When production ended after 13 years, just 440,000 Imps had been made, few of which survive. There’s also a wide choice of bodystyles with saloon, coupé, Hillman Husky estate and Commer van derivatives all offered, although the latter two are now especially scarce. A mixture of swing axles at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear provide a smooth ride, and 45mpg is easy to achieve even with enthusiastic driving. Handling is brilliant thanks to a low centre of gravity achieved by canting the lightweight all-alloy powerplant over 45 degrees. Where the Mini features a small boot, the Imp’s top-hinged rear window allows it to carry far more than a car of its size should be able to. Not only is the Imp great fun to drive but it’s also eminently practical. It’s a great shame because the Imp is one of the few cars that can truly rival the Mini. That was in 1964 by 1970 just 20,000 Imps were being made annually. But the damage was done buyers stayed away and instead of 150,000 Imps being built each year, production peaked at just 50,000. Other improvements included a stronger clutch, better engine cooling and new suspension geometry. The Imp Mk2 of 1965 fixed things though, so the pneumatic throttle linkage and automatic choke of the Mk1 were swapped for a cable throttle linkage and a conventional manual choke. It didn’t do great things for Hillman, because when it was launched in 1963 it was under-developed, so it suffered from a multitude of problems. Let’s not beat around the bush: the Imp has a reputation for being a dud.
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