1962 Hillman Super Minx

The Hillman Super Minx was originally intended by the Rootes Group as a replacement for the Audax series Hillman Minx (q.v.). It was available as a four-door saloon, a two-door convertible or as an estate car, all models seating five and having a front engine driving the rear wheels. Production finally ceased in 1967.

The Hillman Super Minx was first introduced to the public in October 1961, and it was regarded as more imposing – and more upmarket – than the Minx. The trans-Atlantic coachwork was combined with conventional independent front coil springs with an anti-roll bar and rear leaf springs and a live axle. Braking was by drums fore and aft and the gear lever was floor mounted. A bench front seat was a standard fitting.

May 1962 saw the arrival of the Hillman Super Minx Estate, followed in the next month by the Super Minx Convertible. The range was updated in October of that year as the Series II, with separate front seats and front disc brakes now standard equipment. In July 1964, the Convertible was dropped from the range three months prior to the Super Minx receiving a major facelift. The Series III featured a semi razor-edge roofline, the cabin now had six-window styling, the front seats now had adjustable backrests and there was an all-synchromesh gearbox. In September 1965, the Series IV gained a more powerful engine. The Super Minx saloon was discontinued in August 1966, the estate lasting until April 1967.

Power for the Hillman Super Minx Series I – III was a 1,592cc S4 OHV unit with a Zenith downdraught carburettor on the SI and a Solex carburettor on the SII and SIII. The Series IV engine was a 1,725cc S4 OHV plant with a Zenith carburettor. The standard transmission was a four-speed gearbox, with no synchromesh on bottom gear for models prior to the Series IV. Laycock de Normanville overdrive on the top two ratios was available throughout Super Minx production, with Smiths ‘Easidrive’ automatic transmission an extra from 1961 to 1962, replaced by a Borg Warner Model 35 three speed box from 1962–1967.

The Hillman Super Minx was regarded when it was new as a well-made medium sized car with comparatively light steering and a good quality of ride. The last-of-the-line Series IV is often regarded as the most useful of the range as it combines the sweet-revving 1,725cc unit with the all-synchro transmission and reclining front seats. The short-lived, and very attractive, Convertible is seen by many aficionados as the most desirable Super Minx variant. Models fitted with overdrive or automatic transmission, as are estate versions.

Hillman engines, especially the 1,725cc unit, are known to be durable but worn main bearings can eventually result in a bottom end rebuild and Series IV plants should be checked for internal corrosion. In terms of coachwork, the Super Minx’s inner wings, rear spring hangers, fuel tank, cross-member, bonnet and boot lids, footwells, and C-pillars should all be carefully inspected for corrosion; replacement body panels plus trim are near-impossible to come by.

Alternatives to the Super Minx include its more luxurious Singer Vogue and more powerful Humber Sceptre Rootes Group stablemates. Its rivals range from the Austin A60 Cambridge/Morris Oxford Series IV to the Ford Consul Corsair/Corsair V4 and the Vauxhall Victor FB and FC.