Humber / Hillman / Rootes / Chrysler / Peugeot

My recollection of owning a Hillman Hunter was initially one of bewilderment at the low mpg it was returning. I was filling up (i.e. putting a couple of quids worth in!) what seemed like every few days! I finally realised, after tracking down a rather pungent smell of petrol, that I'd actually got a hole in my petrol tank! To prevent my fuel from literally pouring down the drain I had to make sure I parked with the driver's side in the gutter so that the petrol was away from the hole! Thanks for the tip MR, I may pop into town and take a look. It's been 43 years since I owned my Imp (DOL 115C) which was 5 years old when I purchased it from Wolvey Motors (who I think are still trading!) Strange how people seem to remember their car registration numbers

I am lucky enough to have an involvement in the naming of the new roads on the new industrial estate that sits on the site of the Rootes factory at Ryton. The first road will be named after the Humber Imperial. My grandad and great grandmother worked there.

Did anyone see the band of Hillman Imps arrive at Ryton yesterday? Not sure where they would be as I believe the site has been completely removed. There was quite a good article in the Scotsman Newspaper yesterday about the 50 year history of the Imp and the run from Linwood to Ryton: 50 years of the Imp It also reminded me of a book published about 10 years ago by a local transport activist. It was called "Deep Fried Hillman Imp", making reference to the notion that Scots like to have everything deep-fried including Mars Bars. Deep Fried Hillman Imp

My mate is in Bridge-of-Weir Rootes and he went to watch them leave the old Linwood site. At least there's a shopping/office complex there. Nowt but a pile of bricks at Ryton?! Crackin' wee cars the Imps - amazing how few left there are.

Hi folks, I was researching the old Hillman works on Humber Road when I came across this thread. Fantastic to read your stories of the area. My great grandfather and grandfather owned a Hillman/Rootes dealership in Hartford (Cheshire) and would pick up cars from Humber Road. I grew up with stories and tall tales about these adventures. I have inherited a 1930 Hillman 14 from my late father (one of the cars collected from the works by my grandfather) and was hoping to make the pilgrimage to Humber Road (when I get the thing working again!) Is there any evidence left of the works at all?

Firstly, welcome to our forum, Birtie & hope you enjoy your time with us. Not much evidence now. Only the street & road names bear testimony to what was there. Gosh, the Hillman 14. That was the classic motor from which nearly four decades of development came from.

Thanks PhilipinCoventry! Just did a Google Streetview of Humber Road... How sad! They're not even particularly nice looking houses The restoration (started by my father in the 1980's) isn't quite finished yet, but I have just been able to insure and tax the Hillman for the first time in 33 years! I'm hoping to take her to the Coventry Festival of Motoring event at Stoneleigh in August. Out of interest, here's a photo of the garage showroom in the late 1960's

Hi all, The successor to Rootes is once again in trouble. "Peugeot shares fall" report

I too vaguely remember the pedestrian tunnels under the railway line. This was on my way as a young child in the 1950s from Cheylesmore to Siddeley Ave in Stoke to visit my grandparents. I was actually born in Terry Rd next door to the BOC depot - my father used to complain about the cylinders 'clanging' at night! Anybody know where the railway line went that crossed over Terry Rd near there - I see the bridge is still there but the line looks to have been disused for a long time.

Are Sunbeam Talbot Alpines Coventry made?

In 1935 the Rootes Group headed by brothers, William "Billy" and Reginald, bought the bankrupt Sunbeam and Talbot marques and quickly moved to introduce a new marque in 1938 called Sunbeam-Talbot which combined the quality Talbot coachwork and the current Hillman and Humber chassis and was assembled at the Talbot factory in London. The initial two models were the Sunbeam-Talbot 10 and the 3-litre followed by the Sunbeam-Talbot 2 litre and 4 litre models based on the earlier models only with different engines and longer wheelbases. Production of these models continued after the war until 1948. In the summer of 1948, the Sunbeam-Talbot 80 and Sunbeam-Talbot 90 were introduced, with a totally new streamlined design with flowing front fenders (wings). The 80 used the Hillman Minx based engine with ohv and the 90 utilized a modified version of the Humber Hawk with ohv. The car bodies were manufactured by another Rootes Group company, British & Light Steel Pressings however the convertible drophead coupe shells were completed by Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders in Cricklewood. The underpowered 80 was discontinued in 1950. The 90 was renamed the 90 MK II and then the 90 MK IIA and eventually in 1954 the Sunbeam MK III, finally dropping the Talbot name. With the model name changes, the headlights were raised on the front fenders and an independent coil front suspension and the engine displacement went from 1944cc to 2267cc with a high compression head and developing 80 bhp. Production ceased in 1956 and replaced by the sporty Sunbeam Rapier. There was one more model of the Sunbeam-Talbot that appeared in 1953 in the form of an Alpine, a two seater sports roadster which was initially developed by a Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth as a one-off rally car that had its beginnings as a 1952 drophead coupe. It was named supposedly by Norman Garrad, (works Competition Department) who was heavily involved in the Sunbeam-Talbot successes in the Alpine Rally in the early 1950's using the Saloon model. The Alpine Mk I and Mk III (a Mk II was never made) were hand built like the Drophead Coupe at Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders from 1953 to 1955 when production ceased after 1282 MK I's and 300 MK III's were built, making a total of 1582.

Hi all, Reading this headline, Peugeot News, you might get the wrong end of the stick. Peugeot development does take place in Coventry, but no production is currently undertaken anywhere in the UK. Is someone trying to fool someone, or just sell extra papers? Please, will someone explain, as I hope that I am wrong! ps Maybe Peugeot are producing cars secretly in a cave somewhere & bussing workers in, without anyone noticing, or the editors on the Telegraph are having issues with their geography, again!

Their UK HQ is in Coventry, so the article is correct, and I believe they still employ a lot of people here.

Thank you for that, flapdoodle I am aware of the development engineering work at Whitley & that they may have some shared development work with General Motors, which may involve over a thousand very skilled development jobs, but I am unaware of any material production anywhere in the UK. The last trading statement issued by the company was valued in Euros. The company is described as a French car maker on the European stock market. BBC News

Hi & thank you for the memory. Our friend Dutchman will be delighted it being a "Black Five" in charge.