MEET THE OWNER – JON MURDEN AND HIS TWO HILLMANS

Both of Jon Murden’s Hillmans seem to belong in the world of post-war comedy. You can imagine Tony Hancock dreaming of the day when a gleaming 1957-vintage Audax Minx would be parked outside of 23 Railway Cuttings instead of a battered pre-war Ford V8 saloon acquired by Sid from a bombsite dealer. Similarly, his 1965 Super Minx Series III would have been perfect for a late-period black and white Boulting Brothers’ comedy, starring Eric Sykes, Dora Bryan and Terry Scott. Plus, a scene where a police Wolseley 6/110 containing Inspector Lionel Jeffries and Sergeant David Lodge pursues the Hillman along the A4.

When the Rootes Group planned the latest generation of medium-sized cars in the early 1950s, they commissioned Raymond Lowey Design. The first member of the family was the 1955 Sunbeam Rapier, followed in 1956 by the ‘New Minx’, which indeed bore a faint resemblance to a Studebaker Starliner. Power was from a 1,390cc engine, and The Motor wrote it was “one of the most alluring medium-sized saloons ever built in this country”.

Six years later, Rootes unveiled the Super Minx, which they originally intended as a replacement for the Minx. Eventually, management at Ryton decided to build it as a supplementary model. Buyers were promised “Power. Energy. Vitality’ from the 1.6-litre engine., not to mention “Zestful Performance”. By late 1964 the Series III gained very appealing six light styling with a semi-razor-edged roof. For just £768 17s 1d (seat belts were additional £4 15s per set) the latest Hillman would be the envy of all Austin A60 Cambridge and Vauxhall Victor FC owners. Autocar thought the Super Minx was “a family car, designed for long and faithful service, and as such should give much satisfaction” – which was precisely what the market demanded.

The Hunter replaced the Super Minx saloon in 1966; the Estate and the last of the Audax range were available until 1967. Jon came by his Minx from the owner of a former Peugeot dealership in Dorset and the Super Minx from a Worcestershire farmer. “I’ve always loved the shrunken American styling of Rootes cars of this period - and used to love seeing Peter Simpson’s Minx in Practical Classics when I was a teenager!”. As for their road manners:

The Minx is very ‘50s’ with its column change, bench seat, and 15-inch crossplie tyres. It is engaging and involving to drive, constantly needing corrections to the steering. Once you get used to the column change, you wonder why they ever went out of fashion. It’s so easy to use. The Minx is great for pottering around country lanes.

The Super Minx feels quite modern in comparison; it runs on 13-inch radials, so always feels very sure-footed, and with a1.6 engine and floor change, its happy on dual carriageways. It doesn’t have the optional overdrive, but it would really help on motorways. You can definitely tell how the car had moved on a generation in such a short space of time.

Naturally, the two Murden Hillmans receive the attention that is their due. Jon tells me they always get “lots of nice stares and waves from younger people and lots of ‘I had’, ‘my Dad had’,’ my first car’ type of conversations at petrol stations!”. As Raymond Baxter put it in the 1956 sales film – “charming indeed” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jg5bwvpdU0.

With Thanks To Jon Murden.