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| Lot number | 78 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | £3,520 |
| Description | Hillman Minx MkV |
| Registration | PVS 141 |
| Year | 1951 |
| Mileage | 88332 (Indicated) |
| Colour | Black |
| Engine size | 1,300 cc |
| Chassis No. | A1101750HSO |
| Engine No. | A1101750HSO |
| Documents | V5C; invoices; photographs; Rootes Archive verification |
Looking very respectable in its black bodywork, this Hillman Minx MkV is the car that every provincial accountant aspired to back in 1951. Dependable, unexciting and with an established ancestry, car and buyer would have been well matched.
Based on the MkIII of 1948, the MkV had a warmed-up 1,265cc side-valve engine turning out a solid 38bhp, capable of propelling the old girl (well, there were female accountants) from 0-60mph in 39 seconds and onwards to a heady 67mph flat out. Eventually. Of course, our accountant would have been more interested in the fuel economy: 32mpg.
The first owner of this one did splash out on a little luxury – it has the optional heater which would have added a whole £18.0.0 to the base price of £505.0.0 (including purchase tax). The chrome side-strip came free, as did the floor-mounted handbrake. A 1951 model, it comes with a Rootes Verification Certificate detailing its early days and we are told that the first owner kept it for over 40 years although it must have been off the road in storage for a chunk of that time because it got re-registered in 1993 and has had just two owners since.
The current owner has done a lot of work on the car in the 12 years he has owned it, including rebuilding the engine, fitting a new clutch, starter, dynamo and servo, as well as overhauling the brakes. He also installed a stainless steel exhaust system, fitted new carpets, and carried out other minor works. We noted a radio on the dash, which is a little anachronistic with its push-button controls, but as long as it can receive Test Match Special, who cares? The low mileage shown on the clock could well be correct, judging from the condition of the car, but it cannot be guaranteed.
Some of you might recognise the car from the TV series ‘Grantchester’ (a popular retro-crime thriller) where it is driven by DI Geordie Keating played by Robson Green. It has also appeared in a number of other productions on the large and small screens and could doubtless continue to earn a few shillings this way for its lucky new owner.
