Classic British Cars - Sunbeam Rapier and Hillman Super Minx

[@Seminal_Ideas]

These lovely old couples are a joy to watch. Their cars were such a huge part of their family lives. Happy families of a landscape that slipped away. It really seems like a different Britain doesn't it?.

[@TheSporeboy]

Loved every single thing about this video. I think I was smiling from start to finish. So very English, even the Rapier's heating.

[@11carbuff19572011]

The unmistakable voice of the late John Peel describing these great classics from our motoring heritage. About time this nation put her great classic cars back on the road including the rarities featured in that Channel 4 series. These should not be forgotten.

[@nygelmiller5293]

JOHN PEEL. The all - time best car programme presenter!

[@TheMightyminx]

Very well done. It inspired me to take my 1955 Hillman Minx convertible out for spin today - here in the States. It brings smiles to everyone's faces, just seeing a Minx on the road. Craig B. Mighty Minx

[@brucecarney4416]

Add the two delightful couples to this for a thoroughly enjoyable clip.

[@jimmyjimjimmyjimjimjimjim4437]

My first car was a Hillman Minx, in 1970. Bought it from my brother for $200. It was a 4 door with a little flat-head 4 cylinder motor. Used to pile my friends into it and drive it over the coast mountains to the beach at Santa Cruz, Ca. Ran like a champ. Sold it to my girlfriend who promptly ruined the motor. She never spoke to me after that.

[@andyelliott8027]

My first car was a Hillman Minx,very similar to that Rapier except the heater was brilliant. Fond memories!

[@johnhiram1207]

I had a 55 and a 59 Minx here in USA. The a 59 Ford Consul. Fantastic little dependable tanks. So much fun to drive and own. Not easy though to get parts quickly back then was biggest issue for me.

[@mickmullins4257]

I used a Heinz baked beans can to repair the heater tubing on my Minx.Was still there when I sold it.

[@randomated4110]

I got a sunbeam rapier 3a sport saloon 1961 and a Hillman deluxe 4d 57 :) lovely cars

[@peterryan7827]

I was working in Wembley some years ago and my car broke down and this guy onsite offered me a lift in this car,and i was so surprised how much power and acceleration it has just a great motorcar.

[@richardhall6762]

My first car was a Hillman Minx too! I paid $25.00 for it-this was 1969 in Cleve. Hts. Ohio. A girlfriend ran it into a snow bank and it was never the same. A friend installed tubes underneath and switches on the dashboard and we could fire Estes Rocket motors at other cars like James Bond.

[@peterdurnien9084]

Rapier was my first car, best thing was the Borg and Beck overdrive that gave you a kick in the kidneys when you flicked that switch. Mine had twin choke webber carbs. £5.00 to fill the tank and went like a bomb. Unfortunately I had the urge to get it tuned up and the place that did the job put a load of missing jets back into the carb, never went the same again but did get a lot more economic. Bit of a bugger to get brake and clutch spares for as it was a crossover car. Brakes were Lucas / Girling / Dunlop, and the clutch the same. Met its end when the floor rotted out of the boot. Bought it from a kid up the road for £50 , insurance third party was £57 for the year.

[@RalphDalton]

Overdrive was by Laycock De Normanville. Borg and Beck was auto box fitted as an option to Minxes etc.

[@nygelmiller5293]

The side windows winding fully down, but with a g hardtop roof still in place, must have given the impression of being in a convertible - but protected from sunburn, because of the hardtop! Great idea! All so, the hardtop would mean safely continuing a journey home, if the weather started to spit with rain! Whoever said "real" CONVERTIBLES had all the fun?

[@smunraj]

Love the Super Minx convertible! & How about the Sunbeam Rapier! Preety & advanced car. Love the rear window

[@danielhutchinson6604]

I had a 1957, and a 1959 Hillman Minx convertable. They were tough little Cars. They lacked the handling that Winter Driving in Minnesota required. A bit less fun to drive than a Ford Falcon of 1960 on ..... But I enjoyed the challenge of finding Lucas Parts in America.

[@TC-qd1zw]

My mate had a Rapier, always bragged about how fast it was, that was until it meet my Cortina MK1 1500 GT. He as upset that found it was not as fast as he thought it was.

[@djsykoticsnap9152]

I just saw a Rapier in Redmond,oregon that somebody turned into a 60`s style gasser hot rod. I had no idea what it was until i read the insignia on the front of the hood. First time i had ever seen one.

[@derekevans8266]

I had one of these in 1968. I bought it cheap because the engine was burning oil quite badly. The first job was to take the engine out and had it re bored. I had just turned 17 and was working in a tiny garage with no lights and on my own. I don't know how I managed thinking back. I ran it for a couple of years but then the gear box started to jump out of gear so it had to go traded in for a 850 mini but that's another story.

[@TheHypnotstCollector]

I owned 3 of these, one a c1970, many Hillman Minx's one a convertible and many Alpines. The head on the Rapier was cast iron, the Alpine aluminum. You could swap them out but you had to change the cam,too because the Intake and exhaust were opposite. I never paid over $100 for one and I haven't seen one in Calif since the late 1970's.

[@jaswmclark]

My Mother had one in 1958. At the time she was an investigator for the children's aid society, so it had lots of miles and rust after two Canadian winters. It was replaced by a Studebaker Lark. We took it on vacation to a resort in the Eastern United States where every other car in the hotel parking lot was a Cadillac or some such monster. When we left the Parking Valet remarked "That is a nice little car. Too bad it doesn't have a reverse." Once he stopped laughing dad showed him how to find reverse on a four speed transmission.

[@rayfirth2513]

Was a nice car the singer gazelle was the same car with a nicer grill and interia only problem the grill was a shield shape and lifted up with the bonnet and kept hitting you on the back of the head when working in the engine bay..but the best rapiers were the phase 5's the fastback ones when they came out they were sort after followed by the Holbay H120 rapier which wasn't as fast as they made out it was even though the engine had been changed for a 1725cc unit with a four speed box and an overdrive unit

[@granskare]

I used to have a 59 Consul that was also a cold car :)

[@sheld803]

if you ever get a car with 100 mph on the speedometer, then its a classic!

[@wassock55]

i had the same rapier --unfortunately i used it for banger racing --- i hold the ringwood cheetah longest ramp jump i cleared ---11 x 45 gallon oil drums

[@StumpyHead79]

My dad had a sunbeam rapier! I begged him not to swap it!!! Saying that, there's a rusty old girl in a front yard up the road here, i'm going buy her and get her on the road!

[@LivviEquestrian]

we had a 1962 hillman minx we used it in the 1970s and into the 1980s, did not have a heater as standard equipment, god imagine trying to sell a car today without a heater, especially if you were in england or europe, even a humble vw beetle had a heater as standard equipment [allthough it was not very good even by 1960s standards] yes times sure have changed!

[@Bobstansfield]

My first car was a 1959 Hillman Minx...I paid $100 for it. The clutch wore-out, so it was replaced for $400 and the parts were extra hard to find since Hillman sold only a handful of cars in the USA. I haven't seen a Hillman on the road for decades, however, I did see a 1960 Hillman Minx at a mechanics shop in San Diego in perfect condition not long ago.

[@english-ash7486]

Took the heater blower off a Rapier in a scrap yard and installed it in my Imp. First time I switched it on it blew 10 years of muck on the pipe. Imp was a very cold car till I put that blower in.

[@ChrisHenniker]

It looks like a little Studebaker, the Super Minx looks like a 1961-63 Nash Rambler.

[@johntechwriter]

What charming people. They and the world-class British cars of this time were meant for each other. But if the Brexit crowd think they can return to this era, they are due for a rude awakening.

[@arthurbaldwin1804]

John Richards I wondered when some leftie troll would bring brexit into a interesting trip down memory lane. Trouble with you people you have no idea of the future once you allow politicians to stifle the result of a democratic ballot. The next time will be easier and more tempting this is how dictators start in little steps.

[@shanehnorman]

The Minx owner hasn't stored the car properly. It should be on blocks in order to preserve the tyres and, from time to time, he should spin the wheels by hand to ensure the brakes don't seize. It's also recommended that the spark plugs be removed, the holes being plugged with oily cloths. That allows him to turn the engine over periodically with the starting-handle (a standard accessory in those days) in order to stop it seizing. He should squirt oil into the plug-holes before turning over the engine. To combat interior mould, he can use a dehumidifier in the car for a few hours every day in winter; in summer, it should be enough to open the doors and drop the hood for several hours every week.

[@blxtothis]

Ah the great old days of badge engineering, once conglomerates gobbled up independent rival car makers. Looking forward to Opels and Vauxhalls cobbled together from the PSA parts bin.

[@meerkatandpug]

..another great feature was that it had a steering wheel AND seats!

[@emmanuelhenry8623]

Hello Pals, there is this ongoing news about British Government seized super cars , are now on sale to citizens of the country at a discount rate of 60% off the original price of the car...

[@blairelizabeth9955]

Yes Henry.. Is for real.. my son got a convertible roadster and was delivered to him on Friday by the Government Agent....He bought the car for 45,000 pounds....i love that super car

[@edgarphilips8113]

Great... I wrote the agent last week and i got his reply ....My brother told me about it because he came to me with a new Range Rover sport 2017 for £65k....and told me that it was auctioned by the UK government..And getting to the agent Mr A. Moore ...with contact (a.hmoore@ukgov .io)...

[@noeljohnson5680]

I got a super car Mercedes SLR McLaren for £75k... with the help of the Government Agent Mr A.Moore... And that was unbelievable when i see my lovely dream car packed in my garage...write him and he most surely get back to you ..

[@branon6565]

Emmanuel Henry...here, since no one else will comment it, I will: you're full of bullshit, complete and utter bullshit...

[@sarjim4381]

@@branon6565 Government agents giving a British citizen a discount on anything. The people above are obviously scammers. The email address is registered in the British Indian Ocean Territory, hardly one used by a real government agent.

[@atlcorvette]

Just needed a little aethyr in the carburetor that's all.

[@寿庵保方]

イギリスでは、高齢者の事故の問題はどうなんだろう？

[@martintaper7997]

no wing or door mirrors - dangerous at 1 mph.

[@gtrman9706]

My late father owned several in the 60's.I remember sitting in the back and getting cigerette ash in my face as dad tried to flick it out of the window at 70 mph.Nice !