Date:         Tue, 10 Sep 2002 22:15:39 +0100
Reply-To:     Anthony Polson <acpolson@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Anthony Polson <acpolson@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Eurovans future (etc...)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi Andrew,

The answer to the Austin A40/Hillman Imp conundrum is as follows:

The early 1960s Austin A40 was the world's first hatchback.  It wasn't just
the rear window that opened, it was a whole rear door.  Or hatch.  Except
that people didn't know the word "hatchback" at that time.

The Hillman Imp was the car with the opening rear window, which gave access
to a small trunk (luggage compartment).  The window had a chromed steel
frame.  The Sunbeam Stiletto, which had sporty "fastback" styling, had a
fixed rear window set at a shallower angle than that of the Hillman Imp.
The Stiletto had twin carbs for a little more power.

There was also a "Hillman Imp Californian" which had the same bodyshell as
the Sunbeam Stiletto but the lower power engine from the standard Imp.  The
previous "Californian" was a high-trim version of the larger Hillman Minx so
the Imp word was included to avoid confusion.  <g>
Like the Stiletto, the Imp Californian had a fixed rear window.

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding - what Chris said on here was
correct.

In the 1980s I was the proud owner of a Ginetta G15 which was a two-seater
sports car with Imp mechanicals.  The engine was stroked to 998cc; this plus
twin carbs and ultra-light GRP body meant that the G15 simply flew!

The Imp/G15 engine was a Coventry Climax design.  This company made racing
car engines as well as some more prosaic products for industry.

By the standard of the 1960s, the Imp engine produced high power for its
875cc capacity.  The engine design was directly descended from a 660cc four
cylinder engine that was originally used in fire pumps.

My family owned Hillmans for many years and I learnt to drive in a 1973
Chrysler Super Imp.  I passed my driving test (in 1974) in a Hillman
Avenger.

The Super Imp was a great car with only one real weakness; the plugs used to
foul after a week's use in stop-start traffic.  Every week, I used to take
the car for a 70mph burn along a local motorway (freeway) and the plugs
would clear within minutes.

By 1974 the Imp's notorious quality control problems had been ironed out.
Our family's Imp was a superbly reliable and economical car.  The early
pneumatic throttle (gas pedal) had been replaced in later versions with a
cable linkage, which worked well, and so did the gearchange (stick shift).

In fact the gearchange was at least as good as that in contemporary Beetles.
  As in the Vanagon, it needed to be kept well lubricated.      (Note
obligatory Vanagon content!)

Best regards,

Tony

1984 Vanagon Reimo

>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Tue, 10 Sep 2002 20:02:36 +1200
>From:    Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
>Subject: Re: Eurovans future (now-vw does not make sportscars)
>
> >You'd better take a look a few pictures, I think your thinking of a
>Hillman
> >Imp or Stiletto (with an 875 all ally OHC engine that would rev to
>stars).
>
>And a trans which would blow as soon as turn over...
>
>------------------------------


_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx