Hillman Imp: The car that drove Linwood to disaster

[Wilko220]

Probably won't teach most Imp fans anything they didn't already know, but just spotted this on the BBC website and found it quite an interesting read.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/22294640

 

 

[Wilko220]

And while we're on the subject of Imps, this may also be of interest to some:

 

http://impartproject.wordpress.com/

[brickwall]

Before he came to work for my dad, one of his freinds was a bean counter at Linwood. The whole place was a disaster.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. Can't blame the Imp - blame the Government for 'helpfully' making a car manufacturer suffer some ridiculous logistics issues. No wonder Peugeot knocked it on the head. What a stupid headline.

[freebird]

These are one of the cars Ive never had a drive of but would love to.

From what ive read, they are more than a match for the Mini.

Anybody ever owned one/driven one?

What are they like to live with? 

[CreepingJesus]

I suppose the idea had its' merits, but they largely fell down on the logistics of the scheme. It's not like West Central Scotland was lacking the resources and skills to make iron ore into cars.

Ditto BL Bathgate...

[Barry Cade]

Nice wee film about the Imp from 1963.

 

http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=0085

[dollywobbler]

These are one of the cars Ive never had a drive of but would love to.

From what ive read, they are more than a match for the Mini.

Anybody ever owned one/driven one?

What are they like to live with? 

 

Annoyingly, I've only driven one Imp and it was mildly rally prepped. It was an absolute hoot! As much fun as a Mini (at sensible-but-brisk speeds at least) but much, much more comfortable. 

[Station]

I live in Ryton-On-Dunsmore. I just realised I live a few minutes from the original Rootes factory.

[Rocket88]

My ex wife had one, which suffered a "leaves blocking air intake to rad closely followed by KAOS K series meltdown ........" She insisted on replacing it with a brand new MG Metro "because it would be reliable 'cos it's new". We split up 3 gearboxes and 18 months later.

[barefoot]

I drove one with its original strange throttle pedal / carb / interface thing - was it hydraulic or something equally bizarre.

Throttle was like an on / off switch.

Accelerated well for 850 (or whatever) but that was presumably because I was giving it full bollocks all the time.

And it was green, and the owners daughter (the reason I was there) had lovely tits

And it was a long time ago.

[tooSavvy]

Theyrrre GR8 [tony the tigers voice]

 

tooSavvy

[MrDuke]

If you're comparing it to a Mini, then there's no comparison. Yes, that does make perfect sense.

 

AFAIK, the only major design flaw the Imp had was the unreliable cooling (which is relatively easy to sort), compared with the long list of WTF points on a Mini. The alloy engines punch way above their weight, are incredibly easy to work on (due to dropping out of the subframe in minutes), and are easy to tune. Bigger wheelbase than a Mini = more stability, and of course more space inside as said.

[trigger]

I think they are cool little things especially with that opening rear window.

 

I remember my father in law talking to me about them last year saying how his father had one, one day he was miles away and the throttle cable snapped so he rigged up a new cable with some old string he found in the car which he then ran through the back window, over his shoulder and used manually to get him home. Then it over heated in K series fashion.

 

In fact I almost bought a stunning whitr one last year what was very cheap but got put of it by the owner after his stories of them overheated.

[Rocket88]

Trig;

Slightly ironic use of the word "cool"?

[dollywobbler]

I think the pneumatic throttle was a stupid idea, and it didn't work in real life. Bugs like that give a car a bad rep. Quite how the Mini managed to survive it's horrific bedding-in period I don't know. Problem for the Imp was that the Mini was fairly sorted by the Hillman baby arrived.

[Junkman]

OK, this probably should go into the Stupid Question Amnesty thread, but isn't it that Linwood drove the Imp to disaster rather than the other way around?

[brickwall]

There was terrible Union activity and Managment incompetence there. There were over 30 strikes in on year and they dumped theirr two most profitible cars after Chrysler slowly took over. In the end, selling the company outright to a company that was in dire straits already wasn't too brainy. The numbe rof phantom loads leaving the factory was ridiculous also.

 

My mums Hillman Hunter was madre there and it was a great car except for the rust.

[trigger]

This was the one that I got offered, I think it was something daft like £1300, 2 owners and full history and 40000 miles.

 

1966 Hillman Super Imp by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

1966 Hillman Super Imp by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[Anglevan]

I had a Singer Chamois that was the genuine prefab garage find - parked up in 1973 and left. When I got it it was as solid as a rock and within half a day I had it running (just had to change the fuel line and clean electrics up)

I rang that car on and off for 4 years and what a little gem. never let me down, cracking fun to drive (I cant compare to a MIni as I've never driven one)

Due to storage I had to sell it and believe it's still bombing around the south somewhere after a few ebay sales/owners.

I just have positive things to say about em and would have another anyday...

[tooSavvy]

Me, doing a bit of sightseeing @ Linwood, recently.

 

All there is left of the plant - Admin Office Block. In the middle of a retail park.

 

Arrow shows line of piccie, above, and that car park was actually the Bodyshop.

 

Cars crossed over the main road, on an enclosed trackway, to enter the Fitting/Finish Plant.

 

IMP CLUB had a bash at the place recently to unveil a plaque 'IMP 50th', commemorating the cars 50 years.

 

Heres one of mine [80's]

... and with some friends [80's]

 

 

I took out the Pneumatic throttle and fitted the later cable arrangement, disc brakes, seatbelts & Race tuned 998 B/v engine.

 

tooSavvy

[cort16]

This is about 2 minutes from where I'm sitting at work right now. Some of the big sheds stood until maybe 2-3 years ago when they pulled them down to build houses.

[Rusty Pelican]

Ive got two , this Chamois

 

 

And this scanky van.

 

 

They really are a right hoot to drive , go-karting for the highway , yes there was problems right from day one , cooling OMGHGF , waterpumps etc etc.

They were well ahead of their time , all alloy engines were almost unknown in 63 but alloy is common on motors now , all syncro gearbox , independant suspension all round .

Buy a bad one and it will be hell , buy a good one and be very impressed 

[Hendry]

I find this really interesting as I used to work in 1 of said car dealerships built on the site.

 

The railway bridge close to the site still has the Talbot sign and "Linwood plant" written on it even after all these years

[Cavcraft]

Fair play, Savvy, you're a comic genius and I don't even think you know it. That camera pointing the wrong way picture is flipping brilliant

 

 

Anyhow, having to ask my dad to lend me £35 for a taxed and tested Imp with a BFO dent in the o/s/r quarter and getting knocked back still saddens me 25 years later.

I will defo have one one day, they look such a characterful little thing and I expect they'd be quite entertaining to own.

[Richard]

Although it's set after the Imp's time The Devil's Carousel is worth reading if you're interested in Linwood

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0436201747

[tooSavvy]

I find this really interesting as I used to work in 1 of said car dealerships built on the site.

 

The railway bridge close to the site still has the Talbot sign and "Linwood plant" written on it even after all these years

 

 

...... other side of the one I took in my post, above (Googlestreet PA3 3AT)

 

tooSavvy

[Rusty Pelican]

It was a disaster really ,  Grubbermint forcing Rootes to build a new factory miles from anywhere just to get the 20 million loan they needed .

As mentioned logistics were just crazy .

Engine blocks were cast in Linwood then shipped by train to be assembled at Ryton then shipped back .

Strikes every week from militant ex shipbuilders , shoddy build quality , the list goes on .

Strangly the shells were built by Pressed steel over the road , they also built some Volvo " the saint " P1800s there as well.

[tooSavvy]

Fair play, Savvy, you're a comic genius and I don't even think you know it. That camera pointing the wrong way picture is flipping brilliant

 

....ha ha y'sell M8.   I'm in the picture to show I was there - like NOT Streetview rip. I've just ripped a Streetview, though.

 

tooSavvy

[freebird]

Rusty, that Chamois looks utterly brilliant!!!

Ive read, in the past, road test comparisons between the Mini and the Imp and the Imp always came out of it very well.

I suppose the unreliability reputation is now more to do with history, I mean, Stags dont all overheat, nor do Sprints and not all Scimitars have electrical problems.

Its probably a smart choice now what with the way Mini prices have gone.

Thats yet another car on my "I desire to own" list.