Hillman Imp Car
Hillman Imp, 1963 T.1982.24
“It's the car which put Scotland back in the car industry – and what a tremendous little car it is. See for yourself what makes it so special.”
Daily Record, 2 May 1963
Comment by Harry Collins, Pressed Steel worker
The Hillman Imp was the wrong car in the wrong place at the right time. It was quite nippy, but the lack of weight on the front wheels could prove disastrous. Some owners packed a bag of sand in the front boot over the wheels.
From: Harry Collins, former Pressed Steel worker, and Hillman Imp owner
Comment by Gordon Morrison, Hillman Imp owner
A wonderful wee car that got bad press but would give a Mini a run for its money any day.
From: Gordon Morrison, Hillman Imp owner
Comment by Robert Dickie
The body shells for all the Linwood built cars were made by Pressed Steel on the other side of the road and carried over it by conveyor. What many do not realise is that Pressed Steel also made bodies for other manufacturers, one of which was Volvo with the P1800, driven by the Saint, a beautiful example of which is on show at M.O.T. This shell was taken to Jensen in the Midlands and assembled by them for Volvo, but after only 3 years because of poor quality with the Jensen product, Volvo began making the car in Sweden although the shell still came from Linwood.
From: Robert Dickie
Comment by Michael Kenny
I worked at the Linwood plant for 3&1/2 years, from 1963, mainly in the C.K.D.I bought a Singer Chamois, during this time,but unfortunately, I had to sell it after I got married.I had the car for about 4 years, and it served me well, during this time.If I remember correctly, it cost LESS than £400, including staff discount!!!!!
From: Michael Kenny
Comment by Janis Shinie
My family had an Imp at one point in the mid 60s. The windscreen surround leaked and, if you hadn't stuffed a duster at each corner, either the driver or the passenger got wet knees! It can't have been too bad. I had one as my first car in 1974.
From: Janis Shinie
Comment by Evening Times May 1963
The Imp is the type of car which is much in demand on our increasingly busy roads. It is handy, nippy, and economical and there may be new worlds for it to conquer as the two-car society approaches…
From: Evening Times May 1963
Comment by Frank Schoenberger
The Imp community is not huge in Australia but there are more and more cars being restored. Most owners have several imps and I know several people who still use their car as daily drivers.
From: Frank Schoenberger, Australian Hillman Imp owner
Comment by Nico Verhoeven Dutch Hillman Imp owner
At one time I lived in a bedsit but owned 5 Imps in various degrees of repair. Now we are down to the last one - I’ve had it for 18 years.
From: Nico Verhoeven Dutch Hillman Imp owner
Comment by Robert McGinnigle
My father William McGinnigle was involved in the building of the first Hillman Imp. Coincidentally,I later worked on the Imp line and helped to build the LAST Imp produced at Linwood. My first car was a blue Im(LKV 968P) and is fondly remembered.
From: Robert McGinnigle
Questions by Glasgow Museums
Do you think the Imp was a better car than the Mini? But if it was so good, what went wrong at Linwood?
Eyewitness by James Hutton, Hillman Imp owner
The police in San Moritz stopped me at gunpoint. They insisted on looking in the boot – they were puzzled as not many cars at that time had their engine compartment in the rear of the car. After a frightening 10 minutes we carried on our way.
From: James Hutton, Hillman Imp owner
Eyewitness by Audrey Winetrobe, Hillman Imp owner
Our Imp took our family on some fabulous day trips to the seaside and parks. We would leave it on the crest of the hill to give it a fighting chance of starting the following day.
From: Audrey Winetrobe, Hillman Imp owner
Eye Witness by Darcy Maddock
I bought my first Imp in 1965 in Oz. It was a full import brand new Sunbeam Imp brought in for the motor show. It was rallied, raced, and used as an everyday hack. No problems until I sold it to go to UK in 1967. I bought my only other Imp in 1980, a 1968 Sunbeam Imp Sport from a nurse in Buderim Queensland. I still have it and it has never been off the road. It is my daily driver and has covered near 700,000 mile now. The original engine was rebuilt three times until I purchased a brand new 930cc short motor which has now done about 120,000 miles. Suitably tuned and with Valentine provided disc brake conversion can more than handle traffic in modern day use. It will still be in use the day I hand in my licence far in the future and I will hand it over to my grandson somewhere about 2029.
From: Darcy Maddock
Eye Witness by Robert Dickie
I was an apprentice in a BMC garage in Paisley, when the Imp was launched. Although both cars had similar specifications and pricing, in my opinion the Minis was a far superior product and suffered from fewer problems. Much has been written about how Imp owners would ballast the front (the engine was at the rear) to improve road holding and front tyre wear. The favourite ballast was a 3x2 concrete paving slab because it did the job and took up less space in what was a tiny front luggage compartment. The engine, which started life as a Coventry Climax water pump, had an all alluminium cylinder block and head and being mounted at the rear with a suspect water pump, was rather prone to overheating which caused some problems. Later on I worked for Renfrew County Council who ran a considerable fleet of Imp cars and vans and there had been little improvement in the Imp to make me change my opinion. I think the number of original Mini's still on the road in all their variants proves what was the better car.
From: Robert Dickie
