Humber / Hillman / Rootes / Chrysler / Peugeot

You are quite welcome NormK, I like having a little search round and I get to learn about all sorts of stuff at the same time

I was working as an engine fitter at Ryton around 1985/86 when the Peugeot Talbot execs decided to show Sir John Egan - himself a Coventry man, at that time the Jaguar chairman - around the track. They had to abandon the tour half way around due to the amount of heckling he had and shouts of 'Gis a job John!'. And then there was the bright spark who decided it would be a good idea pre-Motor Show to guide around all the dolly birds that were going to be on the Peugeot Talbot stand. You could not hear yourself for all the wolf whistles - again they had to abandon. Working on the track was hard work/noisy but good banter at times.

Some lads in my football team in the late 70s worked at Ryton and used to tell us about some of the illicit trading that went on in the factory. Apparently there were people selling clothes, shoes, electrical goods and all manner of things, plus others operating as bookmakers. They reckoned you could get anything there, some of the team bought football boots through them. I seem to recall being told that one chap spent his time cutting hair. What amazed me is that it seemed that the chaps running these enterprises were making plenty of money in addition to being paid by the factory to do very little official work. Also, that clearly the management turned a blind eye to it all, as some were virtually running shops in there. I presume much of the stuff sold in this way was 'off the back of a lorry'. I wonder if Neil or anyone else can recall any of this.

This photograph could well be Coventry, but as usual, I'm not sure Humber Motor Engine Packaging A better angle. Humber Crates

Did you notice the trucks were Mortons Transport, Foxcote.

The signs were a bit blurry but now you have said, I can see it

Very nice pictures of what looks like a Commer articulated lorry - what else could it be? Not sure about this particular model, but quite a lot of the Rootes commercials used the same six-cylinder petrol engine as the Humber Super Snipe such as Old Faithful.

Is this Commer similar?

The truck in your last post is a TS3 two stroke diesel. I remember them screaming up the Humber Road hill, you knew it was one of those by the distinctive sound they made. The Mortons ones were Commer B series Superpoises and as rootes 66 said straight 6 petrol

Hi this was posted on my Memories Of Coventry Page by Julian Little - Copyright Hillman Avenger Tiger ORW424M outside the factory that it was built in - in Coventry.

Hi all. Picture of two prototype odax & sundax which were the secret names for the Hillman Minx range. The photo is dated about 1954/5 when on test. My dad is second from right Jock & the gent furthest right is Donald Tarbun. At this stage both cars were in identical bodies, but the sundax would become the "Rapier".

Very interesting picture Philip, which I certainly haven't seen before. The date does seem to be spot-on for prototype testing as the Series 1 Minx was introduced in 1956 and the new Rapier 7 months earlier in 1955. All this comes from the book "Cars of the Rootes Group" by Graham Robson. I didn't know the code names for these cars, but I am familiar with the Audax range from 1961 onwards which was the Hillman Super Minx, Singer Vogue and Humber Sceptre. Incidentally, the Humber Sceptre was destined to be the new Sunbeam Rapier, but late in the day they decided to keep the earlier (smaller) Rapier and add the Sceptre. The Rapier was a two-door coupe model, however both the prototypes in the photo look like four-doors judging by the central door pillar, the one on the right is definitely a Minx.

Hi Rootes66 I might be able to come up with some more pics. Regards the Super Minx range, a totally new concept of a Rootes car was developed in secret in East Africa 1958, 59 & 60. I have access to 2x2 colour slides which I need to print. The car was pronounced as a failure (it was a kind of Simca hybrid) & so the decision was made to use the existing Minx power unit. At that time Kenya, being the jewel in Africa's crown was even considered as a production plant for Rootes. Not many people knew about that. One of the other development engineers in the picture might have been a Mr. Tyrrell. My dad would spend hours with his slide-rule, at home or even on holidays working out ideas regards development. Don (in the picture) would come to our home often for tea with his family on a Sunday, & the two would be discussing their strategies for the coming week. I saw Minx cars in all disguises over the years, some full of sandbags for weight & the front seat section with all kinds of test & monitoring equipment. That basic Minx power unit also went into the two seater Alpine. It owes its past to the original Hillman 14. I even got smuggled into MIRA a few times as a treat. One day, a two door new bodied Rapier arrived at our front door, again about 1954 (there were only two in existence at this time) & I thought that a bike had run into the back of it. It was what they called a fifth wheel speed tester. On a section of the Fosse, they had clocked a genuine 112mph. Years later, I was talking to Don & dad about that event & they told me that it was not the bigger engine either. It was a 1492cc but with a new exhaust system, supplied by F.H. Kiffin & Co, to their design. Not sure about the spelling. They were actually using a steam loco technology of multiple jets so as to clear the exhaust gases more quickly. The snag was the cost of the unit, as it needed mounting so as to react with the carb. & the auto advance & retard timing. Nothing quite like it was on any other car in the UK. All of the above cars had the same 1492cc engine in them. The Hawk with Mr. Tyrrell & me, (the only one) my dad's own car with me in the driving seat, as well as the development car with dad just in picture. The open top (pre-war) was a prototype Husky, which was the first car to have the developed Hillman 14 motor in it. My mum is amongst the ladies. The Hawk performed better than any of the production six cyl. cars by a long chalk, even with the smaller engine.

Hi again Hi Rootes66 A pic prior to my dad's retirement. In the pic is mum, also Don & his wife on the left. Both Don & dad were IME as well IAM.

Just on to say there's loads of photo's of Hillmans on this link. Do you think this one has been taken in Coventry?