The Hillman Imp: A Failed Vanguard

Sorry it took so long, unfortunately I have a life outside autistically researching and ranting about cars, but here we go!
The Imp is often forgotten, merely mentioned as a passing interest, but it represents the ingenuity, shortcomings, and ultimate loss to time of the Rootes Group, a once manufacturing giant now reduced to memory. Watch this dumb video where I try to explain that, while making references to Bee Movie (2007).
Patreon: / intergalacticbinman
Twitter: / galacticbinman
Instagram: / galacticbinman
Linktree: linktr.ee/IntergalacticBinman
HUGE thanks to Dix-Neuf on Twitter for providing the astonishing thumbnail! / dishnufu
And thanks to @LazerPig for the guest appearance!
Bibliography (also extra reading if you want to get into the nitty gritty):
www.aronline.co.uk/cars/hillm...
www.aronline.co.uk/cars/hillm...
www.aronline.co.uk/concepts-a...
www.aronline.co.uk/concepts-a...
www.aronline.co.uk/concepts-a...
The Car's The Star S05E02
Soundtrack:
0:00 Colonel Bogey March
0:30 YMCA - Village People
1:28 Dark Prince - Trio of Doom
3:03 Magic - Pilot
6:03 Fire Brigade - The Move
8:26 I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside
9:56 Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
12:03 Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band
13:45 INTRODUCING OUR SPECIAL GUEST
15:38 Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band
17:01 Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan
18:17 Angie - Bert Jansch
20:33 Twilight - Electric Light Orchestra
21:30 Tinseltown in the Rain - The Blue Nile

[@officialfinndevlin]

Wake up babe, new Intergalactic Binman just dropped

[@bobertfw]

Didn’t you tell me the same when said by Ty posted.. “I’m up, I’m up babe!”

[@fluffytoaster2099]

lemme sleeeEEEEPPPP

[@penskepc2374]

Always a good sign when you see one of these comment on a channel you just found. 😂

[@hoaacres7084]

Dumb over played comment

[@OltsuSuomesta]

Your channel near-singlehandedly feeds my fetish for British cars

[@anusername8350]

There are much worse fetishi out there. But not many that are more frustrating and money consuming.

[@MoritzBertram]

@@anusername8350 fetishi?

[@benfarina6512]

@@anusername8350German cars?

[@BFB_tg]

Absolutely agree!! Everything is so sunk in a Mini and RR reviews that Binman is indeed gonzo trader for this goodies

[@AnimarchyHistory]

All hail the Hillman imp!

[@richardharrold9736]

The irony is that the Rootes brothers were offered Volkswagen on a plate in 1946 and turned it down as they could see no potential in the Beetle... Ah, you mention it at the end!

[@DailyLifeSolution]

It made sense when they visited the factory as Beetle wasn't in its best form after second Great war. It went through many improvements to become the one people bought en masse.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@DailyLifeSolution any fool could see that the Germans were going to get that place up and running sooner rather than later, and the Beetle may not have been perfect (I am not a fan of them!) but its development work had largely been completed and it just needed a better rear suspension (which the Imp got, a good sixteen years later!).

[@AldanFerrox]

@@richardharrold9736 Which is even more ironic considering that Volkswagen only exists today because the British government helped it with money and contracts. The administrator put in place by the Brits, Major Ivan Hirst, is considered a hero in Wolfsburg for preventing the plant from being disassembled, and they named roads and places after him. Under his supervision the plant was repaired and expanded, and Volkswagen started the export of the Beetle to other countries, which cemeneted Volkswagen as a car manufacturing power house in the next two decades.

[@nuclearstupidity6594]

it still is ironic in itself aswell, cause the Rootes brothers turned down their own 'kind' per se. HAHAHAHA@@AldanFerrox

[@Caarajack]

Yet another fascinating tale how Brits managed to sabotage their promising car industry. Keep up the good work!

[@jonytube]

Leave it to the Brits to screw over the Brits.

[@DailyLifeSolution]

Government did it, not Britishmen.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@DailyLifeSolution rubbish, Rootes themselves were just as culpable.

[@Hartley_Hare]

@@richardharrold9736 Exactly. We've done all of this to ourselves.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@Hartley_Hare even now, JLR and McLaren are proving how we can design and engineer some fantastic cars and yet still make them a misery to own.

[@captaindreadnought212]

My dad has been a life long Mini fan (he's had 4 of them) but he told me recently that he did actually consider an Imp as his first car, I like to imagine that in some parallel universe he's a hardcore Imp fan

[@20chocsaday]

If only he had seen that gearbox. There was a cutaway box on display that demonstrated exactly how it worked. No oil necessary to let it turn very smoothly.

[@LordAzran_]

William Rootes single handedly passing up the Volkswagen Beetle and leading to the creation of the Porsche empire made me grimace so hard. Something I definetely didn't know. Great job Intergalactic Binman!

[@alarmedresponse]

British government try not to ruin your domestic industry challenge (impossible)

[@ryanjonathanmartin3933]

I mean, those were the guys who elected BoJo... it's their greatest talent

[@Boskikker]

The cameo with Lazerpig was amazing would love to see him again in future videos!

[@InterSev]

Another banger video and an unexpected but very welcomed special guest feature. I remember James May's Cars of the People mini series talking about how the Allies rejected taking over the soon-to-be VW plant. Didn't know Rootes was one of the ones that said no. One of the most colossal facepalm moments of all time.

[@richardharrold9736]

It was ultimately a British Army officer, a relatively lowly Major, who saved VW from closure and Wolfsburg from demolition, persuaded the authorities to let him and VW get the factory back up and running...

[@Del_S]

I'm from Linwood and the car factory's shenanigans are still to this day legendary in the area. But at least in 2023 we have a Taco Bell and a Nandos so there's that. And the Tesco that replaced the old run down shopping centre has made it almost a decade without becoming a complete tip yet, though they kinda let half the plants they put in die so they might be working on it.

[@gavinsreid]

Fuckin mad Linwood has a taco bell innit? The only other town that has one around here is Irvine (from bad to possibly worse).

[@HardThrasher]

Ah the Imp...a beautiful little banger

[@sorrymabbad]

Holy shut, this just solved one of my family's mysteries, which was "What car did my great-great-uncle imported from his time in Singapore?" Sharing this to my dad and the family chat, love your work mate, keep it up!

[@butchblaster7073]

Dude please keep making these. I really enjoy your style of editing and narration. A lot of car content is way too serious for my taste.

[@DailyLifeSolution]

The editing is no unique or different, but the narration is funny.

[@kiritanJ]

"A lot of car content is way too serious..." Really? Cough Jeremy Clarkson

[@kiritanJ]

Or was "I" too serious here? Hahaha

[@apainintheaas]

Holy sh*t, it's Lazerpig! Didn't expect this crossover

[@imadequate3376]

This channel should have more than 31k subs. Shout out to lazerpig for spotlighting this absolute gem

[@thatguyuk1]

My Mum had a imp, and loved it. She used to never struggle driving in the snow in her imp. My dad had the husky and they were both comfortable and spacious. I never knew that roots started from that building in Maidstone, its a marvellous bit of Art Deco.

[@indigohammer5732]

My Dad worked as a spray painter in Linwood BMC Pressed Steel Div, painting Hillman Imp's. He said the bodies were hung on a constantly moving belt which passed by a team of painters who sprayed hot paint as they passed. Management, sped the line up, without notifying the workers which caused real problems. Someone stuck a large metal rod into the line, stopping all production. Management reset the line speed. My dad was given "Martindale Masks" to prevent the inhalation of paint. These were essentially, large sanitary towels that you would press against your mouth and nose with a soft metal "frame" which attached round your head. One was never enough so my Dad used three or four pads but would still finish the shift coughing up phlegm which was the colour applied that day. The Imp had a big asbestos mattress, colloquially called a "Tottie Scone", which was place in the engine compartment for sound and heat insulation. People who did this job weren't subject to the 1931 Asbestos Industry Regulations, so didn't get masks or routine x rays. Oh aye! Linwood went on strike due to someones lunch being cold.

[@jordancohen5349]

What a great story, The beetle kicker at the end made me laugh

[@henrymorrison7891]

I swear these videos are better quality than most cars that came out of leyland

[@musewolfman]

Jesus fuck, the Stilleto looks amazing... I want one. Also, I think I may have said it on another video, but I absolutely love that you include album covers whenever you mention a year, and that you list all the songs you use in the chapters.

[@expo4266]

One Patreon idea would be to offer full resolution images of the amazing thumbnails used on the videos. (and maybe another variant without the text) It'd probably end up being many people's wallpapers.

[@IntergalacticBinman]

I'd have to talk with Dix-Neuf about that, the thumbnails are ultimately theirs and I'm not comfortable making money from content that is made by someone else. They have put most of the thumbnails they've done for me on their twitter account, so go check them out!

[@darraghmckenna9127]

Intergalactic Bin-man with LazerPig Cameo. It truly is a lovely day

[@nolanfoutz3472]

I love that lazer pig made a little cameo about Scotland

[@Megabob777]

I find the imp charming for some reason

[@nickbarton6022]

Superb. It seems that no matter how much I think I know about a car story or how many other documentaries I’ve watched, you always, without fail provide some new insights and information. Just brilliantly researched stuff, every time.

[@Evolution_Kills]

This is my kind of weird car bullshit, and is right up there with RCR. Keep up the most excellent work my dude.

[@joeblow9657]

Love the Twitter diss and the description of Scotland. No wonder Lazerpig drinks so much. Also, for some reason I'm fascinated about British auto manufacturing history. If you're ever interested. I'd like to see a video about Canadian automakers.

[@EmyrDerfel]

I forget Canada had their own automotive brands because they all turned into local manufacturers for rebadged US brands.

[@joeblow9657]

@@EmyrDerfel So we haven't for over a century but we have had a lot of assembly plants and parts contractors in Canada.

[@EmyrDerfel]

@@joeblow9657 to be fair, its the same as what happened to Vauxhall, becoming rebadged Opel's, then more recently rebadged Peugeots.

[@RedCruuve]

the only thing I know about the hillman imp is that my grandad owned one and managed to roll it over with him and my dad inside

[@moochincrawdad]

You obviously have a talent for this kind of stuff - kudos! 😀

[@LolixLP]

The injection of funds from Chrysler was very fitting imagery.

[@kivi5586]

The LazerPig bit made me lay on the floor in tears while laughing my ass off

[@SamSilvercoin]

Each upload is a gift, bloody love an imp.

[@SamSilvercoin]

You did miss mention of the first DCT being in an imp! Crazy innovative gearbox.

[@5t3v0esque]

Okay the scotland or soviet union segment has me ded.

[@wirebrushofenlightenment1545]

Brilliant choices of stock footage. I found myself pausing and going back so many times. And Lazerpig!

[@Vanquish.0909]

I ain't even into cars bro, but your vids are kinda getting me there. Awesome work as always.

[@DominikMaslyk]

Up here in the Scottish Highlands the Imp has a cult following, I’ve seen a fair few in a couple of local car shows. I saw a Stiletto in a recent car show actually. I kinda want it tbh has that quirk factor like the 126

[@meatballboi5783]

Plz make a full SAAB video. I get sad eveytime I hear it’s name and I want something to make me fully cry again. Also there isn’t really that much good content and or documentaries about SAAB on the internet that arn’t quite boring. Thus I lay the task at your toes.

[@ConradNeill]

I, too, shed a tear if I hear the name SAAB. The Life and Death of SAAB by Regular Car Reviews is worth a watch, and it might fill the gap until Binman comes through with something.

[@Low760]

Regular car reviews did a 2hour video on it.

[@davidty2006]

SAAB, from cars to weapons of mass destruction.

[@franciscooriolpena7140]

Another work of art by Binman!

[@casiopeaman]

I am happy once more. Thank you Mr.BinMan.

[@Jo3man96]

My Dad had a mini and a Singer Chamios (rebadged slightly posher imp), as well as a minor in his younger days. It seems his abiding memory of the Chamios was that he kept having to stop to let it cool down and top up the radiator.

[@theCharmingDeviant]

Another outstanding missive on automotive history, well worth the wait! Little did I know that the subject also needed more "Lazer Pig". I look forward to more. Keep up the fine work. Cheers from the other side of the pond.

[@tinman7551]

I can’t believe you got a cameo from laser pig. Such a wonderful video, I’m really enjoying your channel. Keep up the great work..🥰👍🏻❤️

[@freshtea228]

I found this channel when I was super stoned and now I get inspired to host Automation/BeamNG build challenges by these Videos. I love it!

[@S0RGEx]

I know nothing about cars and honestly never really cared for them, but your videos are super interesting.

[@tinman7551]

Absolutely brilliant as always 😂🥰👍🏻

[@saxon-mt5by]

I have owned both Mini and Imp; I would be delighted to have another Imp in my garage, but have no desire to ever sit in a Mini again. The Imp surpassed the Mini in just about every aspect, but could never catch up those lost four years which gave the Mini its head start in the market.

[@_me___]

Based new small channel with high production quality and effort moment

[@extrudatinoal]

I swear to god. When I saw the Rover video, after never seeing one. TWO V8 Rovers drove me a few days later. When the Facel video dropped, someone randomly popped up to talk about their ownership of one. I'm waiting to see a Imp within the next two weeks.

[@ivankurnia6211]

Keep up the good work! I always wonder why there aren't any large volume British car makers around nowadays, turns out it's for a very good reason.

[@valiantdiesel1332]

Well, I want a Sunbeam Stiletto Coupe now, thanks Binman

[@RichardDzien]

Oh yes. The unexpected appearance of Lazerpig! I want all my history delivered by a drunk pig.... Seriously, he's awesome!

[@TheOffertonhatter]

Loved the video. My Mother had both an upmarket Singer Chamois in the 60's and a Hillman Imp from 1973 until 1984. Even my sister's first car was an Imp. Genuinely, it was a brilliant car, suffering from the usual build quality issues of British cars, lest those built at Linwood, over the era. But in oh so many ways far superior to the Mini. The as mentioned handling and ride, the utterly brilliant Coventry Climax engine, the practicality was just that bit better, as not only you had the front boot, but the rear window opened up like a hatch to access the larger luggage space as well. And finally it's best bit, the turning circle was even better than the Mini. I am not dissing the Mini, as my Grandfather had one, and it is another epic small car. But the Imp just failed on two counts, one, the marketing and promotion to counter the "poor mans car", and the sheer awfulness of the Linwood build quality. Shame really.

[@-POISON-]

The Imp was such a cool car.

[@MartinMcAvoy]

I was curious about how popular the Imp was for rallying and found your video, IB. This it the first upload of yours that I have watched and I want to say how much I enjoyed your fun style. It is so much better than anything the tv could produce. Well done and I am looking forward to catching up with your other videos. 😀

[@sergep71]

It's a good day when Binman posts. Your narration (visual and spoken) aRe. UnPaRaLlEleD.

[@DAVEMUGF]

Having owned both I am certain that the Imp was the superior car. That engine was ridiculously good.

[@jamespocelinko104]

The more I learn about British car history the more I understand the Top Gear/Grand Tour trio's distain for old British cars such as the Morris Marina and Austin Allegro.

[@rkahler89]

You are easily one of my favorite people making videos about cars. Love the fusion of memes, your individual humor, car history and music.

[@chrisyboy219]

To be fair, Linwood was more or less a town that popped up out of a village to feed the local car industry. In those days it was regarded as a modern, clean, semi-decent place to live and full of hope for the future. Like most of Scotland has been, at one point or another. The brutalist architecture seen there was reminiscent of the car plant itself, and with the plant gone it just looks out of place. Most of it is a new Tesco now, and most of the car plant is an Asda and a McDonald's. PROGRESS! 😂

[@choirboyy]

Dude this soundtrack is full of bangers and that you use the little chapter feature for the list is great. Great work.

[@phillydelphia8760]

Cool points for the brief MF Doom interlude 👌

[@Whatshisname346]

Always was an imp fan over the mini. It’s such a funky design and the engines and engineering were brilliant. I would like to say that there’s a lot of people on here giving 70s British cars a tough time. As someone who spent most of my childhood being driven in secondhand 70s cars from non British manufacturers; they all sucked from a quality point of view. We mostly ran fords and fiats and my resounding memory is being left on the side of the road with overheating problems, dodgy head gaskets, Smokey clutches etc. cars were basically past their prime by 60,000miles which simply isn’t the case for most stuff built after the 80s. And the Japanese stuff may have started every day and had good fit and finish but they too suffered from poor rust protection and terrible material quality. I recall a rental Nissan cherry which, although two years old at the time, sounded, drove and looked like the greatest s^%tbox invented. My only experience of British cars was in an Austin Princess, a rover P6 and a jag xk6. All were pretty good in comparison the anything else on the road bar the super expensive German stuff.

[@salvagedb2470]

My mate back in the early 80's had one , He stripped it to nothing an re - built it , it was a Great wee Car , if I could have had a Stilleto ..Aye , " Rosemary Smith and even though she's quite Old now " ..it was that good..Intergalactic Binman humour rules.

[@aldothwaite1517]

Great video.

[@Monstrous_Delta]

Nice video man. I found you through lazerpig's video calling out other creators and I'm happy he made a cameo in this one. Your content is a perfect fit for my car interest and form of humour. Love your videos man, I can hardly wait for the next one!

[@triggeh]

I've been hanging out for this, it did not disappoint

[@tylerroland1115]

Who knew Eminem's "Sicko Mode" had those lyrics. Another classic documentary shining a light on more than just a lesser-known economy car from days past

[@heavytube7890]

Really happy to see another video from you!

[@benkavin1473]

Somewhere in an alternate universe, intrasolar Garbagewoman is talking about the BMC Mini, the bizarro counterpart to the beloved Hillman Imp, with funky features such as tranverse mounted engines and no synchromesh first gear and wondering what could have been...

[@HerrIMorke]

I absolutely love your videos. That is all.

[@EricDKaufman]

Lazerpig --> Hardthrasher --> You.... and I was looking for something to prove yourself.... Yeeaaaahhhhh you did that. I am going to spend the rest of the week reviewing your catalog. Hat Tip good sir!

[@HardThrasher]

Paisley is....a place. I do not recommend it even if your alternate holiday option is Plymouth or Scunthorpe. Especially if, like me, you have had to stay at the Blythe Bridge hotel. I have been a sales rep for more than a quater of a century, have stayed in the Kings Cross Travelodge (with all the stains of previous customers using it by the hour), an actual brothel in Paris and a Milan hotel which featured a 'take a ticket' system for hookers in reception. Nothing was worse than Paisley. PS Scotland or Soviet Union is my new favourite parlor game

[@AnimarchyHistory]

Lest we not speak of the purgatory. The absolute desolation of the human spirit that is Great Yarmouth.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@AnimarchyHistory Great Yarmouth has loads of history to explore, though, and Plymouth is a wonderful place, despite the Luftwaffe's attempts to flatten both. Paisley still has the medieval Abbey church with all that Lorimer woodwork...

[@Kreativmoorabbel]

Damn, that Stiletto looks pretty though :0

[@marcusott2973]

Well that's a pleasant surprise. As I partly hail from Wolvo I'm very partial to Roots products.

[@haaninpoju3583]

I have been periodically checking your channel for new videos and today it paid off! Keep up the great work!

[@confusedcoco5947]

Drop everything! It's Binman time!

[@Lord_Foxy13]

Huzzah the Binman has come!!! ...If only i had a babe to wake up.

[@oohahitsanrccar1913]

The Stanceworks Hilman Imp is a thing of beauty. Definetly my fav British car ever!

[@Dani11150]

The Linwood part brought me to my knees, truly a remarkable place

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Great video as usual! Thanks for all you put into these. Your channel deserves way more subscribers and I hope the algorithm catches up to you soon.

[@alro2434]

Thanks! The UK automotive fuck ups are just amazing! Also, a big thanks for the LazerPig!

[@jonnnyren6245]

Wake up laddies the Intergalactic hooman has uploaded once again!!!!

[@emberambr]

gods i want a Stiletto so badly now rly love your video btw!

[@TheSimba1960]

Love your videos - just one point. The Coventry Climax engine was originally the pump. It was first used by John Cooper (he who began the tiny rear engined F3 racers) and then by Colin Chapman Lotus. The innovations with the engine by both teams helped Coventry Climax to update and improve their pumps.

[@robinwaal-borrebaek6442]

I absolutely love your videos. The scripts are amazingly written and the subjects are super interesting. Keep up the great work man!

[@OR56]

“State mandated fun.” I’m dying 😂

[@washingtoniaofficialyoutub4551]

I love your videos I find it very fun and Informational about car history thank you!

[@ms_enj]

Absolutely expected to hear “Synchromesh, invented in 1919 by Earl Avery Synchromesh.” 😬

[@innocentjoker3556]

I love your videos! Your editing and commentary style are awesome ^^ I hope you’re doing great

[@darrens3]

You got The Pig. Beautiful.

[@savegame3308]

This is going to be good.

[@Tea-oc3gh]

HES UPLOADED HES UPLOADED HEEESSS UPPPLOOOAAADEDDD!

[@asciiCAT]

chain of supply killed me

[@morten3465]

Lazerpig brought me here and I subscribed. Keep up the good work!

[@123jrh1]

i am a mini man at heart but did have a singer chamois and loved it , great little cars

[@paulmiddleton8487]

Your channel is defo filling that Classic Top Gear need at the mo, great stuff!

[@j-wolf7209]

A while before I got my license, while I was still in secondary school actually, I wanted a Hillman Imp to be my first car, it may have been reasonably affordable to buy and insure at the time and I liked the thing. However that wouldn't pan out. Come to the time I passed my test at 17 my first car ended up being a Rover 25 "impression" (yeah, that was the name of the spec) it certainly made an impression, just not a fucking good one.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

Paisley, the Gary Indiana of Britain

[@altacat9702]

This is Great !! Thanks for the Fun !! : )