Lot number | 166 |
---|---|
Hammer value | £14,000 |
Description | Hillman Minx Drophead Coupe |
Registration | HXU 997 |
Year | 1947 |
Colour | Yellow/Black |
Engine size | 1,185 cc |
Chassis No. | 1760926 |
Engine No. | 1760926 |
Introduced at the 1931 Motor Show, the Hillman Minx 10hp Saloon may not have been the most exciting car that the marque had ever produced but it certainly turned out to be the most important.
The great British public immediately took to the little car with the cheeky name and ten thousand were sold in that first year alone. The Minx lifted Hillman out of the Depression and, in one form or another, was to survive until 1970 when Chrysler, who had absorbed the marque, finally killed it off.
Mechanically it was conventional, with a separate chassis, beam-axle front and rear suspension, and an 1185cc four-cylinder side-valve 35bhp engine mated to a four-speed gearbox. With a top speed of just over 60mph it was not especially fast, but it was reliable, refined by the standards of the day, and roomy enough to carry four or even five adults.
In 1945 a re-styled version of the Minx was offered, retrospectively named the Mk1, which was available in saloon, estate and drophead coupe versions. Mechanically virtually the same as the pre-war cars, it had more attractive styling with a wonderfully art deco radiator grille that aped American cars of the time.
This particular car is an extremely rare Drophead Coupe that was first registered in London in February 1947. A bill of sale from Steele Griffiths & Co of London SE5 shows that the car was sold to a Mr FT Faulkner of South Norwood in February 1951 for £585. Other documents suggest that he kept the car until at least the 1980s.
The current owner acquired the car in 2007 in basically sound but somewhat dilapidated condition and soon set about a total nut-and-bolt restoration which ultimately cost over £25,000 to complete.
Virtually every part of the car has been rebuilt as necessary including a full engine rebuild with new pistons, reground crank and electronic ignition. The interior has been retrimmed in top quality grey hide, all the brightwork replated, and the bodywork fully restored and repainted in black and primrose yellow.
On completion in 2010 the car won 1st prize at two classic car shows and it remains in outstanding condition today. It comes with an old green log book from 1951 and an original owner’s handbook in well-thumbed condition. Only being sold due to the declining health of the owner, it is surely the best example you could ever wish to find.