We called these Paykan Javanan here in Iran, which is literally meaning for the young. If regular hunters were family cars that everyone had or the first car of every family, these ones were for the pure car guys. The ones who wanted to modify it, have fun , put crazy car horns on it, etc.
This was a very pleasant trip down memory lane for me as I worked in the drawing office at Rootes when this was being designed & I have seen quite a few pieces of my own work on that car! Thanks for that.! I also worked on the H120 Sunbeam Rapier fastback & the Imps.
Back in the eighties when we were buying cheap old cars, Cortina's, Escorts, old Vauxhall's, you get the picture, I got hold of a Hunter, none of the local lads had driven a Hunter. I guess they weren't a cool car for young men. I will never forget my first drive, it was the best car I had driven at that point. So much better than the Fords and Vauxhall's. (I didn't mention the Marina on purpose.) Such a shame this car never got the recognition it deserved, it was far superior to the competition of the day.
The Glasgow distributor - at one time you had dealers and higher up the food chain distributors - Melvin Motors had their garage opposite our school. Heaven!! The Rootes cars were way under-rated, frankly I much preferred the Imp and variants to the Mini, while the late Avenger was a lovely handling saloon and ( even better ) estate with a really nice springy positive gearbox. It rusted in the wings and C pillar but felt so much more together than the Marina or the Vauxhall variants . Only some Avenger Tigers exist now I believe and the Sunbeam Lotus but they would be worth checking out. Or a Holiday - tuned Rapier 120. Thanks Matt
Funny though a lot of cars do not get the reputation they deserve ,being superior to the competition . Reputation has a lot to answer for.Lots of the Italian stuff of the sixties seventies and 80s was far superior to what Ford Bl and vauxhall were doing at the time,you would not mind Italian cars were no worse rust wise
My father's first car was a Hubter DL 1500. It was very noisy too and definitely needed another gear. My sister and myself had great fun annoying each other by sliding along the shiny, vinyl rear bench seat. It was a competition to see who could slam into the other whilst convincing our parents that it was the vast cornering g forces that made us do it. This developed into a game to see how many times we could get our mum to tell dad to slow down so as to not hurt her children. Oh, memories!
I had the exact same year and model with the 1500 iron head engine - base spec, slow and frankly totally worn out by the late 90s and 110,000 miles later. But it was reliable and very comfortable to drive.
My dad bought a left hand drive Ford Taunus back in the 70s that would also do that. You soon learned how to sit in the back wearing shorts without melting your legs to the seats!
It’s really hard to think that these cars are rare on the road now they were everywhere, and of course the hunter won the London to Sydney rally in 1968
My dad bought a brand new Hunter in 1973. By 1979, it had rusted so badly that it had to be scrapped, so it's not hard to understand why there are so few left today.
Yup, I remember the day when they set off from Crystal palace, for a 10,000mile London to Sydney, Marathon, I was that time living in Kenya and we owned a Hillman Hunter Estate, I particular was very proud of it as it was the under dog car in Kenya as most popular cars in Kenya were dominated by Peugeot , I even remember the drivers names, they were Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin, Brian Coyle. They were my heroes.
What a lovely trip down memory lane . I had one of these in 1976 , the colour was called bitter green . It was was very fast and also practical . Try finding one today! Many thanks
Awesome. My Dad's Mate had 2 GLSs in 1973 I think. A gold one and then a brown on with a brown vinyl roof. They could hit 100 mph inside a mile and the sound with the Webers was like a Lotus. I think that one had overdrive on a stalk. Now I am going to savour this with my breakfast.
My dear departed Dad loved Hillman's back in the early 70's. He owned 4 of them at one point or another ( 2 x Hunters & 2 x Minx's) so this brings back some great memories.
Many years ago, my dad acquired a Hunter, with a blown engine - possibly from my cousin (Hi, Mike!). Dad, and his friend George put a different engine in. I can just about fit new wiper blades, but Dad and George's wizardry still amazes me today.
Back in the early 80s I owned an extremely rare GLS here in New Zealand. It was purple with a beige vynal roof. At the time my sister had a a blue 1969 Hunter and my brother had a blue 1974 GL auto. Funnily enough, they all got stolen in the same week. The thieves could not get my brothers auto started. My sisters manual ran out of petrol at the end of the street and my GLS was never seen again. I had owned it for 13 days
Grew up in Iran so this brings back a lot of memories. I learned driving by stealing my brother's GLS at 12...lol I love to have one of these but it's impossible to find one in North America. For now I just keep a picture on the back of my phone case😅
Great car. I had the Hunter GT with a Holbay engine fitted. Best car I've owned. I loved it. Only problem with the handbrake was when the cable stretched, and the seat sagged, you had to be very careful getting in and out otherwise you'd do yourself a nasty injury
I grew up in a small village in Suffolk called Hollesley Bay, in the village garage John Read started Holbay, he had to move to Martlesham near Ipswich as he made too much noise in the engine testing bay and the locals complained. The main engineer called Bob once told me that Rootes never returned one of their engines faulty, a real testament to the engineering skills at Holbay.
I started work aged 16 in a small (around 15 employees) engineering firm. One of our jobs was machining pulley bosses for the Hunter which was being built in Iran at the time!
Thankyou. This brings back memories. My dad was a foreman and service manager of a large Rootes and later Chrysler dealership. I remember these Hunter GLS models and they were certainly rapid in the day. Fairly light weight, with a lot of modifications including the twin 40 webbers, high lift cam, flat top pistons, bespoke manifolding, revised gear ratios and even a special exhaust system. The suspension was firmer too and the wheels were wider than standard Hunters. With overdrive they were refined and a good cruiser. My dad tells a story of an old gent who ordered one of these in 1973 finished in metallic brown with a tan vinyl roof but the car terrified him when it began to "growl". He would book an appointment for a tune up and to accompany my dad on a fast cross country blast "to clear it out". Good old days.
A neighbour gave me a lift to school in one of these as a kid..same colour too...fastest trip I ever had to school. My parents had a Sceptre...as you say..basically the same car with a more luxurious trim. The Sceptre had overdrive as a column stalk lhs...ends of the wings would rot out quickly on them....thanks for putting this one on...brings back memories.🥂🙄
As an apprentice motor mechanic back in the 70s I cut my teeth on the Hunter range along with the rest of the Chrysler products. The arrow range of cars were far better than the French imports of Chrysler such as the Simcas, Chrysler 180s and Alpines - proper cars!🙂👍
The French Chryslers ruined Rootes legacy. The 180 was to be a Humber with the option of a v6 and upmarket trim but the parent company took the wrong choice with dire results. The nice looking but clattering tappet Alpine was another bad move.
@@jackiron4785 A tad unfair to the Alpine which was superior in every respect! Heaps of genuine 100mph performance , good grip and spectacular interior / luggage space ! When the Alpine was launched it was better than the Ford Cortina in every respect ! (Maybe not reliability 😂)
Oh my God! Love it!!! We never received these stateside, and but I have always loved the sensibly-sized cars from the UK and Europe of that time. And the color as well! A nice contrast and show of individualism in a sea of gray, beige, black, white modern SUVs with interchangeable design. Oh, and you can actually DRIVE it rather than spending your time fiddling with the infotainment. I really like the clean design of the center console. The wood is light colored, with a subdued grain, and looks like quality material. Yes, the cigar ash tray makes a great coin holder (or for sweets as you prefer), and the position of the lighter is a perfect location for plugging in any devices for charging. The cars I have been driving have had the lighter at the bottom of the "center stack", and not within cobvenient arm's reach as here. Fantastic stuff as always!!!
The Hillman Hunter was such a common car in the 1970s, and even into the 1980s. It's remarkable just how rare they are now, and are rarely even seen at classic car shows. They suffered the fate of having been so common in their day that few people ever thought of preserving them, much like the Montego and Sierra in the following decades.
I had a 1974 GL 1725cc, I loved driving it up and down the M1 except for when I seized the engine through lack of oil. I then spent a very cold Christmas in 1985 rebuilding the engine with new oversize piston rings and crankshaft bearings. I learned a lot!
A very pleasant surprise seeing this Holbay GLS, brings back memories, that fantastic induction roar from the twin webbers is synonymous with this model and the Rapier H120. Happy times great cars.. Thanks!
My dad had a Hunter 1700 GT, which had been upgraded. It had a Holbay head and twin stromburgs, with overdrive on 3&4, it was good to drive. I had a mkii Cortina at the time and it blew that away.
As a lad I would sometimes walk from school to my Dad's office in town, and cadge a lift home with him. One of his colleagues had a brand new red Hunter GT with Rostyles and chrome racing wing mirrors. To this day I will never forget the memory of that bright shiney new Hunter. I was gob smacked. Went home in my Dad's ancient 1200 Beetle. The shame................:-(
Amazing colour, and dashboard, compared to my 1971 Hillman Hunter, bought for $200 (with new radials) in Australia in 1984. Still, a wonderful car. Body shape stayed modern for many years. Thank you for comprehensive review.
I had a hunter GT which was a very fast car for it's day and I also used to drive a whole load of Hunters when I did taxi work in Ashford Kent in the late 70's early 80's. Loved them as a car. Never broke down but not as glamourous as the Fords, which all my friends drove and seem to have an old man's tag. Their loss and my gain.
I remember seing a very looking Minx being scrapped in the mid 80's in Norway, the owner said he tried to sell it but no one was interested so he just scrapped it. I remmeber at that time I thought it was a shame as the car looked mint, now thinking back it's even sadder...
Had a hunter gls back in the very early eighties, the holbay engine model. I remember it was the car I had when the compulsory wearing of seatbelt law came in. It was quick, would do the ‘ ton ‘ with ease, and still think it was one of the best looking cars I owned. Was very comfortable too, enjoyed this drive out, many thanks, brought back good memories!
Great review of a lovely car. Dad had a Hillman Minx (G reg) and a Hillman Hunter (N reg) n the same shape. Both cars took us on many holidays to Wales and I learned to drive in the Hunter. It was rather cool driving around in a car with the family name on the boot lid! Happy memories and great to see one that is clearly cherished by its owner.
When I was an apprentice, my boss had a lesser version of this in a metallic green. He towed a caravan all over Europe. Lovely car, thanks for the vid.
These were assembled in Australia. We had the Hillman Hunter, Sporty Hustler, the Royal and the top of the range was the Royal 660. No idea what the 660 signified. It had metallic paint, vinyl roof and wood grain dash. They were fairly common in the day but I cannot remember when I last saw one.
As a fellow Aussie, I think the Royal 660 was to add the family of Valiant, in the Valiant Regal 770's of the time which had a tacho, vinyl roof, metallic paint, but no wood veneer dash and were the sporty full sized luxury sedan of the Chrysler Australia range. The Hillman Hustler was designed as a small version of the sporty Valiant Pacer sedan. The earlier Hunter GT's and the later on the 660's had the best looking, veneer wood dash for an Aussie car I'd ever seen till 1970.
@@petersargeant1555 The GT was discontinued earlier. The Royal 660 HE series was the sporty one at the end of Australian production with wood grain dash, full instrumentation, high back bucket seats, and the same material used for trimming as the Valiant 770. The Holbay engine with twin carbs was fitted to them along with Rostyle wheels. They sounded so sweet in full song. I was a 15 year old in 1975 growing up in country Victoria and my sisters husband (who would be termed a hoon today) had one of them. They were particularly fun to play with on gravel roads. The GLS of this video seems so plain in comparison.
This is the car that my dad had in Iran when I was a kid. A Peykan. Our wasn't a GLS. I think you call it GL in the UK. One carburetor with rectangular headlights. But everything else was exactly as I remember. Our definitely didn't have anything close to 100hp. It was a slow car but very fun to drive. Very unsafe too, which makes it even more fun to drive. Thanks for the video. Such a nostalgic trip
That's awesome Matt. Didn't know any of those existed. I wish dad would have got one of these, but he was into British Leyland more really. Well he had a triumph dolomite 1850... not a bad car. Great stuff, what colour too..
I was the 3rd owner of a 1967 mk1 Storm Grey Hillman Hunter alloy 'head 1725 with a tomato red interior. I bought it in 1999. It was registered in Banff, Scotland & the first owner kept it until 1998... fully serviced at the dealership it was bought from (now a Peugeot dealer) every year! It still exists & is undergoing a full restoration with all genuine Rootes NOS panels... front wings, rear quarters, sills, front & rear panels, etc. It's the oldest surviving Hunter in existence!! ESE 655E. Cheers. Leigh.
I used to own a red GLS with a black vinyl roof and full Webasto sunroof - in its day it was a quick (ish) car and it drove really well. The Holbay engine always sounded very 'metallic' but boy did it sound right under acceleration with those Webbers... good to see one still on the road.
My old man had one of these in red!! I drove it a few times and it was woeful,handled terribly and had no poke compared to the late eighties cars I was driving in….I loved the styling and Steering wheel but that was where the good stuff ended lol. Spun at a roundabout lol which was fun as a teenager lol. 😆
When I was a kid my dad had the Singer Gazelle version of this car. I spent my journeys sliding across the rear vinyl bench as it went round corners like a hippo on a ice rink.
Always had a soft spot for Rootes cars. Our local Rootes dealer from the early 1970s took great car of my Father. They went from Hillman Humber to Chrysler Talbot to Peugeot to Ford And Mazda to Fiat Alfa Romeo to Kia and Vauxhall. My Wife bought 2 Kias from them in 2009 and 2011 and my daughter bought a 2019 Fiat 500S from them last year.
I remember sitting in the drivers seat of a neighbour’s new GLS as a kid, and being fascinated by the sporty drilled spoke steering wheel….So of course I tried the fit of my fingers in the holes and one of them got stuck fast 🙄. Took the neighbour ages to slime up his polished alloy spokes and extract me!
What a nice car, has a huge Italian vibe about it. Especially the interior. Love the colour, doesn't get more 70s. Great review Matt, thanks really enjoyed it!
1974 my dad had 1725 twin carb hunter I loved it was gold colour I was 18 at the time and I used to borrow it I loved the car this was such a pleasure to see this brought back so many happy memories dad bought this car in Arbroath
My dad bought severaln Hillman cars. Minx, Avenger and two Hunters both the GL models. I learned to drive in the second one in a 70's metallic brown. My first car was a rotbox Avenger followed by a hunter from the era before the one on screen. This has brought back many memories, thank you.
If ever there was an under appreciated and underrated British car of the 70s, this is it. They were everywhere back in the day apparently, however by the time I bought mine in 1998 they were almost non-existent even then! Even my worn out base spec 1500 was a lovely car to drive, I liked it a lot and even bought myself a sceptre estate which interestingly, although far flusher and in better condition I never gelled with. Nowadays they’re very different and a nice classic that’s good value.
Great video, what a lovely car. My parents had a Chrysler Avenger, was a really good car, took all 5 of us camping in the south of France, we were like the Griswolds loaded up inside and with a full length roof rack! Engine did blow up on the way home though, 4 miles from home! The car’s major Achilles heel though, was rust. By 3 years old it already had rot in the doors and at 7 years old had to be scrapped! Yes would like to see more Rootes cars.
Ha - same here. 1978ish, south of France in our dad's Avenger! Our's made it back home with no issues. Great little motor - he sold it before it disintegrated. Happy days.
I grew up on the back seat of a Hilman Hunter in the 80s, like many other Iranians...literally every corner of this car brings back tons of memories...
Fantastic review of such a rare car Matt, a mate back as a 17 year old apprentice in 1966 had a maroon Arrow bodied Singer Vogue in the UK .He had terminal cancer and his parents indulged him with what was such a prestigeous car and totally unaffordable on £6 a week .It is easy to forget just how cars of this standard were just so desirable.
What a fantastic trip down memory lane, there were a few of these in the family back in the 70s and early 80s they were very good cars. Thanks very much indeed for taking us for a drive in one, it's a real eye opener that they weighed so little. A family car coming on at a similar weight to an MR2 from the 90s, it's incredible 👍👍
Well done Matt! Last week you had the Escort similar to the one I passed my test in, today you have a version of the first car I drove once I had passed that test! My Dad had a 1725 DL (not the S) and the evening after the dreaded test I took my then Girlfriend out in Dads car (my car was a few days in the future and a 2CV Dyane....). I must have been alright because that Girlfriend has been my Wife for the best part of 35 years, to this day I 'blame' that evening in the Hunter. Pity the seats didn't fully recline, or is that 'good job' the seats didn't fully recline? Not certain but it was a lovely car to drive and have many happy memories of it. Thanks for this video.
Hi i had the Hillman Minx before it was called the Hunter it had the same body shape (J reg), it had single round lights at the front, i had a 1725 engine and i went everywhere in it and it had a top speed of over 100mph. I loved this car the only problem on these cars was rust. I wanted the GLS but the insurance for me was high otherwise i would of had one of them, nice to see one on the road. Thanks Paul. I also want to say i had a Hilman Avenger GLS which i also loved and a Hilman Minx series 6 was my first car which was called the Noddy Car.
What a great video, Matt. A real treat to see an English car that I have actually seen and ridden in. My Great-Aunt and Uncle had one as the compact second car for running around in. Uncle Stewart was a Master Stationary Engineer, and bought cars based on the engineering prowess of the designers. It would have been 71 or 72 that my grandmother and I were visiting them. It was badged a Sunbeam, but I can't remember the model name here. It was a medium spec car, but I remember how spritely and nippy it was. Uncle Stewart loved it. The Sunbeam was hopeless as a tow car, though, as they had a large caravan. For that they had a tow package spec Ford Custom 500 with the 400cid engine. What a contrast. The little car was the better appointed, but the lower spec big car was for long trips. I've often thought I would love to drive one now and see how it measures up to the memories of a 10 year old car nut. I suspect, having watched this video, quite well indeed.
This video brings back memories. My father bought a Hunter estate car brand new back in 1972. At around the same time a family friend was looking for a replacement car and a few months they bought a Hunter GLS, naturally as kids me and my brothers were quite envious of our family friends. Both my fathers car and our friends were finished in the colour a metallic mustard yellow, which if memory serves me right was known as Aztec Gold. The GLS was considered a quick car at the time.
My dad bought a new GLS in 1974 RBO 360M in bronze, the seat belts were inertia reel so I’m not sure if he specified this? He loved racing other cars on the motorway when it was just me and him “they think this is just an ordinary Hunter but it’s not, it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing” as he demolished the competition 🤣. The thing would roar, we both loved it and by the time I was old enough to drive (1978) he gave it to me in an attempt to stop me buying a motorbikes (didn’t work), great car to drive I loved it. Thanks for uploading
My father in law owned a garage and taught me to drive, I drove whatever had tax and mot in many different cars and Van's. He loaned me a hunter for my driving test having never driven one, the handbrake done me every time in the test, surprisingly I passed first time in it!!
I've had a Hunter GT complete cylinder head buried in my garage for decades. Just jogged my memory that I've got it! Its got the manifolds, twin carbs, etc - just needs a rocker cover.
A great review and amazing how many modern features it encompassed, even back then. Yes I have a bit of an affection for Rootes too. They certainly built some good looking dealerships too
I have so many memories of cars of the 70s as a boy I remember seeing many of these less than 10 years old in scrap yards in the early 80s always rusted out no rustproofing much back then.
Thats a great car. One of my relatives (I can't remember who!) owned a Hillman Hunter when I was very small. I remember the rear and tail lights. Nice to see one on the road. Especially in that colour!
Their were many of them in Jamaica. One of my uncles had a Hunter he brought back from England back in the early 1970's. I never liked the frog eyes intrument panel but got use to it and love it now and those door angles often brake off but apart from that, it was a very good car. The last I ever saw running in my town up to ten years ago was a Humber Sceptre. As a sport car they were not that popular in Jamaica as the Hillman Avenger, Ford Cortina and all the Japanese brands over shadowed them. One main thing that will keep them off the street these days is the cost of fuel as those old carburated engine are no match.
In the 70's my dad had 2 brand new Hunters, a Hunter 1500 Super (saloon) and an L reg Hunter GL 1725 Estate. The first being Ziebart'ed and the second protected with Crylaguard. The brochure in 1973 was titled 'The New Refined Hunters'. In that brochure was a gorgeous metallic green Hunter GLs. The GLs was my secret performance car that no other school boy I knew had any clue about - I always noticed them where-ever I went. The neighbour opposite in 1973 also had a brand new Hunter GT 1725 in beige, with the chrome effect wheels with black middle and red dot hub centers (very rare) - which looked magical to me. The 'Rostyles' would have been better but out of our league (we called them GT wheels at the time). I took such an interest in the Hunter wheel designs that I even drew them all in art class at school. Funny how those Hilman's made the garage smell better than new cars do these days (probably not allowed those chemicals any more).
Fantastic car. My first ever car was a Hunter 1725cc. Mates laughed, as they were driving 'cool' hatchbacks etc. However I had the last laugh when I left them sitting Hahahaha!!!! Would love to have one again for a weekend car, but they are hard to find now. Thanks for the video, brought back great memories
My second car in 1975 was a 1971 "Arrow" Hillman Minx 1500. Bog standard, rubber flooring and not much else. No head turner but when I added a Lotus steering wheel and gearknob along with two spotlights, she could really shift! 😂 At the time my work boss brought in a new Hunter 1725 and an Avenger everyone hated them, preferring the older Cortinas.
At last, I really do love the whole Hunter range, low and high. The go to cars for farmers in the 70s/80s Ireland. Ours had the rear light covers missing so you would regularly knock a wire or two off. LOL! ........Nice vehicles.
My first car in 1970 was an Imp van. Loads of fun and great for camping expeditions with my mates. In 1971 I bought a Hunter GT, white, for personal export to South Africa. I had hoped to buy an Avenger but they weren't available for export. As it turned out the Hunter was a great choice. Quick, tough on dirt roads, and with overdrive which mine had capable of covering 700 miles in a day in relative comfort. Mine came with inertia reel belts and because it was an export model it had opening quarterlights which home market cars didn't get. Great cars and very much underrated ...
We called these Paykan Javanan here in Iran, which is literally meaning for the young. If regular hunters were family cars that everyone had or the first car of every family, these ones were for the pure car guys. The ones who wanted to modify it, have fun , put crazy car horns on it, etc.
This was a very pleasant trip down memory lane for me as I worked in the drawing office at Rootes when this was being designed & I have seen quite a few pieces of my own work on that car! Thanks for that.! I also worked on the H120 Sunbeam Rapier fastback & the Imps.
One of my primary school teachers had one of these but in metallic blue.
Care to share which parts were done by you? :)
All nice cars!
Sir,you're a star, loved all three of these models.
I admired your work and those of your colleagues as a small child
Back in the eighties when we were buying cheap old cars, Cortina's, Escorts, old Vauxhall's, you get the picture, I got hold of a Hunter, none of the local lads had driven a Hunter. I guess they weren't a cool car for young men.
I will never forget my first drive, it was the best car I had driven at that point. So much better than the Fords and Vauxhall's. (I didn't mention the Marina on purpose.)
Such a shame this car never got the recognition it deserved, it was far superior to the competition of the day.
The Glasgow distributor - at one time you had dealers and higher up the food chain distributors - Melvin Motors
had their garage opposite our school. Heaven!! The Rootes cars were way under-rated, frankly I much preferred the Imp and variants to the Mini, while the late Avenger was a lovely handling saloon and ( even better ) estate
with a really nice springy positive gearbox. It rusted in the wings and C pillar but felt so much more together than the Marina or the Vauxhall variants . Only some Avenger Tigers exist now I believe and the Sunbeam Lotus
but they would be worth checking out. Or a Holiday - tuned Rapier 120. Thanks Matt
@@iainbradley2847 I learnt to drive, and passed my test in a K reg Avenger estate. Good in its day.
@@iainbradley2847 the sunbeam rapier was a nice car
A friend had a Marina 1.8 TC Coupe and it wasn't a bad car at all. Certainly held its own against my mk1 Mexico.
Funny though a lot of cars do not get the reputation they deserve ,being superior to the competition . Reputation has a lot to answer for.Lots of the Italian stuff of the sixties seventies and 80s was far superior to what Ford Bl and vauxhall were doing at the time,you would not mind Italian cars were no worse rust wise
Rostyle wheels made every car look cool in the 70s, love em.
They sure did!!!!
Those are Dunstyles
My father's first car was a Hubter DL 1500. It was very noisy too and definitely needed another gear. My sister and myself had great fun annoying each other by sliding along the shiny, vinyl rear bench seat. It was a competition to see who could slam into the other whilst convincing our parents that it was the vast cornering g forces that made us do it. This developed into a game to see how many times we could get our mum to tell dad to slow down so as to not hurt her children. Oh, memories!
haha, my brother and me did the same thing on the vinyl seats in our family Escort!
I love Hillman Hunters best handling easiest to work on cheap to run comfortable What a wonderfully balanced car.
My dad had a 1974 hillman hunter DL plastic or vinyl seats that burnt the skin off you in the summer. But the car does bring back distant memories 👍👍
I had the exact same year and model with the 1500 iron head engine - base spec, slow and frankly totally worn out by the late 90s and 110,000 miles later. But it was reliable and very comfortable to drive.
My dad did too. Exactly as you describe :)
My dad bought a left hand drive Ford Taunus back in the 70s that would also do that. You soon learned how to sit in the back wearing shorts without melting your legs to the seats!
You put fashionable sheepskin covers on the seats :) Very cosy!
It’s really hard to think that these cars are rare on the road now they were everywhere, and of course the hunter won the London to Sydney rally in 1968
My dad bought a brand new Hunter in 1973. By 1979, it had rusted so badly that it had to be scrapped, so it's not hard to understand why there are so few left today.
With those wheels and cut off grill you've got a 1600E
Not really. The typical lifespan of a car is 15-20 years & the Hunter has been out of production for 42 years.
Yup, I remember the day when they set off from Crystal palace, for a 10,000mile London to Sydney, Marathon, I was that time living in Kenya and we owned a Hillman Hunter Estate, I particular was very proud of it as it was the under dog car in Kenya as most popular cars in Kenya were dominated by Peugeot , I even remember the drivers names, they were Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin, Brian Coyle. They were my heroes.
What a lovely trip down memory lane . I had one of these in 1976 , the colour was called bitter green . It was was very fast and also practical . Try finding one today! Many thanks
Underrated car back in the 70S. Boy racers wanted the 1600e back then. My Avenger 1500 GLS was nippy and good value for money back in the day
Awesome. My Dad's Mate had 2 GLSs in 1973 I think. A gold one and then a brown on with a brown vinyl roof. They could hit 100 mph inside a mile and the sound with the Webers was like a Lotus. I think that one had overdrive on a stalk.
Now I am going to savour this with my breakfast.
Lucky man, your Dad acquired it at the right time, I can't get one if I want one now.
@حمید رضا HOLBAY HAD TWIN WEBBERS STANDARD 1725 HAD THE OTHER TWIN ZENITHS CARBS SO DID SCEPTRE 1725
My dear departed Dad loved Hillman's back in the early 70's. He owned 4 of them at one point or another ( 2 x Hunters & 2 x Minx's) so this brings back some great memories.
Many years ago, my dad acquired a Hunter, with a blown engine - possibly from my cousin (Hi, Mike!). Dad, and his friend George put a different engine in. I can just about fit new wiper blades, but Dad and George's wizardry still amazes me today.
Back in the early 80s I owned an extremely rare GLS here in New Zealand. It was purple with a beige vynal roof. At the time my sister had a a blue 1969 Hunter and my brother had a blue 1974 GL auto. Funnily enough, they all got stolen in the same week. The thieves could not get my brothers auto started. My sisters manual ran out of petrol at the end of the street and my GLS was never seen again. I had owned it for 13 days
Grew up in Iran so this brings back a lot of memories. I learned driving by stealing my brother's GLS at 12...lol I love to have one of these but it's impossible to find one in North America. For now I just keep a picture on the back of my phone case😅
Blimey that brings back memories back to the 80s working on a white Hillman Hunter for a friend
Great car. I had the Hunter GT with a Holbay engine fitted. Best car I've owned. I loved it. Only problem with the handbrake was when the cable stretched, and the seat sagged, you had to be very careful getting in and out otherwise you'd do yourself a nasty injury
I grew up in a small village in Suffolk called Hollesley Bay, in the village garage John Read started Holbay, he had to move to Martlesham near Ipswich as he made too much noise in the engine testing bay and the locals complained. The main engineer called Bob once told me that Rootes never returned one of their engines faulty, a real testament to the engineering skills at Holbay.
I started work aged 16 in a small (around 15 employees) engineering firm. One of our jobs was machining pulley bosses for the Hunter which was being built in Iran at the time!
Chrome, black vinyl and wood finished off with lime green. Only in the 70s 🤩
Thankyou. This brings back memories. My dad was a foreman and service manager of a large Rootes and later Chrysler dealership. I remember these Hunter GLS models and they were certainly rapid in the day. Fairly light weight, with a lot of modifications including the twin 40 webbers, high lift cam, flat top pistons, bespoke manifolding, revised gear ratios and even a special exhaust system. The suspension was firmer too and the wheels were wider than standard Hunters. With overdrive they were refined and a good cruiser. My dad tells a story of an old gent who ordered one of these in 1973 finished in metallic brown with a tan vinyl roof but the car terrified him when it began to "growl". He would book an appointment for a tune up and to accompany my dad on a fast cross country blast "to clear it out". Good old days.
Such a lovely, classy, beautifully-engineered car! Those crisp, elegant lines...ahhh, how nice!
A neighbour gave me a lift to school in one of these as a kid..same colour too...fastest trip I ever had to school. My parents had a Sceptre...as you say..basically the same car with a more luxurious trim. The Sceptre had overdrive as a column stalk lhs...ends of the wings would rot out quickly on them....thanks for putting this one on...brings back memories.🥂🙄
My Dad had a 1972 Sceptre in dark Blue
As an apprentice motor mechanic back in the 70s I cut my teeth on the Hunter range along with the rest of the Chrysler products. The arrow range of cars were far better than the French imports of Chrysler such as the Simcas, Chrysler 180s and Alpines - proper cars!🙂👍
The French Chryslers ruined Rootes legacy. The 180 was to be a Humber with the option of a v6 and upmarket trim but the parent company took the wrong choice with dire results. The nice looking but clattering tappet Alpine was another bad move.
@@jackiron4785 A tad unfair to the Alpine which was superior in every respect! Heaps of genuine 100mph performance , good grip and spectacular interior / luggage space !
When the Alpine was launched it was better than the Ford Cortina in every respect ! (Maybe not reliability 😂)
That engine noise brings back memories for me. When I was very very young, my grandfather had a 1976 Sunbeam Rapier H120.
I had the same in red
I had a Sunbeam H120 back in the eighties (same Engine)... loved the car. Mine was in Wardance Orange and I think the GLS came in that colour too.
My dad had an orange gt...wardance orange... I never knew that's what it was called!!
very hard to find now
Beautiful car loved the Hillmans…my dad had 2 avengers, that hunter looked a lot of fun.
Oh my God! Love it!!! We never received these stateside, and but I have always loved the sensibly-sized cars from the UK and Europe of that time. And the color as well! A nice contrast and show of individualism in a sea of gray, beige, black, white modern SUVs with interchangeable design. Oh, and you can actually DRIVE it rather than spending your time fiddling with the infotainment.
I really like the clean design of the center console. The wood is light colored, with a subdued grain, and looks like quality material. Yes, the cigar ash tray makes a great coin holder (or for sweets as you prefer), and the position of the lighter is a perfect location for plugging in any devices for charging. The cars I have been driving have had the lighter at the bottom of the "center stack", and not within cobvenient arm's reach as here.
Fantastic stuff as always!!!
Actually, in 69/70 the Sunbeam Arrow was available stateside but they sold poorly and pretty much unknown now. But I've got my eyes peeled!
Always loved these and back in the day when someone opted for one of these instead of the ford/Vauxhall offerings, I was always a bit envious.
That engine sounds really good too. All that power and room for the family too!
The Hillman Hunter was such a common car in the 1970s, and even into the 1980s. It's remarkable just how rare they are now, and are rarely even seen at classic car shows. They suffered the fate of having been so common in their day that few people ever thought of preserving them, much like the Montego and Sierra in the following decades.
Brings back memories of my Dads Hunter. Mainly getting my feet wet when driving in the rain!
I had a 1974 GL 1725cc, I loved driving it up and down the M1 except for when I seized the engine through lack of oil. I then spent a very cold Christmas in 1985 rebuilding the engine with new oversize piston rings and crankshaft bearings. I learned a lot!
What a great looking car and what a cracking colour as well. Great review as always
A very pleasant surprise seeing this Holbay GLS, brings back memories, that fantastic induction roar from the twin webbers is synonymous with this model and the Rapier H120.
Happy times great cars..
Thanks!
Old is definitely gold. and I love that steering wheel.
My dad had a Hunter 1700 GT, which had been upgraded. It had a Holbay head and twin stromburgs, with overdrive on 3&4, it was good to drive. I had a mkii Cortina at the time and it blew that away.
As a lad I would sometimes walk from school to my Dad's office in town, and cadge a lift home with him. One of his colleagues had a brand new red Hunter GT with Rostyles and chrome racing wing mirrors. To this day I will never forget the memory of that bright shiney new Hunter. I was gob smacked. Went home in my Dad's ancient 1200 Beetle. The shame................:-(
Amazing colour, and dashboard, compared to my 1971 Hillman Hunter, bought for $200 (with new radials) in Australia in 1984. Still, a wonderful car. Body shape stayed modern for many years. Thank you for comprehensive review.
I had a hunter GT which was a very fast car for it's day and I also used to drive a whole load of Hunters when I did taxi work in Ashford Kent in the late 70's early 80's. Loved them as a car. Never broke down but not as glamourous as the Fords, which all my friends drove and seem to have an old man's tag. Their loss and my gain.
My dad used to have one of those cars they are classic ❤
I remember seing a very looking Minx being scrapped in the mid 80's in Norway, the owner said he tried to sell it but no one was interested so he just scrapped it. I remmeber at that time I thought it was a shame as the car looked mint, now thinking back it's even sadder...
Had a hunter gls back in the very early eighties, the holbay engine model. I remember it was the car I had when the compulsory wearing of seatbelt law came in. It was quick, would do the ‘ ton ‘ with ease, and still think it was one of the best looking cars I owned. Was very comfortable too, enjoyed this drive out, many thanks, brought back good memories!
Great review of a lovely car.
Dad had a Hillman Minx (G reg) and a Hillman Hunter (N reg) n the same shape.
Both cars took us on many holidays to Wales and I learned to drive in the Hunter.
It was rather cool driving around in a car with the family name on the boot lid!
Happy memories and great to see one that is clearly cherished by its owner.
My grandad had a white estate blimey it could move ,love the green looks superb
Kermit’s been on the phone. He wants his car back.
😂😂
And Robin in green with envy....
When I was an apprentice, my boss had a lesser version of this in a metallic green. He towed a caravan all over Europe. Lovely car, thanks for the vid.
I ❤Rootes Hillman Hunter Cars / Talbot Humber Chrysler Cars I wanna own all the Hunter GLS / DL / Sunbeam Alpine H120’s you name it
These were assembled in Australia. We had the Hillman Hunter, Sporty Hustler, the Royal and the top of the range was the Royal 660. No idea what the 660 signified. It had metallic paint, vinyl roof and wood grain dash. They were fairly common in the day but I cannot remember when I last saw one.
As a fellow Aussie, I think the Royal 660 was to add the family of Valiant, in the Valiant Regal 770's of the time which had a tacho, vinyl roof, metallic paint, but no wood veneer dash and were the sporty full sized luxury sedan of the Chrysler Australia range.
The Hillman Hustler was designed as a small version of the sporty Valiant Pacer sedan. The earlier Hunter GT's and the later on the 660's had the best looking, veneer wood dash for an Aussie car I'd ever seen till 1970.
The sporty one was the GT, timber dash and twin carbs.
@@mikevale3620 I reckon you are spot on Mike. That seems logical now you mention it.
@@petersargeant1555 The GT was discontinued earlier. The Royal 660 HE series was the sporty one at the end of Australian production with wood grain dash, full instrumentation, high back bucket seats, and the same material used for trimming as the Valiant 770. The Holbay engine with twin carbs was fitted to them along with Rostyle wheels. They sounded so sweet in full song. I was a 15 year old in 1975 growing up in country Victoria and my sisters husband (who would be termed a hoon today) had one of them. They were particularly fun to play with on gravel roads. The GLS of this video seems so plain in comparison.
Rootes Group cars were the most under appreciated in Britain at the time.
This is the car that my dad had in Iran when I was a kid. A Peykan. Our wasn't a GLS. I think you call it GL in the UK. One carburetor with rectangular headlights. But everything else was exactly as I remember. Our definitely didn't have anything close to 100hp. It was a slow car but very fun to drive. Very unsafe too, which makes it even more fun to drive.
Thanks for the video. Such a nostalgic trip
That's awesome Matt. Didn't know any of those existed. I wish dad would have got one of these, but he was into British Leyland more really. Well he had a triumph dolomite 1850... not a bad car. Great stuff, what colour too..
I was the 3rd owner of a 1967 mk1 Storm Grey Hillman Hunter alloy 'head 1725 with a tomato red interior. I bought it in 1999. It was registered in Banff, Scotland & the first owner kept it until 1998... fully serviced at the dealership it was bought from (now a Peugeot dealer) every year! It still exists & is undergoing a full restoration with all genuine Rootes NOS panels... front wings, rear quarters, sills, front & rear panels, etc. It's the oldest surviving Hunter in existence!! ESE 655E. Cheers. Leigh.
I used to own a red GLS with a black vinyl roof and full Webasto sunroof - in its day it was a quick (ish) car and it drove really well. The Holbay engine always sounded very 'metallic' but boy did it sound right under acceleration with those Webbers... good to see one still on the road.
My old man had one of these in red!! I drove it a few times and it was woeful,handled terribly and had no poke compared to the late eighties cars I was driving in….I loved the styling and Steering wheel but that was where the good stuff ended lol. Spun at a roundabout lol which was fun as a teenager lol. 😆
When I was a kid my dad had the Singer Gazelle version of this car. I spent my journeys sliding across the rear vinyl bench as it went round corners like a hippo on a ice rink.
Thanks for bringing one of these to the channel Matt, bit like you I've always had a soft spot for Roots cars but never owned one
Always had a soft spot for Rootes cars. Our local Rootes dealer from the early 1970s took great car of my Father. They went from Hillman Humber to Chrysler Talbot to Peugeot to Ford And Mazda to Fiat Alfa Romeo to Kia and Vauxhall.
My Wife bought 2 Kias from them in 2009 and 2011 and my daughter bought a 2019 Fiat 500S from them last year.
I remember sitting in the drivers seat of a neighbour’s new GLS as a kid, and being fascinated by the sporty drilled spoke steering wheel….So of course I tried the fit of my fingers in the holes and one of them got stuck fast 🙄. Took the neighbour ages to slime up his polished alloy spokes and extract me!
What a nice car, has a huge Italian vibe about it. Especially the interior. Love the colour, doesn't get more 70s. Great review Matt, thanks really enjoyed it!
1974 my dad had 1725 twin carb hunter I loved it was gold colour I was 18 at the time and I used to borrow it I loved the car this was such a pleasure to see this brought back so many happy memories dad bought this car in Arbroath
My dad bought severaln Hillman cars. Minx, Avenger and two Hunters both the GL models. I learned to drive in the second one in a 70's metallic brown. My first car was a rotbox Avenger followed by a hunter from the era before the one on screen. This has brought back many memories, thank you.
If ever there was an under appreciated and underrated British car of the 70s, this is it. They were everywhere back in the day apparently, however by the time I bought mine in 1998 they were almost non-existent even then!
Even my worn out base spec 1500 was a lovely car to drive, I liked it a lot and even bought myself a sceptre estate which interestingly, although far flusher and in better condition I never gelled with. Nowadays they’re very different and a nice classic that’s good value.
i drived about 20 years with this car . we call them peykan in Iran. we loved them and they are lovely.❤🚗❤
Just seen you on itv London one o’clock news mate great advert for your channel
I had a 1970 Firebrand Red 1725 Hunter GL. Loved that car, I went to bed one night and it had rotted completely away by the morning.
Great video, what a lovely car. My parents had a Chrysler Avenger, was a really good car, took all 5 of us camping in the south of France, we were like the Griswolds loaded up inside and with a full length roof rack! Engine did blow up on the way home though, 4 miles from home! The car’s major Achilles heel though, was rust. By 3 years old it already had rot in the doors and at 7 years old had to be scrapped! Yes would like to see more Rootes cars.
Ha - same here. 1978ish, south of France in our dad's Avenger! Our's made it back home with no issues. Great little motor - he sold it before it disintegrated. Happy days.
Did you know about the Avenger Tiger Marcus google is your friend
@@petemayes1940 yes i did! I have a copy of Retro Cars with the Avenger Tiger featured. A great car.
Hey my cars of roots thank you for my past did love my 1969 singer .❤
My first car very good motor vehicle had a lot of memories in the vehicle ,nice to see one still on the road
I grew up on the back seat of a Hilman Hunter in the 80s, like many other Iranians...literally every corner of this car brings back tons of memories...
Fantastic review of such a rare car Matt, a mate back as a 17 year old apprentice in 1966 had a maroon Arrow bodied Singer Vogue in the UK .He had terminal cancer and his parents indulged him with what was such a prestigeous car and totally unaffordable on £6 a week .It is easy to forget just how cars of this standard were just so desirable.
shame
What a fantastic trip down memory lane, there were a few of these in the family back in the 70s and early 80s they were very good cars. Thanks very much indeed for taking us for a drive in one, it's a real eye opener that they weighed so little. A family car coming on at a similar weight to an MR2 from the 90s, it's incredible 👍👍
Nice review. In 1980/82 I owned a white 1968 Hunter 1725 DL then a bronze 1973 Hunter 1725 Super - loved 'em both!
This car is on my list of those I looked at and wish I'd put in the garage years ago.
Well done Matt! Last week you had the Escort similar to the one I passed my test in, today you have a version of the first car I drove once I had passed that test! My Dad had a 1725 DL (not the S) and the evening after the dreaded test I took my then Girlfriend out in Dads car (my car was a few days in the future and a 2CV Dyane....). I must have been alright because that Girlfriend has been my Wife for the best part of 35 years, to this day I 'blame' that evening in the Hunter. Pity the seats didn't fully recline, or is that 'good job' the seats didn't fully recline? Not certain but it was a lovely car to drive and have many happy memories of it. Thanks for this video.
Another classic, you have a wonderful line to these terrific vehicles. Top work Matt!
Hi i had the Hillman Minx before it was called the Hunter it had the same body shape (J reg), it had single round lights at the front, i had a 1725 engine and i went everywhere in it and it had a top speed of over 100mph. I loved this car the only problem on these cars was rust. I wanted the GLS but the insurance for me was high otherwise i would of had one of them, nice to see one on the road. Thanks Paul. I also want to say i had a Hilman Avenger GLS which i also loved and a Hilman Minx series 6 was my first car which was called the Noddy Car.
What a great video, Matt. A real treat to see an English car that I have actually seen and ridden in. My Great-Aunt and Uncle had one as the compact second car for running around in. Uncle Stewart was a Master Stationary Engineer, and bought cars based on the engineering prowess of the designers. It would have been 71 or 72 that my grandmother and I were visiting them. It was badged a Sunbeam, but I can't remember the model name here. It was a medium spec car, but I remember how spritely and nippy it was. Uncle Stewart loved it. The Sunbeam was hopeless as a tow car, though, as they had a large caravan. For that they had a tow package spec Ford Custom 500 with the 400cid engine. What a contrast. The little car was the better appointed, but the lower spec big car was for long trips. I've often thought I would love to drive one now and see how it measures up to the memories of a 10 year old car nut. I suspect, having watched this video, quite well indeed.
My late mum's two brothers ( my uncles) in Wales had a bronze colour 1973 Hillman Hunter GLS, the reg was JDE 71L.
This video brings back memories. My father bought a Hunter estate car brand new back in 1972. At around the same time a family friend was looking for a replacement car and a few months they bought a Hunter GLS, naturally as kids me and my brothers were quite envious of our family friends.
Both my fathers car and our friends were finished in the colour a metallic mustard yellow, which if memory serves me right was known as Aztec Gold.
The GLS was considered a quick car at the time.
That Hunter GLS was a class act in 1973!!
My dad bought a new GLS in 1974 RBO 360M in bronze, the seat belts were inertia reel so I’m not sure if he specified this? He loved racing other cars on the motorway when it was just me and him “they think this is just an ordinary Hunter but it’s not, it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing” as he demolished the competition 🤣. The thing would roar, we both loved it and by the time I was old enough to drive (1978) he gave it to me in an attempt to stop me buying a motorbikes (didn’t work), great car to drive I loved it.
Thanks for uploading
My father in law owned a garage and taught me to drive, I drove whatever had tax and mot in many different cars and Van's. He loaned me a hunter for my driving test having never driven one, the handbrake done me every time in the test, surprisingly I passed first time in it!!
Awesome colour and rareity havent seen a hunter in bout 20 years on the roads cheers for shareing 🖖
I've had a Hunter GT complete cylinder head buried in my garage for decades. Just jogged my memory that I've got it! Its got the manifolds, twin carbs, etc - just needs a rocker cover.
A great review and amazing how many modern features it encompassed, even back then. Yes I have a bit of an affection for Rootes too. They certainly built some good looking dealerships too
I have so many memories of cars of the 70s as a boy I remember seeing many of these less than 10 years old in scrap yards in the early 80s always rusted out no rustproofing much back then.
Thats a great car. One of my relatives (I can't remember who!) owned a Hillman Hunter when I was very small. I remember the rear and tail lights. Nice to see one on the road. Especially in that colour!
My first job after leaving school and working as an apprentice panel beater was to re-shell one of these in 1970! Blimey!
Yeah, I had the GL with overdrive. The switch was a second stalk on the left hand side of the steering column. Happy memories. 😎
Their were many of them in Jamaica. One of my uncles had a Hunter he brought back from England back in the early 1970's. I never liked the frog eyes intrument panel but got use to it and love it now and those door angles often brake off but apart from that, it was a very good car. The last I ever saw running in my town up to ten years ago was a Humber Sceptre. As a sport car they were not that popular in Jamaica as the Hillman Avenger, Ford Cortina and all the Japanese brands over shadowed them. One main thing that will keep them off the street these days is the cost of fuel as those old carburated engine are no match.
In the 70's my dad had 2 brand new Hunters, a Hunter 1500 Super (saloon) and an L reg Hunter GL 1725 Estate. The first being Ziebart'ed and the second protected with Crylaguard. The brochure in 1973 was titled 'The New Refined Hunters'. In that brochure was a gorgeous metallic green Hunter GLs. The GLs was my secret performance car that no other school boy I knew had any clue about - I always noticed them where-ever I went. The neighbour opposite in 1973 also had a brand new Hunter GT 1725 in beige, with the chrome effect wheels with black middle and red dot hub centers (very rare) - which looked magical to me. The 'Rostyles' would have been better but out of our league (we called them GT wheels at the time). I took such an interest in the Hunter wheel designs that I even drew them all in art class at school. Funny how those Hilman's made the garage smell better than new cars do these days (probably not allowed those chemicals any more).
Love the rorty engine note and the styling - inside and out
Great cars, my dad had a Minx back in the late 70's and I had the Sunbeam Rapier version a few years ago.
Fantastic car. My first ever car was a Hunter 1725cc. Mates laughed, as they were driving 'cool' hatchbacks etc. However I had the last laugh when I left them sitting Hahahaha!!!!
Would love to have one again for a weekend car, but they are hard to find now. Thanks for the video, brought back great memories
Unbelievable colour, I cannot believe that is factory, wow!!
Wow that's a gem . I guess it isn't for sale unlike a lot of the cars you feature. thank you very much for this superb edition.
My second car in 1975 was a 1971 "Arrow" Hillman Minx 1500.
Bog standard, rubber flooring and not much else.
No head turner but when I added a Lotus steering wheel and gearknob along with two spotlights, she could really shift! 😂
At the time my work boss brought in a new Hunter 1725 and an Avenger everyone hated them, preferring the older Cortinas.
👍 I'd echo your own sentiment, more Rootes Group cars - yes please! 👍👍
At last, I really do love the whole Hunter range, low and high. The go to cars for farmers in the 70s/80s Ireland. Ours had the rear light covers missing so you would regularly knock a wire or two off. LOL! ........Nice vehicles.
My first car in 1970 was an Imp van. Loads of fun and great for camping expeditions with my mates.
In 1971 I bought a Hunter GT, white, for personal export to South Africa. I had hoped to buy an Avenger but they weren't available for export.
As it turned out the Hunter was a great choice. Quick, tough on dirt roads, and with overdrive which mine had capable of covering 700 miles in a day in relative comfort. Mine came with inertia reel belts and because it was an export model it had opening quarterlights which home market cars didn't get.
Great cars and very much underrated ...
That engine looks fantastic!