Awesome reliable car. My dad had one from around 1965-73 when I was growing up. I'll never forget having to crank out in the rain -- was like something out of the 1920s. LOL THANKS for your great videos.
@CUTTHORPE5 жыл бұрын
This is so so good - met you at Huddersfield Jumble today. Couldn't stop smiling through the video - and I know the owner as a customer at the event. Hoping the new job goes well - I certainly will be watching more of your channel - best wishes, Jeff (Huddersfield Jumble) :)
@jbenekeorr5 жыл бұрын
I’ve not even got to the drive yet but I LOVE the section where you talk to the owner. Very few channels do it. I’m welling up listening to him talking about his grandad. WHO’S CUTTING ONIONS IN HERE?
@williamhumberhawk81875 жыл бұрын
Hi Steph, a lovely car. My Grandfather had a 1959 Hillman Minx here in NZ and he was very proud of it and bought it new. I have a 1961 Humber Hawk Series II that I inherited from my father eight years ago and he bought it in 1964. It had sat unused in storage for about 25 years before I inherited it and it became derelict. I have been working on getting it back on the road with much work. I love the car. I enjoy your videos very much ☺️
@gryfandjane4 жыл бұрын
Greetings again from Missouri, USA. As mentioned in a recent reply to your Skoda Favorit episode, there was a wide variety of imports to be seen here in the States when I was a kid. Hillman was among the models you’d come across every now and then, and I always liked their natty styling. What a nice example this one is, and what a story the owner has. Wonderful stuff, and all part of the Classic experience!
@leshayes31175 жыл бұрын
My dad bought a series 5 from New back in 1964 it was a green one with a 1600cc engine. It was a lovely car and I went on to own it in 1972 after I bought it from him. It was lovely to drive but didn't have the syncro in 1st. It was well built and felt really solid. I only had it for about a year then it was sold on, sadly I don't think it's around anymore. Great video Steph and be proud of yourself your lovely.
@martinderbyshire155 жыл бұрын
great to see and hear so many people, especially the younger generation with a passion for classic cars and their storys and history on how they became so attached to them .it puts a smile on any enthusiasts face..your a gem steph , a natural narrator,..keep it going girl..
@danieleregoli8125 жыл бұрын
The owner is such a sweet, delightful man. I do love your videos Steph! Thanks you so much. Greeting from Italy!
@richlee5094 жыл бұрын
We are all like that in 🇬🇧
@radders19633 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed this review as my parents owned a Series V Minx from new and owned it for nearly ten years. I do remember it was well looked after and was rustproofed during that time and was garaged as well. It was last seen in 1980 aged 15 years old and was in poor condition which was sad. The car had a 1,592cc engine in an Alabaster Grey and Forest Green livery and was our family’s first brand new car.
@michaeltutty15404 жыл бұрын
Great review, Steph. Beautiful car, too. I have always loved these Series VI Minx. There was a badge engineered Singer as well that was available as a 2 door hardtop that was really sharp. I had to show this video to my 90 year old mother. Her first car, way back in 1954, was a brand new Hillman Minx. It was a great car for the time. She drove it daily for 4 years, doing about 100 miles a day on the then new Queen Elizabeth Way, a 70 mph dual carriageway running West from Toronto, Ontario. The one foible was that the car developed asthma with the first flake of snow. Being in Ontario, Canada, and her being a teacher and so commuting daily between the beginning of September and the end of June, the poor car was wheezing most of the time. She traded it in on a 58 Vauxhall Velox, which was truly a dud of a car.
@TheHorsebox25 жыл бұрын
Hi Steph. One of your best yet. Couldn't believe it when I saw you doing a Minx. I went and bought one during Christmas. 1959 vintage and only slightly different to this one. I can confirm "Hillmanitis" exists! Luckily only on the near side for mine. What a nice gent and a lovely car. Thanks for great entertainment as always.
@MrTrull15 жыл бұрын
WOW Steph, thanks so much. This is exactly the same as our family car at the start of the seventies, right down to the colour (though ours had a white roof in addition). The view from the back seat looking forwards as you drove matched one of my earliest ever memories, driving into town with my mum. It was just our normal car and nothing special. Remember the front wings rusted down the edge by the doors. Was replaced by a Wolseley 18/85 auto (landcrab) which was epic & still regarded in our family as the best car we ever had. 😊
@brownpaul522 жыл бұрын
Steph, thanks for this tour of the Minx Series VI. My folks bought one brand new in '67, black finish with red interior. It was one of the last into the USA and was badged a Sunbeam, as Chrysler consolidated all Rootes products under that name for our market after the takeover. You are right about the quality and smoothness of these cars. Their excellent design and build made them unusually pleasant to own and drive. Rootes customers happily paid a little more for high quality. The Minx and its siblings featured all-welded unitized construction. Even the fenders were welded on. The cars felt very solid and rattle-free, though they could be harder to repair after a collision than some other brands. I miss our Minx to this day, and have always wished I'd taken it over from my parents when they moved it on. Your drive in the Minx brings back lots of good memories.
@chrisskelhorn57275 жыл бұрын
Thank you Steph! Lovely to see you again! A couple of my teachers had Minx's in the late '60's/early '70's, and although one was a 'D' reg, and the other was slightly older, they were kept very clean, and scrupulously maintained. We also had a snobbish teacher that 'had' to buy a new car every year (when I was there, it was Mk IV Zodiacs!) his seemed quite shabby when compared to the Hillmans! :-) The son of a neighbour also had a Minx, and it had everything! Chrome external wing mirrors, mudflaps, chrome exhaust tip, tow-bar with chrome ball cover, aerial mounted on the rear wing, and even cushions in the back window, but the purr it made when he drove past was glorious!
@andygreen1a5 жыл бұрын
I love your reviews, yours is the best classic car channel there is. You have an obvious passion and always thoroughly like research the cars you review. I appreciate the time and effort you put in to every video. I especially like it that you talk to the owner and get the history of the car. This car is in beautiful condition. Thanks for sharing it with us. You really should get your own tv series, you’re a natural. Already looking forward to your next video. I hope the new job is going well for you. Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020. Please keep the videos coming Steph. You have a natural talent and your genuine interest in these cars, along with your personality shines through.
@honguenloh46124 жыл бұрын
Well done..very insightful..my parents had a hillman minx when they studied in Australia during the 60s as students..:)
@robertngreen65 жыл бұрын
Wow, that car is in good condition! Lovely owner, lovely story and he has a POOH on the shelf!! You should try a Hillman Super Minx too - bit bigger flashier but still comfy and quite luxurious for the time. These look like a great classic for today, could certainly be used every day still. Thanks for a great video!
@andrewwatson45164 жыл бұрын
Also has POO on the number plate
@peterduxbury9275 жыл бұрын
I owned a 1960 Two-Tone green/ white Hillman Minx 1500. It looked immaculate, that was, until the rear Leaf Spring End came up through the Boot Interior. I discovered that the whole chassis Member was a crumbly as an Abbey Crunch Biscuit. Loved the Bench Seat, and matching interior upholstery. The previous owner had concealed the rust - with tar-soaked fabric over the crumbling metal. A lot of this type of "Con - Trick" went on back then in the sixties, and it seemed to be a National Sport, and (frequently) the shonky Car dealers did this too! The Hillman Husky was also a nice vehicle. One day, driving the Husky in the hills of Darwen, Lancs. I was going up a very steep hill, and changing from first to second gear. The 'lurch' from the vehicle caused the Driving Seat to be torn completely out of the floor! I remember tumbling backward, and rolling right to the rear door! A huge unwanted surprise! Lucky for me, the engine stalled, and the car didn't go flying back down the hill! Again, the Seat Mounts were severely rusted on this car too! The salt on British roads in winter - was the catalyst to shorten any cars' life back then. 99% of all Hillmans have an unhappy ending.
@brettdocherty82604 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video Steph. My wifes dad had a series six minx and watching this brought back memories for her
@rocketsock42975 жыл бұрын
I just love your videos! Great taste in cars and super interesting to watch. Greetings from Germany
@poonmig5 жыл бұрын
What a superb example this is. My Father had one in 1971, which was cream with a raspberry stripe. Very informative and enjoyable video, which brought back some good memories. Thanks and congrats on the new job Steph.
@gkstanfield5 жыл бұрын
I’ve really enjoyed your videos on both the Volvo 164 and the Hillman Minx ...and it’s clear that you’re a fan of the cars you’ve reviewed, as well as the eras they were built in; you’re a true breath of fresh air and I love your cool and most personal approach to your subjects! I bet you have a bulletproof period play-list of music you love, too...if so, please consider sharing it to add to the era-specific cars you love! Here at home in America, I run a nice but unrestored 1961 Mercedes-Benz W111 220SE ‘Fintail’ sedan and I love both the car and the era she won four World Rallye Championships in ‘60-‘’64...including two very-capable women (Rosqvist/Wirth team) winning it all in Argentina! If you can find a Mercedes W111 220 or W112 300 S-Class ‘Fintail’ sedan to test in the UK...I’d absolutely love your take on these big, fast, safe and comfortable German sedans from ‘59-‘65! Love your great reviews! All the best to you this year!
@TheMarkEH4 жыл бұрын
Those seats were freezing in the winter and roasting in the summer when you first got into the car. And with no radio we used to put a small transistor on the rear shelf. You really bought back memories, thank you.
@Gerk85 жыл бұрын
Thank you for another great episode Steph! What a clean example of a very nice car. I always enjoy hearing from the owners and I have to agree with you, this is the best owner (or son of owner) commentary yet. I found your channel a couple of weeks ago and I've been binging a bit to catch up. I just wanted to say that even if the car being featured isn't my cup of tea, your enthusiasm and personality come shining through and make the videos enjoyable. My knowledge of the Mini Metro has increased 100% beyond what it was before I found this channel! Congratulations on the new job and Happy New Year from the US!
@andylamb37885 жыл бұрын
great vid steph maybe a Hillman imp next time in keeping with rootes car theme
@johndean9588 ай бұрын
Hi Steph, thankyou heaps for your fantastic presentations. I love Hillmans. I thought is was really nice how Kev loved his Grandfather and still does. I loved Grandfather the same and think of him often, Great video as usual. Thanks , John (Australia).
@nigelchapman62114 жыл бұрын
My dad had a convertible minx reg 386 DUO My mum called it Betsie. We lived in Thackley /Idle in Bradford and often travelled over to Bridlington. I loved it especially with the hood down. However, it was freezing in winter, roof leaked like a sieve, fumes came into the car making me feel sick, it was a rust bucket and was forever breaking down. I always preferred the look of the Singer Vogue but it was too expensive. All that aside I’d love to have one, so much character! Great videos Steph.
@Stevieweevietv5 жыл бұрын
Another great review Steph. Lovely little car. Beautiful interior. Rather unfortunate number plate though. Reminded me of when I was I child. The milkmans delivery van had POO on the number plate..always made me giggle!
@promerops5 жыл бұрын
Notice the opening in the front bumper for a starting handle. I believe that Rootes cars continued with the old crankhandle for some time after it was dropped by other manufacturers. This was always a great get-you-home measure, if your battery or starter motor threw in the towel. Very enjoyable and informative reviews, Steff. Thanks!
@rainbow27105 жыл бұрын
Wow!! What a gem of a car. Brilliant review, Lady!
@alanratcliffe77145 жыл бұрын
Hi Steph, what a beautiful car hat Minx is sounded lovely for its age, lve had Routes before an arrows Minx estate and an Arrows Hunter so a bit younger but ayr back my dad has had the Humber sceptre, for the 60s they were ellen built cars in my opinion very under rated respect to the one for his passion ,and lovely stay about his granddad, kept up the wonderful videos Steph,
@jackiron47855 жыл бұрын
My dad's first car was just like this, EVR904D. Had from 1969 to 1980, great car! Thanks for testing
@peterduxbury9275 жыл бұрын
Sounds to me like a masculine car with the Rego Number as "Everhard"
@marklittler7845 жыл бұрын
Britain needs to get back on its feet producing cars.
@stevenrichardharvey17505 жыл бұрын
Vauxhall still make some models here in the UK, but no Fords have been assembled here for some years - just engines.
@paulb4uk4 жыл бұрын
@@arunparkin2552 fords an american company and vauxhall are owned by Peugeot
@marklittler7844 жыл бұрын
@ Well the truth is if you watch the mini production line on You Tube its mainly robots nowadays building them anyways.
@johndrake27294 жыл бұрын
@@arunparkin2552 It's not the same, though.
@49commander6 ай бұрын
At the rate its going the US is going to be like the UK in another decade. If its a Ford but engineered in China and made in Mexico it not a US CAR anymore! Like a Chinese made Volvo!
@paulbennell33135 жыл бұрын
My god that's a tidy car! I remember seeing them regularly on the road in the '70's and they usually weren't that clean and solid back then! Same engine as used in the Commer van you reviewed a while back, the superb 1725 OHV. A torquey, rugged engine that was quite large for a car the size of a Minx and which made light work of moving that amount of weight.
@leer7985 жыл бұрын
Lost my dad on the Friday before xmas :( he would have loved this video as I know he loved the minx that he and mum used to own when they were first married , 51 years ago !
@bigrigger37625 жыл бұрын
A cheeky Steph review before bed. Fantastic 👍 I love this girl she’s brilliant.
@graemeburr64634 жыл бұрын
Good one Steph my first car was a 61 IIIB Minx in the 70's and I had a very original 61 IIIB Humber 80 in the late 90's. I sold the Humber 80 when I had to move to an address with no garage. I still miss it.
@petergouldbourn23124 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a wonderful video Steph. I love the way you present the vehicles you review. Top-notch. 🇬🇧
@sandysnare25035 жыл бұрын
Another wonderful, informative video - Thank you Steph. Alas, it highlights just how good a car we used to produce and how management - worker relationships killed off the British car industry apart from very high end cars that most of can only dream of.
@MGBetts15 жыл бұрын
Something I never knew (until I wikied it) was that the Minx and the Super Minx were different cars manufactured at the same time. I'd always thought that one replaced the other. I noticed how the owner polished her up for you! 😉 Great video, thanks Steph!
@vazza75045 жыл бұрын
Bloody hell I feel old. I was born two years before this car was made. 56 this year, makes that car 54 years old. In better condition than me. :-)
@Gerk85 жыл бұрын
I was born in '68 and I'm definitely not that shiny!
@davidcasling64995 жыл бұрын
Know the feeling .I need a respray
@christopheralancawte75845 жыл бұрын
Served my time , 57/63, worked on all rootes vehicles, good motors, notice the position of the handbrake, for the era could get a relative quick getaway, problem was after time the floor area rusted away, Chris,
@solidstate05 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video, brilliant back story to that Minx too.
@polygamous14 жыл бұрын
People just never knew how well Hillman's where build the very first time a bloke i used to work with gave me a lift in his Hillman i was shocked at how solid it felt next to my Cortina it was no rattles nothing, to be honest it felt as if it was build with RSJ's to keep the body solid it just felt like the old Peugeot 403 way way better quality build than cars in its price range but sadly If people do not know the quality of your cars they wont buy them thanks for a great video girl
@georgefinlayson84483 жыл бұрын
My dad had a 1965 blue with a white roof the first car I drove after passing my test , lots of fond memories . Thanks
@willdo5165 жыл бұрын
'No driving finesse in 2019', how beautifully put.
@drfalcon41024 жыл бұрын
I had a 1957 Hillman Minx, that was 49 years ago, Loved that car,, I keep looking for another, hard to find in the USA
@rydermike335 жыл бұрын
Happy New Year Steph. Another great video. There would always be room for a Minx (of any series) in my 'dream garage'. Lovely cars indeed. Many thanks.
@rogermills95125 жыл бұрын
Great video as always thank you. Happy new year and keep them vids coming.
@flumpaustin19945 жыл бұрын
I'm welling up now! That is a lovely car. Very dainty and elegant. It also looks quite modern on the exterior for it's age.
@williamtaylor8745 жыл бұрын
Hi steph great vid as always! Congratulations , new year , new job how cool is that. Amanda and bill x ☺
@martentrudeau69485 жыл бұрын
Good looking car, we never saw those in the US. It's handsome. I like the cars that were made in the in the fifties and sixties so much better than today's cars. Good review by Steph.
@waltpartymiller68025 жыл бұрын
It's a beautiful car to behold. Growing up my neighbor had a beige convertible over cranberry '65, rode in it once to school. Lovely, nice restoration.
@petergouldbourn23124 жыл бұрын
Great show Steph. Pete UK
@idriveaclassic4 жыл бұрын
Thank youuuuu!!!!
@OrnumCR5 жыл бұрын
I had three of these Series 6 cars....one Singer Gazelle and two Hillman Gazelles...they differed from this Minx in having leather (at least in the Singer it was) and wood dash and door cappings. Yes the roundel in the centre of the dash could be replaced with a clock...which the Singer had but the Hillmans did not. Also the front grille on the Hillman Gazelle differed from the Minx but essentially the cars were the same. Interestingly, this car’s 1725 engine looked different to mine and I believe the reason may have been because my 1725 had an alloy head with a fairly substantial rectangular rocker cover. A nice trip down memory lane for me. Well done on this video.
@triodehexode5 жыл бұрын
I was 6 when this car was registered so it looks quite modern to me it's quite handsome and well proportioned. it has hints of the later triumph Toledo/1300s . I remember washing the very chrome hubcaps of a singer Gazelle round about this age seemed it very modern and posh.
@paulbennell33135 жыл бұрын
I know what you mean about the similarity to Triumphs, the roofline towards the rear is very similar.
@tonybryer3449 Жыл бұрын
Great video - watched your series IIIc Minx video just before this one. The IIIc to my eyes looks a very frumpy 1950s car but the changes made to the V and VI - shrunken tail fines, smaller wheels and squared up rear transform it. And the dash too - going from painted metal and central instruments (as Minor, Mini etc so that same dash could be used in LHD and RHD cars) to the really classy one in the VI transforms the interior.
@darrenwebster21932 жыл бұрын
Hi Steph, a lovely, lovely car and a real credit to the family that own it..
@williamwade6415 жыл бұрын
It looks to be in lovely condition, a credit to the owner.
@24th18795 жыл бұрын
Another excellent review, another stroll down memory lane for me as I remember these cars from my childhood in the sixties, if fact my father had two of the previous versions of the Hillman Minx in late fifties early sixties..
@paulpan25535 жыл бұрын
Give me Steph over Shmee everyday 👏🏼👏🏼
@richlee5094 жыл бұрын
Hes a nob
@North491913 жыл бұрын
Shmee is the most annoying person on KZbin
@williamstephens99454 жыл бұрын
What a great looking Minx! The car's nice too.
@petemoring675 жыл бұрын
Had a couple of these back in the 70's, great little cars. Also had the Singer Gazelle Estate. Took it over on the ferry to the isle Of Wight - Four Adults, five kids and ALL the suit-cases strapped onto the Roof-rack (You could do THAT back then ;-) Great memories, but a couple of days after we returned, the back-axle snapped in half, and when the scrappie lifted it off the ground, the axle stayed put, it had rusted OFF the body as well as snapped in half ... We'd been bombing up the motorway at 70+ on the way back too AARRGGHH!! :-)
@chrisgibbons92655 жыл бұрын
had a series V last year! great motor, only cost me £1750 so they are more than affordable!
@jesuspobre884 жыл бұрын
Your chat with Ian Hub Nut brought me here. Cars from my childhood...😁Happy boy 👍
@flybycomet5 жыл бұрын
Great review Steph. Well done will real feeling for the type of car. Yes the comparison to the Triumph, you got it alright. Check out an Aussie special, the mid 60,s "Humber Vogue'" based on Super Minx body. (yes, combined the 2 names, Singer was never a well known name here ) the engineers at the Rootes Port Melbourne plant put in the hot Sunbeam engine and fiddled the suspension and steering. The result was a performance/handling gem and I believe the improvements went back to UK models after that. Then they produced the Minx based "Hillman Gazelle", same motor again and an absolute cracker, soon replaced by the new Hunter range. All solid good quality cars except for the Imp adventure. The lovely Art Deco factory building at Salmon St. Port Melbourne still survives as a warehouse or something but the Ruyton factory in UK I believe is gone and now a shopping mall ?
@pauldavies60375 жыл бұрын
My dad had four MInxs never lets us down changed for the newer model before any rust set in always the trouble with older cars that one is absolute stunner Steph happy motoring in 2020
@lateagain4534 жыл бұрын
Pop purchased a 1725 Minx in mid to late 60's storm grey body & cream roof, thought it was brill. Registration was LVX 172C from a small dealer in NE Essex nr Halstead The gearbox was Borg-Warner, german if I'm not mistaken and got us all the way to Bude in Cornwall overnight from Suffolk; we even took the blinkin cat as we didn't want to leave it at home. Finished learning to drive in it before my test and was still a great car to drive after the two Morris Travellers Pop acquired
@peterkirgan292110 ай бұрын
My Grandfather had one of these! Not my cup of tea ! But I like your videos Steph ! Keep up the great work as usual !😊
@chrispenn7155 жыл бұрын
Nice car. What a lovely owner story too. My parents hired one of these to go on holiday when they were new - in 1966!. Same car as your test but dark green. It seemed really plush to 8 year old me compared with our own 59 minx :-). Love the number plate!
@tanggololongproductions5 жыл бұрын
At last a female car reviewer! Cheers from the Philippines 🇵🇭👍
@fruitychink5 жыл бұрын
Great video. My father had one new and this was the first car I ever drove . It was solid and comfortable . The big engine was very gutsy but was plagued with carb flats spots .... strombergs as I remember .
@davidsparkes43775 жыл бұрын
I owned one in 1986 and loved it, until a Ford Capri decided to crash in to me doing 80 miles an hour down Beehive lane in Chelmsford.. If I hadnot been in that car I think me and my mate Lee wouldn't have got out of that crash. I got it started afterwards and got it back home to where I lived in Gardeners, amazing car started it with the crank handle.. Cause of the damage sold it to a scrappy and got 24 pound for it.. Loved that car, Top Video!!
@davidhynd44355 жыл бұрын
Interesting video. Thank you. I learned to drive on my mum's series IIIB Minx (1960 model). What you're driving there is not a Mk VI, but a Series VI. The previous shape Minxes were designated Mk. 1, 2, 3 etc., but the Audax Minxes were designated by series not mark, with the Series VI being the last of the true Minxes. As you mentioned, what followed the Series VI was just a rebadged Hillman Hunter. That 1725cc engine was a very good engine. In fact Rootes Group cars were very well made and despite often being underpowered (especially the side valve models) they were quite popular here in Australia. They were known for being solidly made and very reliable. Wonderful little machines. Another, sadly missed, extinct English motor car.
@stepheng87795 жыл бұрын
Beautiful car a real credit to the owner. Grew up with Hillmans, loved our old green Hunter estate in particular always reliable.
@garysmith21374 жыл бұрын
This brings back so many happy memories. A Minx was my Dads second car, bought about 1967. Blue colour. He had it for a about a week when we went to Looe, Cornwall on a family holiday. The car broke down at Wincanton. Dad was not impressed. Think he had it for about 5 years before changing to a Sunbeam Stiletto.
@MacklandsMotors5 жыл бұрын
Great video Steph! My Papa had a terrible accident in a Minx back in the 1960s Fort William, took a friends Minx for an MOT, bald tyres over a ford and he spun and went down a ditch and through the windscreen - only to find out there was a brand new tyres in the boot 😂😂😂 Don't think it passed the MOT tbh 😂 He lived to tell the tale though!
@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars3 жыл бұрын
We had two of these in the 60's when I was a kid. Both blue. My dad fitted seatbelts into the back for us. They were red I thought that was SO COOL! Lol...... By the way, I'm not sure if you or your viewers are aware, but the panel light switch is because when you had to park at night on roads with a speed limit of 40 or over, you had to leave lights on. This switch was to save your battery. Some more modern cars did it by leaving the indicator stalk in the position for the side you wanted the lights on!
@danieleregoli8125 жыл бұрын
Absolutely crave a good Rootes creature. What a beauty. Thanks Steph!
@thrunsguinneabottle30665 жыл бұрын
A beautiful, beautiful car. My father owned its slightly posher relative, the Singer Gazelle (Mk V). And my uncle owned a Mk VI, with the 1725 engine. Even before that, I loved these Rootes products. I remember as a seven year old, loving the Hillman Minx series I (made as Raymond Loewy intended), and then becoming increasingly disenchanted as Rootes added pointless features such as stubby fins at the back, and a rococo grille. I was so pleased that with the Mk V, the whole car returned to clean, simple lines. The very first Sunbeam Rapiers (circa 1957) had the elegance of the first of the "series" Hillman Minxes, but this too, soon succumbed to pointless fiddling. In the 1950s, Rootes cars always seemed to be very refined, compared with BMC, but were very conventional - at least until the "Imp". Unfortunately in 1960 there was a series of eight strikes at Rootes' stampings plant at Acton. The press dubbed them "the honeymoon strike". In my opinion the strikes were enough to cripple Rootes financially, and the company never recovered. Harold Wilson's solution was to dump the failing, strike-prone company on Chrysler, who wanted overseas capacity to match that of Ford and GM. However by the the late sixties, Chrysler had its own problems back home, and nothing they did with any of their European acquisitions appealed to the car-buying public.Soon, ownership was to change again. The misfortunes of Rootes should have been a warning to our governments about BMC. In an industry where communist unions had become all-powerful, the solution was NOT to reorganize, but to stamp out the socialist unions. A decade later BMC was financially crippled. Leyland (Britain's most successful commercial vehicle builder) was brought in to provide the capital to keep a reorganized BMC alive. But Leyland itself became infected by the socialist rot. which eventually ended Leyland's other acquisitions, Rover and Triumph. Not until Mrs Thatcher put paid to the socialist menace in the 1980s, did it become possible for Britain to have a successful motor industry. But unfortunately, by then, everything was in foreign hands. The great names in British cars were gone. I hope when you hear the absurd Jess Philips MP talk about "saving jobs in the car industry (in her constituency)," you realize that fifty years ago, her idiotic ideology destroyed thousands upon thousands of those jobs. Failing socialism is funny when it destroys other economies. But not so when that ideology destroys ours.
@anthonyburke50034 жыл бұрын
Brilliant reviews, so entertaining, well done
@brianholden27244 жыл бұрын
Hi Steph, this is the first video of yours I’ve seen, loved it, especially the owner interview. Hopefully you can get get a bit of financial backing so you can invest in some neat extras like maybe a lapel-mic. Would love to see a side by side comparison of the Minx and the Gazelle.
@catrevenger3 жыл бұрын
What a beautiful car
@bigjohno2425 жыл бұрын
Brilliant vid Steph. Great presentation and knowledge. Loved the owner’s story too 👍
@malcolmgreenway84865 жыл бұрын
Lovely car steph great video
@neilpiper98894 жыл бұрын
I had a secondhand 1600 Minx in 1974. Great car, took us all over. Quite fast and comfortable.
@martinnorth26805 жыл бұрын
I'm watching this in Coventry. Various family members worked at Rootes in Ryton on Dunsmore nr Coventry, 60 years later I was able to influence the naming of the road names on the industrial estate that replaced it, hence Imperial Road named after Humber Imperial.
@diddleysquat66444 жыл бұрын
My first car in the early 80s, it was regarded as an old banger then but they look fantastic now, fond memories of it despite taking ages to start on cold mornings!
@masher18325 жыл бұрын
Great video Steph, it's always thought the Minx was a bit dull but this video has changed my mind. I absolutely look forward to your videos, keep up the great work and good luck in the new Job. Happy New Year.
@martinihrck27045 жыл бұрын
Great car thanks Steph. I enjoy your work. Happy new year 2020.
@Pierre-de-Standing4 жыл бұрын
I had two Minxs a series IIIb (that was lovely that my father wrote off) and a series V. The front wings rotted as you described. Driving in wet weather was not fun as water would come inside from the holes in that inner wing. Cars of this age were notorious rust buckets as none of them had a sacrificial layer of zinc on the panels - it is no surprise that there are few examples of cars like this on the road any more.
@KI-of9vo5 жыл бұрын
Recently discovered the channel, you are great and so are the cars. Really enjoyable 😃😃
@Mike.o.s.b4 жыл бұрын
A brilliant video, thank you for uploading it. My Father had a Hillman Minx from 1961 to 1965, which he followed up with a Singer Gazelle. Both were brilliant cars, and I still remember them well. (Cheeky aside: I'm not sure which I prefer, the Hillman Minx...or Steph! Whoops! )
@idriveaclassic4 жыл бұрын
Hahaha. I do moderate my own comments you know 😘
@Mike.o.s.b4 жыл бұрын
@@idriveaclassic If you ever feel like visting the 'English Riviera' in your Hillman, let me know! :-)
@andrewhuxley46345 жыл бұрын
Great review good luck with the new job
@andrewterry3525 жыл бұрын
Hello Steph, I have not commented before but have watched most of your videos (including the Commer Van :)) Just wanted to say what a great video - I am a Rootes fan and would love to see more of these cars on your channel - the Hillman Hunter or Humber Sceptre (my dad had the hunter style of hillman minx which you briefly mentioned in your video, after that we had the Chrysler Hunter), the Imp and Sunbeam Alpine. Could you then look at cars such as the Chrysler / Talbot Alpine maybe even the Talbot Tagora and Matra?? Anyway, great video and especially liked the part about the Rootes Group Badge (three spires of Coventry). The cars were built in Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Congrats on the new job too :)
@m3cvfm5 жыл бұрын
I use to work on them in the 60s. 5 bearing crank. The 1600 had a three bearing crank.
@gardenweld5 жыл бұрын
Past my Driving Test in my Dad's Minx "C" Reg Green ..Had the 1725 Engine fitted, lovely British car. ❤️
@redlabel39774 жыл бұрын
My first car in 79 ! Had to buy it off my old man for £25 and came with a knackered clutch ! Two tone green and with a CB radio ,bullwhip aerial I was the bees knees ! Did my courting in it me and the misses in the front seat and my mate and his misses in the back , needless to say saw plenty of action . Failed its mot on rust but served me well , the engine was replaced when my father owned the car and somewhere in the garden of my childhood home is buried the engine ! LOL . Halcyon days 📺
@owensteele12745 жыл бұрын
Very nice to see one of these again. Lovely condition, a real credit to the family who own it, with a beautiful story behind it. It gets driven, and I can tell it's always kept clean, waxed and rustproofed. The number plate and the Winnie the Pooh on the dash are appropriate to this car because..... This car is an absolute '"HONEY"!
@mikewysko22684 жыл бұрын
The synchronized gear box was a big improvement. Good looking body and interior. This was the car to have in 1965.
@O1Richard5 жыл бұрын
Similar car to the Singer and the Sunbeam, just goes to show that badge engineering existed long before the 80’s and 90’s . Rootes group would later become Chrysler UK and then PSA group revived the old Talbot name till 1994, when the vans they made were discontinued along with the brand name, and just sold as Peugeot and Citroen.