Imp (1963) - the inclined four-cylinder and the rear axle

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Hillman Imp (1964) - technically interesting aluminum engine with overhead camshaft and inclined block, compression ratio 10 to 1 - Geneva Motor Show 1964

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Hillman Imp (1963) - the drive seen from below on the production line

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Summary

The Hillman Imp is a midget that wants to compete with the mid-size cars, at least as far as its equipment is concerned. In the early sixties, its mission was to show that even a small car could be comfortable and spacious. Although it succeeded in this quite well, it was also plagued by a few weaknesses. This hobby article from 1963 describes what these were and what it was good at.

This article contains the following chapters

Reaction to competition or proof of ability?
Where to put the luggage?
Not quite convincing yet, but has potential
Technical data

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Its name is Imp, which means dwarf or gnome. In our country, no one would think of calling a small car small. For us, even a small car is either "lower middle class" or at least "as big, as spacious, as powerful as - - -". However, with 42 SAE horsepower from its 875 cc, the Imp also delivers as much to the rear wheels as our half-size cars, and its water-cooled aluminum Coventry Climax four-cylinder is an engine worthy of note. Whether one is better than the other remains an open question. The only thing that is certain is that the English are looking for their export salvation in the powerful little ones and are hoping for the best chances here.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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