RARER THAN RARE – THE HILLMAN HUNTER TOPAZ

One of the many attractions of the 2022 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show was the Hillman Owners' Club stand, dominated by a car that I had never before encountered in the metal. Before then, I had glimpsed the Hunter Topaz only in old advertising copy, but here it was at the NEC, resplendent in its Copperbeech metallic glory.

Many enthusiasts, including this writer, believe the Rootes Group's 'Arrow' family is unfairly neglected compared with the Ford Cortina Mk. II that also debuted at the 1966 London Motor Show. Autocar praised the Hillman Hunter’s "lively, fresh nature" and Motor Sport believed "This £838 Anglo-American car, so much lighter and responsive than the old Minx, is generally very likeable and, with the help of Chrysler dollars, will, I sincerely hope, resuscitate Rootes".

Meanwhile, Car moaned, not entirely unpredictably, that the Hunter had "little appeal to the enthusiast" but was at least "handsome, comfortable, lively and light to handle". Many buyers found this combination of virtues much to their liking, but unlike Dagenham, Chrysler UK (the Rootes name vanished after 1970) did not feel the need or possess the funds to upgrade the Arrow's bodywork.

This meant that by the early 1970s, the Hunter family already seemed faintly dated. Yet, models such as the 1972 GLS and the racing exploits of Barry 'Whizzo' Williams displayed its potential. Three years later, visitors to Earls Court could marvel at the Topaz, the limited edition Hunter with "brushed nylon seats", "sports style wheels" and push-button radio as standard.

In essence, the Topaz was the Hunter Super fitted with over £230 of extras, which further included overdrive and a black vinyl roof. The result cost £2,079, representing excellent value for money, and appealed to traditional-minded drivers who viewed the new FWD Chrysler Alpine with suspicion. The Topaz also has the distinction of being one of the last new models to bear the Hillman badge, which Chrysler dispensed with after 1976.

Sales of the last British market Arrows, in the form of the Irish-built Chrysler Hunter', ended in 1979 and today, the surviving ranks of the Topaz are in single figures. LMY 371 P is now a far more exclusive sight than your average Jaguar E-Type Series III and can instantly evoke a lost world of motoring. Not least how, in 1975, a motor manufacturer could promote inertia-reel seat belts, servo-assisted brakes and "side repeater flashers" as major sales features.

With Thanks To: The Hillman Owners' Club and Hubnut for the photograph - HubNut - YouTube