I didn’t realise sleeping in the car was a sales point, but it did happen! My parents had a 1972 yellow Avenger Estate and put a mattress in the back for me and my brother to sleep on driving back from the grandparents. I still remember looking up at the stars through the tailgate window. No seatbelt rules or EHS in the 70s 🤣. Another fab review, thanks 👏
me and a mate slept in the hatch of my dad's SD1 Rover whilst it was parked outside the Hotel that my parents were staying at ! (it was the 70's after all !)
That takes me back !! The sounds - we had a blue Hillman Avenger as our family car in the 70s - my dad was a mechanic and we always had car parts in it ! My father also built rally car Avengers and Sunbeams and used to have the estate decked out for servicing - Great times - Thanks a million Steph
My sister had a saloon in the very same colour in the late seventies. Our neighbour had a proper yellow Avenger Tiger with the boot spoiler and side stripes. Great cars.
What a real gem of a car! It looks like new inside and out and a beautiful colour. Looks like something I'd be very happy driving. Great review Steph, appreciate the historical content and facts you put into your videos.
FWIU the name lasted longer on the Canadian market than the car did. After the British Cricket was dropped in North America, Canadian Chrysler-Plymouth dealers got a new Plymouth Cricket that was a rebadged Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi Colt Galant).
Thanks. You made me realise that I was ripped off when I bought my 1976 1600 DL saloon in 1979. It was an ex sales rep example with 72k mileage and the company selling insisted that they could not let it go for less than £820 so that is what I paid. Great car, which I subsequently spent another £3000 or so on competition parts from Chrysler competition in Coventry and in making into a psudo Avenger Tiger Mk2. It was bored out to 1720cc and balanced, with lightweight competition pistons. Had 1500GT head with its enlarged polished ports. Had 28/36 twin choke downdraft Weber carb from a Cortina 1500GT. 4 to 2 to 1 exhaust. Uprated struts, springs & shocks. Viscose coupled fan. Sparkling ignition system. Replaced front end with four headlight GLS model version. Replaced all interior from the doner Tiger, so cloth trim seat centres with textured vinyl edges and the Tiger rear spoiler fitted. Sports steel spoke steering wheel trimmed with leather. Lucas FM stereo radio cassette player with Aiwa graphic EQ amplifier and 9 pioneer speaker system. Electric aerial, alloys with 185/70 boots. It was 115mph capable with 8.5sec 0-60 with 30+ miles per imp gallon. Happy days! 😂
My sister had an Avenger in the 70s. It was dark bronze colour, and had twin headlights. It was a very reliable comfy car, and she eventually swapped it for a Hillman Hunter. Great cars and of course, a great review from you Steph. That car is such a useful car with so much space. Thanks - take care 🙂 X X
My folks had a turquoise saloon avenger in the 70s. I remember the row of rectangular lights at the top of the dash, the long wave radio, the black vinyl car seats. The seats got so hot on summer days, wearing shorts was not ideal. I liked the look of it. My dad replaced it when I was about 4 and we saw it a few times. Great review of that estate. It looks mint. 👍
My Grandad had a gold K reg Hillman Avenger 1.3 (saloon) ...so although you're reviewing an estate there's enough similarities there to warm my heart ❤️ thanks for this. The gearbox from memory had a great whirring sound
Wow, what fabulous condition the car is in. It seems that even at that time of upheaval they really kept their eye on the ball in terms of functionality. I do miss the bakelite, wood and painted steel of older interiors though. Its great that the owner is keeping its originality. As you say Steph, we are just custodians of these cars.
Thanks for reviewing the Hillman Avenger Estate. I have 2 Avenger estates, and an Avenger van. One of my Estate's has been engine swapped with a Toyota V8, the other I am restoring to stock condition.
@@briforks7681 They only sold the Avenger Van here in New Zealand, they are 4 door and externally identical to the Estate. They are very rare, mine is one of only 3 left in NZ, and since they only made them here, one of only 3 left in the world. A bit more history about the Van, Since NZ is a small country, we were worried about our economy so you could only buy NZ assembled cars, unless you had overseas funds, so all of our cars were assembled here up until the regulations were relaxed in the mid 80's. The Avenger was assembled from CKD (Complete Knockdown Kits) by Todd Motors, they also assembled Mitsubishi, Valiants and other Rootes Group cars in the same factory. The Van variant was to get around another restriction we had here, when you were purchasing a normal car or estate you needed 66% deposit and you only had a year to pay it off, but if it was a light commercial then you only needed 25% deposit and you had 3 years to pay it off. To be classified as a Van you needed to have no back seats, a fixed cargo floor and the rear windows couldn't wind down. So Todd Motors created the Van variant by building a steel frame where the back seats were, and then making a plywood floor for the back, they then fixed the rear windows in place and didn't cut holes for the window winder. In contrast, there are 28 Estates left in NZ. My van is a 1979, and my Avenger Estates are 1979 and 1980, I also have a 1975 Avenger Sedan, there are a little over 250 Sedans left here.
Great video. I love the Estates/Shooting Brakes/Station Wagons, so this one was extra special. I like how you referred to the owner of the car as its custodian; that makes me more thoughtful before modifying my old vehicles.
Great video, thank you. I had a go in one of these in the 80s which by then, the example I drove was 10 years old. Light blue paint, with light blue seats, blue dashbaord, and even blue steering column rotary switches. The 70's, the decade that taste forgot! This example looks much more subtle..😂
Completely agree with your assessment of the Avenger. I hired a saloon back in 1973 to go on a long weekend (I was between cars) and it was a revelation. I later had a Marina and although I am not a Marina hater, the Avenger was, quite simply, different class.
A super video, Steph. Loved the car, and the review. I can completely identify with the sense of being smothered in new cars and love the sense of space in my Mk2 Triumph 👍
Great review...thanks Steph. We never had the Avenger in Australia (last Hillman here was the Australianised Hunter that finished up here about 73). But, my 72 edition of The Observers Book of Automobiles has a new model supplement at the back which includes the new Avenger Estate!
The colour is 'peony'. We had a 79 Talbot badged GLS estate just like this one, with a wood trim roof rack& spot & fog lights, and beige velour seats with orange nylon carpet. I remember cleaning it every Sunday for my Dad for £2, and by Tuesday it was wrecked again! Polished up lovely with wax!
I've always liked the Avenger. In the early 80's, a friend of mine had a metallic bronze green estate with wide steel wheels that were sprayed gold and I was always jealous of it. I'll always remember that car. As always, a great video Steph, that bought back a lot of great memories of my misspent youth.
I loved the early 1970s, it was an exciting time to be in my early teens. Even then I had an eye and appreciation for classics, though not realising that the cars we owned in our family would soon be classics of today. One thing that videos can't evoke. The car aroma of the time. It seems to have all but disappeared in modern vehicles.
My first car was a Talbot Avenger, great car, went and handled alot better than my mates contemporary mk1/2 Escorts. I still own and enjoy the Avenger's sibling, the Sunbeam, in Lotus guise.
I used to have a '78 Chrysler Sunbeam with the same 1600cc engine and 4 Speed transmission. I once drove from the south side of Edinburgh to the midlands in 3 Hours and 15 minutes, I don't think that would still be possible today !
I liked your comment about the steering. Made me think of the floppy steering on the 70s RWD Japanese cars. I do remember owners of Avengers all had stories of going sideways, perhaps the precise steering made one push a little harder and unsettle the live rear axle. I also remember Avenger owners tended to buy another one , one family friend brought one for his wife and liked it so much that he got another for himself. Another family friend rushed to buy one of the last wagons in about 1980. I remember it had an orange dash pad with all styled like that of a Chrysler Alpine.
I can vouch for Avenger owners buying more than 1. I have a 1979 Avenger Estate, 1980 Avenger Estate, 1975 Avenger sedan and a 1979 Avenger Van. And I have a few friends who have multiple Avengers, 3 or 4 seems to be the right amount.
I remember these being launched and my parents considered one to replace their Marina. They went for a Daytona yellow Cortina instead. This one looks fabulous - I love the period accessories too - Embassy No 6 were my grandmother's favourite smoke 😂
This brings back a great memory for me in Canada. I can remember clearly going with my dad to a car delivery yard just outside Montreal in 1974. The yard must have had 50-80 cars, all Plymouth Crickets. He was interested in that car at that time and was considering an estate wagon for the family. There was a lot of advertising buzz at the time about this import, I don't think it lasted unfortunatly
Had one of these (estate in same colour) in the early 90s which I purchased for £25. Brilliant little thing. Although I do remember the wipers flying off during a rain storm on the motorway once. LOL
One of my favourite cars. So nice to drive, and a good sized estate. I had several Avengers, and the early 1500 estate was my favourite. My experience was that the engine was sweeter than the later 1600's, and the build quality was better. The estate was my favourite not just because of its versatility, with an excellent open and flat load space, but also because I think they were more fun to drive than the saloons. I always put it down to the revised rear suspension on the estates, with a Panhard rod locating the axle instead of diagonal upper links on the saloons. So the back end was better behaved, and a really good drive on the winding country roads. I'd happily drive one today!
Memories Steph 😊😊 my mum had an Avenger saloon for a short while Wow never seen one of these estates for years tho I do remember filling them up with petrol as a kid at my dads petrol station ⛽️ Love it 😻
nice colourful film here brightened up this drizzly sunday for me! thanks Steph !! quite charming delicate looking cars these ialways thought. I think many were enjoyed all over uk I feel like I can remember them "everywhere" like every street had one almost
Dad had SDT207L, a red deluxe. Bought it new in 1972. I remember long trips to Scotland from Doncaster, with a sleeping-bag bed made in the loadspace for me and my sister. Once there, up in the Highlands, Dad would let us stand on the metal bumper, hold the roof-track, and ride along the lane hanging on!
Had two. Only problems, had to weld reinforcing plates on the front MacPherson struts and the tailgate Torsion bar always failed. Carried a wooden support for the tailgate in the back. Drove many thousands of miles in both with no problems. Very reliable car and nice to drive. Wish I had one now!
Early 70s I was a manager in a big car hire company. We ran a wide range of cars, one of which was the Avenger. As a manager I could choose any car on my fleet as a personal vehicle, and for me it was the Avenger. Besides its other virtues, for me the seats were the most comfortable on offer - I did high mileages, so that was important! The Avenger was a superb car.
My dad purchased a Hillman Avenger in January 1972. It was a 1250 DL saloon in polar white. DL ( De Luxe)) was the base model and didn't even have carpet! The black plastic seats would always burn my legs during the summer months too. Thank you for a great and comprehensive review of this wonderful survivor. It brings back so many happy memories!
I remember roasted legs in my mum's Mini Clubman Estate. In summer she used to give me a pillowcase to sit on. Shorts were my standard attire between May and the end of September.
Thanks for that nostalgic blast from the past. I owned 2 74 Avenger 1600s and enjoyed them. I agree that an open, airy cabin makes you feel more relaxed as I remember my Talbot Tagora was very relaxing to drive thanks to its deep windscreen, low dashboard and calm, light grey plastics.
In the Netherlands the cars were sold as Sunbeam. In the early years imported by Simca later Chrysler. In that I worked I worked at a carparts wholesaler. Something called Partco and it was full with Quinton Hazell parts. 2 of the sales representavis drove those Sunbeam Avenger Estates. One was the replacement of a Simca 1501 break.
Great video (as always ) Interested to see this as my dad bought new at launch a 1500 “super” saloon automatic in dark green metallic .. I remember his having much more basic spec and earlier dash with “strip” speedo and no heated rear window ! Had it 4 years and passed to my aunt who kept till 78 when she bought a new mk1 Golf “N” 3 dr in yellow from John button autoconti the garage owned by the dad of racing driver Jenson button in Trowbridge wiltshire He later bought a used Chrysler Avenger 1600 GLS auto saloon which I felt lost character with that facelift and the jn fill panel where the hockey stick lights were
Marketed as Sunbeam in Norway, the car actually sold quite well for a number of years. Reappearing as the comprehensively updated Chrysler Avenger late 1976, it looked surprisingly fresh and better than ever. 🙂
When I was a child, I can remember us having the following Rootes Group Cars: Singer Vogue; Humber Sceptre estate and an Avenger estate which had a longitudinal instrument panel
I remember one of my uncles had one of these as a company car for his burglar alarm business in the mid-70s, complete with two way radio! Ah, happy days.
Great review and spot on about the way Avengers drive. So much better than a wandering shuddering Marina, or a bouncing wallowing Cortina! But Rootes pitched it as a utility choice below the aging Hunter and missed the opportunity to capitalize on its superior road manners with upmarket models and bigger engines. They never offered a 2.0 ‘executive’ version, only the Tiger performance version which was probably fun but not a fully resolved mainstream model.
A mate of mine had an early 1500 gl saloon,whilst I had a 1500 allegro, the driving experience was very good in the Avenger and it handled very well,economy was better than you quoted and we often returned 40+mpg on a roads to the coast,it was surprisingly good on the motorway and we regularly travelled at 80mph,well on the speedo anyway, and it would happily cruise along at 70 to 80 mph for miles,wasn't quite as relaxed as my allegro which was 5 speed and twin carb but was an easy car to work on and bits were easy to get either new or more likely from the 4 local scrapyard we had at our disposal. Overall a very pleasant car to drive and the only negatives for me were the none servo front disc brakes and key and choke on the wrong sides! The brakes did work well though you just had to press harder! He did 85000 miles in that Avenger with minimal servicing on to of the 49000 it had covered by its previous and only owner from new who kept it 17 years.
My Father had a dark blue Avenger 1.3 Estate. He had a cover for the load area. He used a dark grey sheet and put press studs along the window sides & seat back. It sagged a bit but was better than all your stuff being visible. He sold it for a Hillman Hunter 1.7 so he could tow our caravan easier.
Thankyou. What a lovely ex ample of a Hillman Avenger and as usual, a warm and nicely researched review. I worked on these in the 1970s and early 80s and the Hillman versions were far better built than the later Linwood built versions sold from 1977. The 69 bhp 1600 was a good seller although I recall that the estate final drive ratio was slightly lower than the saloon? Most Avengers sold to our local customers were De Luxe or Super/GL trim levels and they were well liked and reliable. I owned one of the last Hillman Avengers with GLS trim. Now that was a very complete car. A review of a more upmarket Avenger would be nice…
Another great video Steph, I’m afraid I’ve got bad memories of the Avenger estate it was our last car in my first marriage, my ex wife kept it when we split, anyway I’m much happier now keep up the good work invoking memories good and not so good
When I worked in a Chrysler dealers during the 70's, I remember the Avengers being introduced. They were a refreshing car, easy to work on and enjoyed low warranty claims. I can't believe there are only 6 estates left. The saloon is certainly just as enjoyable to drive and is quieter too.
My dad had exactly the same car, very well built cars, very reliable. my dad had his for roughly 10 years, only given up when he discovered metal fatigue surrounding the clutch cable, to the families being horrified he sent it straight to the scrapyard. being a policeman he had come across hundreds of serious accidents caused by metal fatigue. I could’ve repaired it and kept going for a lot more years, but my dad just would not have it. This has brought back hundreds of memories, including me learning to drive in this car, thank you for my trip and nostalgia. Keep up the good work.
Never thought this would be a classic I’m “old” but these cars were around when I was very very young and frankly don’t know much about them. All I seem to recall is they didn’t have a very good reputation-but how true that is who knows-we now know we can’t always trust reviews. Certainly looks alright and I do like that dashboard. I can’t really remember seeing many of them, but then I wouldn’t because I wasn’t old enough-that said I remember seeing plenty of Ford Escorts mk2 & Cortina mk4s around somewhat later when I was just old enough & when they were being superseded.
My dad worked for Rootes in Coventry & we upgraded from a Hillman Husky (Imp estate) to the Avenger estate. I think he swapped the 1.5 engine out & popped the 1.6 in. Perfect for camping trips for a family of 4. Great to watch the video & see all the switches & rear seat catches I grew up with! Technically, the Avenger was replaced by the Alpine & the Horizon Dodge Omni). The Sunbeam (Imp replacement) also used Avenger doors & parts. The Horizon was replaced by the Peugeot 309, built in Coventry & the car I passed my test in (& the car I drove my new born daughters home in).
Very beautiful Mam. My brother owned a yelloy Avenger. However it had a Peugeot engine. Nonetheless, a beautiful car. Vetri South African Indian 🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏
My very first car was a 1971 Plymouth Cricket It was a sharp red color. Dependability was not its strong point and I only had it for a year, but I still sort of miss it the way you do for your first love
Hi Steph, there was plenty of room under the bonnet of cars until front wheel drive came in. I knew a guy who worked at Linwood, he told me the employees bought a basic model of the car they wanted. Then 'upgraded' it on the night shift, just like Johnny Cash, they got it one piece at a time. Then probably wondered why the place closed.
The Avenger and the Alpine, felt game changing for bread and butter motoring during their debut. I drove an Avenger at drive dad's car back to back with a Viva and and Capri, and I was surprised how effortless it was to drive compared to them.
What a fantastic car! My Dad bought a 1500 Super brand new when the Avenger first came out. Antique Gold with a dark green interior. Alas, the very early cars had a tendency for the separate collar the valve collets sat in to break....! As my Dad used the car daily, he lost patience, traded it in for a Sunbeam Vogue Estate after only a few months. To be fair, Hillman cured the problem, and the Avenger was a good, reliable car. My Dad loved Hillman cars and was gutted when the Hunter was axed. He bought a Cortina, but never really liked it (Sorry, Ford fans!) Hope Tina didn't hear your comments about the Marina! Incidentally, I haven't seen a Marina Estate for years; any out there?? I think they were a good-looking car too. Great video, as always!
That car has a very nice design for an estate. We didn't have Hillmans in Germany. Here we had the Chrysler 180 or 2l. Also cars with a nice shape, but I really can't remember anymore wether they have been sold as estate versions.
What a nice car, nice big engine, plenty of space and excellent visibility together with fun RWD. The 1600 would definitely need a 5th gear. Regarding the all-round drums on the lower spec models it wouldn't put me off at all. Great review as always. Cheers from N.E. Italy, Patrick
I remember when this car was introduced. Literally glued together in certain areas of bodywork assembly. It sold well. When Chrysler took over The Rootes Group, it was the beginning of the end for Humber, Hillman, Sunbeam and Singer. The grand , well-built Humber Super Snipe, Hawk and Imperial were discontinued in 1967 and replaced by an 'Americanised' Chrysler Valiant from Australia. Adieu British quality.
Had an Avenger deluxe Estate. AVW 158L 1248cc Engine - low points clutch outer cable pulled through bulkhead black vynyl seats searing on hols in summer ! Coil inner insulation failed brake light switch under foot pedal failed the rear tailgate fell down on opening as one of the Torsion bars snapped ! Yes all sounds horrendous but fixable fora 1973 car also fitted a Holts twin check gauges between transmission tunnel & bottom of dash Seatbelts were static and hooked in place ( not retracting ) front valance suffered with rot but took us from Essex to Cornwall many times - Memories 😀🇬🇧🔥🔥🔥
One of the last times I saw an Avenger was in my days at Salford Uni, around 1975. An Avenger saloon, less than a year old, tried to tailgate another car which had used a pass to exit the Uni car park, in order to escape paying the fee. What a mistake. The bollard came up from underneath at the gate, resulting in the prop shaft snapping off. We students, having finished studies for the day, watched as the owner and his passenger pushed the car out of the way to allow others to exit the car park. When I exited in my D Reg Mk 2 Cortina, by then almost 9 years old, I used my pass to raise the barrier, in order not to repeat the previous mistake. A notice was later put up warning as to the dangers of tailgaiting.
They are a brilliant car and had the privilege of driving one the same as the one your in many years ago moving someone's possessions from matlock to eastyorkshire. My old friend from years ago had an estate one and then a salon that was am automatic.
There were a couple of Avengers in my family. My grandfather had a Hillman Avenger saloon and a few years later my aunt had a Chrysler/Talbot Avenger (i think it carried both badges).
Rented one in London back in the late 70s, despite asking for a dark colour (it was for a funeral in Cambridge) I got a canary yellow one (' that's all we got, guv'). Still, the dearly departed might have been amused at her hearse, the line of black cars following and the yellow Avenger at the rear! Nearly ended up at my own funeral as it rotated 180 degrees on ice on the A10...
It'd be cool to see an "I drive a classic" week away in a period camper van, or car and camper combo. You could break it up into a series. Especially if you were going to some retro events. Or just having a busman's holiday.
Canadian here, in 1972, my Dad rented one for our vacation in England for 3 weeks! Canada got the Plymouth cricket
I didn’t realise sleeping in the car was a sales point, but it did happen! My parents had a 1972 yellow Avenger Estate and put a mattress in the back for me and my brother to sleep on driving back from the grandparents. I still remember looking up at the stars through the tailgate window. No seatbelt rules or EHS in the 70s 🤣. Another fab review, thanks 👏
@briankent3368 not sure if I slept in mine as such, certainly gained a good bit of 'carnival knowledge' though 😉😂
Me and my brother did similar though it was an old Maxi my dad had.
me and a mate slept in the hatch of my dad's SD1 Rover whilst it was parked outside the Hotel that my parents were staying at ! (it was the 70's after all !)
This was the very first car I was ever in back in 1978. Driven home from the hospital after being born.
That takes me back !! The sounds - we had a blue Hillman Avenger as our family car in the 70s - my dad was a mechanic and we always had car parts in it ! My father also built rally car Avengers and Sunbeams and used to have the estate decked out for servicing - Great times - Thanks a million Steph
My sister had a saloon in the very same colour in the late seventies. Our neighbour had a proper yellow Avenger Tiger with the boot spoiler and side stripes.
Great cars.
Always liked the Avenger,and the estate ,the most practical.
What a real gem of a car! It looks like new inside and out and a beautiful colour. Looks like something I'd be very happy driving. Great review Steph, appreciate the historical content and facts you put into your videos.
FWIU the name lasted longer on the Canadian market than the car did. After the British Cricket was dropped in North America, Canadian Chrysler-Plymouth dealers got a new Plymouth Cricket that was a rebadged Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi Colt Galant).
My first car was a Hillman Avenger, loved it was a fun car for sure :)
Thanks. You made me realise that I was ripped off when I bought my 1976 1600 DL saloon in 1979. It was an ex sales rep example with 72k mileage and the company selling insisted that they could not let it go for less than £820 so that is what I paid. Great car, which I subsequently spent another £3000 or so on competition parts from Chrysler competition in Coventry and in making into a psudo Avenger Tiger Mk2. It was bored out to 1720cc and balanced, with lightweight competition pistons. Had 1500GT head with its enlarged polished ports. Had 28/36 twin choke downdraft Weber carb from a Cortina 1500GT. 4 to 2 to 1 exhaust. Uprated struts, springs & shocks. Viscose coupled fan. Sparkling ignition system. Replaced front end with four headlight GLS model version. Replaced all interior from the doner Tiger, so cloth trim seat centres with textured vinyl edges and the Tiger rear spoiler fitted. Sports steel spoke steering wheel trimmed with leather. Lucas FM stereo radio cassette player with Aiwa graphic EQ amplifier and 9 pioneer speaker system. Electric aerial, alloys with 185/70 boots. It was 115mph capable with 8.5sec 0-60 with 30+ miles per imp gallon. Happy days! 😂
My sister had an Avenger in the 70s. It was dark bronze colour, and had twin headlights. It was a very reliable comfy car, and she eventually swapped it for a Hillman Hunter. Great cars and of course, a great review from you Steph. That car is such a useful car with so much space. Thanks - take care 🙂 X X
I absolutely love an estate so this is right up my street. Lovely condition and so much space
My folks had a turquoise saloon avenger in the 70s. I remember the row of rectangular lights at the top of the dash, the long wave radio, the black vinyl car seats. The seats got so hot on summer days, wearing shorts was not ideal. I liked the look of it. My dad replaced it when I was about 4 and we saw it a few times. Great review of that estate. It looks mint. 👍
My Grandad had a gold K reg Hillman Avenger 1.3 (saloon) ...so although you're reviewing an estate there's enough similarities there to warm my heart ❤️ thanks for this. The gearbox from memory had a great whirring sound
Wow, what fabulous condition the car is in. It seems that even at that time of upheaval they really kept their eye on the ball in terms of functionality. I do miss the bakelite, wood and painted steel of older interiors though. Its great that the owner is keeping its originality. As you say Steph, we are just custodians of these cars.
Wow great Vid. Love the Avenger, my friend bought a new one in the 70's, saloon. Metallic light green, light vream interior, loved it. Thanks Lady xx
Thanks for reviewing the Hillman Avenger Estate. I have 2 Avenger estates, and an Avenger van. One of my Estate's has been engine swapped with a Toyota V8, the other I am restoring to stock condition.
I don't recall ever seeing an avenger van.They must be very rare is it 2 door?
@@briforks7681 They only sold the Avenger Van here in New Zealand, they are 4 door and externally identical to the Estate. They are very rare, mine is one of only 3 left in NZ, and since they only made them here, one of only 3 left in the world. A bit more history about the Van, Since NZ is a small country, we were worried about our economy so you could only buy NZ assembled cars, unless you had overseas funds, so all of our cars were assembled here up until the regulations were relaxed in the mid 80's. The Avenger was assembled from CKD (Complete Knockdown Kits) by Todd Motors, they also assembled Mitsubishi, Valiants and other Rootes Group cars in the same factory. The Van variant was to get around another restriction we had here, when you were purchasing a normal car or estate you needed 66% deposit and you only had a year to pay it off, but if it was a light commercial then you only needed 25% deposit and you had 3 years to pay it off. To be classified as a Van you needed to have no back seats, a fixed cargo floor and the rear windows couldn't wind down. So Todd Motors created the Van variant by building a steel frame where the back seats were, and then making a plywood floor for the back, they then fixed the rear windows in place and didn't cut holes for the window winder. In contrast, there are 28 Estates left in NZ. My van is a 1979, and my Avenger Estates are 1979 and 1980, I also have a 1975 Avenger Sedan, there are a little over 250 Sedans left here.
Wow that's a blast from the past great vid Steph 👍👍
We had a red 1978 Avenger estate auto. Certainly a roomy car!! This video is bringing back memories Steph, thank you!
Great video. I love the Estates/Shooting Brakes/Station Wagons, so this one was extra special. I like how you referred to the owner of the car as its custodian; that makes me more thoughtful before modifying my old vehicles.
Thanks for the memory my dad had a avenger in 1979 I forgot how cool they looked and the smell of the dashboard! YOU DESERVE MORE THUMBS UP!😎
I remember the roof lining, off-white with little black dots, you could go cross-eyed and make it look 3D 🙂
Great video, thank you. I had a go in one of these in the 80s which by then, the example I drove was 10 years old. Light blue paint, with light blue seats, blue dashbaord, and even blue steering column rotary switches. The 70's, the decade that taste forgot! This example looks much more subtle..😂
I drove a Hillman Avenger Estate in yellow when I worked for BT, registration MTX 86P..
It made a vast improvement to driving a Bedford HA.
....but the Bedford Beagle was a great little van!!
The BT ones were dreadfully underpowered.
@@ladyconstanceOBEthe BT ha vans were deliberately detuned for economy. I had an ex BT ha that had the restriction removed and it went ok.
Completely agree with your assessment of the Avenger. I hired a saloon back in 1973 to go on a long weekend (I was between cars) and it was a revelation. I later had a Marina and although I am not a Marina hater, the Avenger was, quite simply, different class.
Great video and what a beautiful example, one on the few 1970s cars without side air vents.
I worked in Linwood building the facelift Avengers and Sunbeams. Great video, Steff!
I’m watching this from Mallorca on my holidays Steph, I saw out on the road over in Mallorca a Chrysler 2000 the Avenger’s big brother
A super video, Steph. Loved the car, and the review. I can completely identify with the sense of being smothered in new cars and love the sense of space in my Mk2 Triumph 👍
Your videos are relaxing, well written, and very enjoyable.
Great review...thanks Steph. We never had the Avenger in Australia (last Hillman here was the Australianised Hunter that finished up here about 73). But, my 72 edition of The Observers Book of Automobiles has a new model supplement at the back which includes the new Avenger Estate!
Great presentation. Steph seemed to be in a fantastic good mood while talking us through the features of the Avenger. I really enjoyed that.
I owned a 1500 GLS Avenger in 1980,I loved that old car ,That old car loved me,
The colour is 'peony'. We had a 79 Talbot badged GLS estate just like this one, with a wood trim roof rack& spot & fog lights, and beige velour seats with orange nylon carpet. I remember cleaning it every Sunday for my Dad for £2, and by Tuesday it was wrecked again! Polished up lovely with wax!
This estate is actually Imperial Red and is a solid colour, not metallic. Peony was a later metallic red from about 1976 t0 1978.
I've always liked the Avenger. In the early 80's, a friend of mine had a metallic bronze green estate with wide steel wheels that were sprayed gold and I was always jealous of it. I'll always remember that car.
As always, a great video Steph, that bought back a lot of great memories of my misspent youth.
I loved the early 1970s, it was an exciting time to be in my early teens. Even then I had an eye and appreciation for classics, though not realising that the cars we owned in our family would soon be classics of today. One thing that videos can't evoke. The car aroma of the time. It seems to have all but disappeared in modern vehicles.
My first car was a Talbot Avenger, great car, went and handled alot better than my mates contemporary mk1/2 Escorts. I still own and enjoy the Avenger's sibling, the Sunbeam, in Lotus guise.
ONSLOW's car stuck in the yard? "Television ~ Keeping up Appearances" OHHHH Nice!
I remember DER TV rentals using them defenatly a match for the escort and marina estates
I used to have a '78 Chrysler Sunbeam with the same 1600cc engine and 4 Speed transmission.
I once drove from the south side of Edinburgh to the midlands in 3 Hours and 15 minutes, I don't think that would still be possible today !
I liked your comment about the steering. Made me think of the floppy steering on the 70s RWD Japanese cars.
I do remember owners of Avengers all had stories of going sideways, perhaps the precise steering made one push a little harder and unsettle the live rear axle.
I also remember Avenger owners tended to buy another one , one family friend brought one for his wife and liked it so much that he got another for himself.
Another family friend rushed to buy one of the last wagons in about 1980. I remember it had an orange dash pad with all styled like that of a Chrysler Alpine.
I can vouch for Avenger owners buying more than 1. I have a 1979 Avenger Estate, 1980 Avenger Estate, 1975 Avenger sedan and a 1979 Avenger Van. And I have a few friends who have multiple Avengers, 3 or 4 seems to be the right amount.
I remember these being launched and my parents considered one to replace their Marina. They went for a Daytona yellow Cortina instead. This one looks fabulous - I love the period accessories too - Embassy No 6 were my grandmother's favourite smoke 😂
This brings back a great memory for me in Canada. I can remember clearly going with my dad to a car delivery yard just outside Montreal in 1974. The yard must have had 50-80 cars, all Plymouth Crickets. He was interested in that car at that time and was considering an estate wagon for the family. There was a lot of advertising buzz at the time about this import, I don't think it lasted unfortunatly
Had one of these (estate in same colour) in the early 90s which I purchased for £25. Brilliant little thing. Although I do remember the wipers flying off during a rain storm on the motorway once. LOL
Excellent video Steph! Yes such a great all round car, especially the estate. Wiper and light controls are some of the best I've seen!
One of my favourite cars. So nice to drive, and a good sized estate. I had several Avengers, and the early 1500 estate was my favourite. My experience was that the engine was sweeter than the later 1600's, and the build quality was better. The estate was my favourite not just because of its versatility, with an excellent open and flat load space, but also because I think they were more fun to drive than the saloons. I always put it down to the revised rear suspension on the estates, with a Panhard rod locating the axle instead of diagonal upper links on the saloons. So the back end was better behaved, and a really good drive on the winding country roads. I'd happily drive one today!
Memories Steph 😊😊 my mum had an Avenger saloon for a short while
Wow never seen one of these estates for years tho I do remember filling them up with petrol as a kid at my dads petrol station ⛽️
Love it 😻
nice colourful film here brightened up this drizzly sunday for me! thanks Steph !! quite charming delicate looking cars these ialways thought. I think many were enjoyed all over uk I feel like I can remember them "everywhere" like every street had one almost
My Dad had two and enjoyed them both. We had Avenger saloons at work and they were reliable, strong workhorses.
Dad had SDT207L, a red deluxe. Bought it new in 1972. I remember long trips to Scotland from Doncaster, with a sleeping-bag bed made in the loadspace for me and my sister.
Once there, up in the Highlands, Dad would let us stand on the metal bumper, hold the roof-track, and ride along the lane hanging on!
Wow Steph that car is a blast from the past! A beauty though 😊
Had two. Only problems, had to weld reinforcing plates on the front MacPherson struts and the tailgate Torsion bar always failed. Carried a wooden support for the tailgate in the back. Drove many thousands of miles in both with no problems. Very reliable car and nice to drive. Wish I had one now!
Early 70s I was a manager in a big car hire company. We ran a wide range of cars, one of which was the Avenger. As a manager I could choose any car on my fleet as a personal vehicle, and for me it was the Avenger. Besides its other virtues, for me the seats were the most comfortable on offer - I did high mileages, so that was important! The Avenger was a superb car.
My dad purchased a Hillman Avenger in January 1972. It was a 1250 DL saloon in polar white. DL ( De Luxe)) was the base model and didn't even have carpet! The black plastic seats would always burn my legs during the summer months too. Thank you for a great and comprehensive review of this wonderful survivor. It brings back so many happy memories!
I remember roasted legs in my mum's Mini Clubman Estate. In summer she used to give me a pillowcase to sit on. Shorts were my standard attire between May and the end of September.
I loved all the avengers I've owned, very easy car to drive and work on, I'd love one now.
Thanks for that nostalgic blast from the past. I owned 2 74 Avenger 1600s and enjoyed them. I agree that an open, airy cabin makes you feel more relaxed as I remember my Talbot Tagora was very relaxing to drive thanks to its deep windscreen, low dashboard and calm, light grey plastics.
In the Netherlands the cars were sold as Sunbeam.
In the early years imported by Simca later Chrysler.
In that I worked I worked at a carparts wholesaler.
Something called Partco and it was
full with Quinton Hazell parts.
2 of the sales representavis drove those Sunbeam Avenger Estates.
One was the replacement of a Simca 1501 break.
Number 6 cig packet, nice touch. 😂 my gran smoked those.
Love it! Very stylish, keep up the great work Steph!!
To the idiot in the red Mini, no you definitely didn't look cool, Steph looked way cooler driving safely in the classic Hillman
Looks far more cooler than that Mini "clubman" monstrosity
Great video (as always )
Interested to see this as my dad bought new at launch a 1500 “super” saloon automatic in dark green metallic .. I remember his having much more basic spec and earlier dash with “strip” speedo and no heated rear window ! Had it 4 years and passed to my aunt who kept till 78 when she bought a new mk1 Golf “N” 3 dr in yellow from John button autoconti the garage owned by the dad of racing driver Jenson button in Trowbridge wiltshire
He later bought a used Chrysler Avenger 1600 GLS auto saloon which I felt lost character with that facelift and the jn fill panel where the hockey stick lights were
Marketed as Sunbeam in Norway, the car actually sold quite well for a number of years.
Reappearing as the comprehensively updated Chrysler Avenger late 1976, it looked surprisingly fresh and better than ever. 🙂
When I was a child, I can remember us having the following Rootes Group Cars: Singer Vogue; Humber Sceptre estate and an Avenger estate which had a longitudinal instrument panel
I remember one of my uncles had one of these as a company car for his burglar alarm business in the mid-70s, complete with two way radio! Ah, happy days.
Great review and spot on about the way Avengers drive. So much better than a wandering shuddering Marina, or a bouncing wallowing Cortina! But Rootes pitched it as a utility choice below the aging Hunter and missed the opportunity to capitalize on its superior road manners with upmarket models and bigger engines. They never offered a 2.0 ‘executive’ version, only the Tiger performance version which was probably fun but not a fully resolved mainstream model.
A mate of mine had an early 1500 gl saloon,whilst I had a 1500 allegro, the driving experience was very good in the Avenger and it handled very well,economy was better than you quoted and we often returned 40+mpg on a roads to the coast,it was surprisingly good on the motorway and we regularly travelled at 80mph,well on the speedo anyway, and it would happily cruise along at 70 to 80 mph for miles,wasn't quite as relaxed as my allegro which was 5 speed and twin carb but was an easy car to work on and bits were easy to get either new or more likely from the 4 local scrapyard we had at our disposal. Overall a very pleasant car to drive and the only negatives for me were the none servo front disc brakes and key and choke on the wrong sides! The brakes did work well though you just had to press harder! He did 85000 miles in that Avenger with minimal servicing on to of the 49000 it had covered by its previous and only owner from new who kept it 17 years.
My Father had a dark blue Avenger 1.3 Estate. He had a cover for the load area. He used a dark grey sheet and put press studs along the window sides & seat back. It sagged a bit but was better than all your stuff being visible. He sold it for a Hillman Hunter 1.7 so he could tow our caravan easier.
Thankyou. What a lovely ex ample of a Hillman Avenger and as usual, a warm and nicely researched review. I worked on these in the 1970s and early 80s and the Hillman versions were far better built than the later Linwood built versions sold from 1977. The 69 bhp 1600 was a good seller although I recall that the estate final drive ratio was slightly lower than the saloon? Most Avengers sold to our local customers were De Luxe or Super/GL trim levels and they were well liked and reliable. I owned one of the last Hillman Avengers with GLS trim. Now that was a very complete car. A review of a more upmarket Avenger would be nice…
Another great video Steph, I’m afraid I’ve got bad memories of the Avenger estate it was our last car in my first marriage, my ex wife kept it when we split, anyway I’m much happier now keep up the good work invoking memories good and not so good
I had 2 1300 DLs. I loved my Avengers, and I would dearly love another one.
When I worked in a Chrysler dealers during the 70's, I remember the Avengers being introduced. They were a refreshing car, easy to work on and enjoyed low warranty claims. I can't believe there are only 6 estates left. The saloon is certainly just as enjoyable to drive and is quieter too.
The Marina's main rival, or one of them. Thanks for featuring this!
Completely agree that they feel modern, I drove a saloon version last year and it was superb.
Awesome Steph, thanks for sharing. 😊👍
Gorgeous car, and your reviews are some of the most interesting, and best on YT. Keep it up!
Took my driving test in a hillman avenger estate in 1977 and passed great car
My dad had exactly the same car, very well built cars, very reliable. my dad had his for roughly 10 years, only given up when he discovered metal fatigue surrounding the clutch cable, to the families being horrified he sent it straight to the scrapyard. being a policeman he had come across hundreds of serious accidents caused by metal fatigue. I could’ve repaired it and kept going for a lot more years, but my dad just would not have it. This has brought back hundreds of memories, including me learning to drive in this car, thank you for my trip and nostalgia. Keep up the good work.
That's a common fault on Avengers, all 4 of my Avengers had that problem. I normally weld in a big reinforcement plate so it doesn't happen again.
Never thought this would be a classic
I’m “old” but these cars were around when I was very very young and frankly don’t know much about them. All I seem to recall is they didn’t have a very good reputation-but how true that is who knows-we now know we can’t always trust reviews.
Certainly looks alright and I do like that dashboard. I can’t really remember seeing many of them, but then I wouldn’t because I wasn’t old enough-that said I remember seeing plenty of Ford Escorts mk2 & Cortina mk4s around somewhat later when I was just old enough & when they were being superseded.
Another fantastic video Steph
My dad worked for Rootes in Coventry & we upgraded from a Hillman Husky (Imp estate) to the Avenger estate. I think he swapped the 1.5 engine out & popped the 1.6 in. Perfect for camping trips for a family of 4. Great to watch the video & see all the switches & rear seat catches I grew up with! Technically, the Avenger was replaced by the Alpine & the Horizon Dodge Omni). The Sunbeam (Imp replacement) also used Avenger doors & parts. The Horizon was replaced by the Peugeot 309, built in Coventry & the car I passed my test in (& the car I drove my new born daughters home in).
Very beautiful Mam. My brother owned a yelloy Avenger. However it had a Peugeot engine. Nonetheless, a beautiful car. Vetri South African Indian 🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏
The Talbot Avenger was my dad's first car in the early to mid 1980's 🙂
My very first car was a 1971 Plymouth Cricket It was a sharp red color. Dependability was not its strong point and I only had it for a year, but I still sort of miss it the way you do for your first love
I do like that. I agree with the appealing sense of spaciousness.
Hi Steph, there was plenty of room under the bonnet of cars until front wheel drive came in. I knew a guy who worked at Linwood, he told me the employees bought a basic model of the car they wanted. Then 'upgraded' it on the night shift, just like Johnny Cash, they got it one piece at a time. Then probably wondered why the place closed.
The Avenger and the Alpine, felt game changing for bread and butter motoring during their debut. I drove an Avenger at drive dad's car back to back with a Viva and and Capri, and I was surprised how effortless it was to drive compared to them.
What a fantastic car! My Dad bought a 1500 Super brand new when the Avenger first came out. Antique Gold with a dark green interior. Alas, the very early cars had a tendency for the separate collar the valve collets sat in to break....! As my Dad used the car daily, he lost patience, traded it in for a Sunbeam Vogue Estate after only a few months. To be fair, Hillman cured the problem, and the Avenger was a good, reliable car. My Dad loved Hillman cars and was gutted when the Hunter was axed. He bought a Cortina, but never really liked it (Sorry, Ford fans!) Hope Tina didn't hear your comments about the Marina! Incidentally, I haven't seen a Marina Estate for years; any out there?? I think they were a good-looking car too. Great video, as always!
The car I passed my test in. Same year, colour and engine! Great car!👍 must have been lower model with that as less dials and they had pointy glass!
That car has a very nice design for an estate. We didn't have Hillmans in Germany. Here we had the Chrysler 180 or 2l. Also cars with a nice shape, but I really can't remember anymore wether they have been sold as estate versions.
One of my neighbours had one ,when i was growing up it was dark green , great review Lv Patrick
What a nice car, nice big engine, plenty of space and excellent visibility together with fun RWD. The 1600 would definitely need a 5th gear. Regarding the all-round drums on the lower spec models it wouldn't put me off at all.
Great review as always.
Cheers from N.E. Italy, Patrick
I remember when this car was introduced. Literally glued together in certain areas of bodywork assembly. It sold well. When Chrysler took over The Rootes Group, it was the beginning of the end for Humber, Hillman, Sunbeam and Singer. The grand , well-built Humber Super Snipe, Hawk and Imperial were discontinued in 1967 and replaced by an 'Americanised' Chrysler Valiant from Australia. Adieu British quality.
Had an Avenger deluxe Estate. AVW 158L 1248cc Engine - low points clutch outer cable pulled through bulkhead black vynyl seats searing on hols in summer ! Coil inner insulation failed brake light switch under foot pedal failed the rear tailgate fell down on opening as one of the Torsion bars snapped ! Yes all sounds horrendous but fixable fora 1973 car also fitted a Holts twin check gauges between transmission tunnel & bottom of dash Seatbelts were static and hooked in place ( not retracting ) front valance suffered with rot but took us from Essex to Cornwall many times - Memories 😀🇬🇧🔥🔥🔥
Beautiful car. Great video
Great video Steph! Takes me back to my dad's 1st car in 78...a gold Hillman Hunter Estate. Was that before this model I wonder?
The Hunter came out before the Avenger but they were sold alongside each other.
One of the last times I saw an Avenger was in my days at Salford Uni, around 1975. An Avenger saloon, less than a year old, tried to tailgate another car which had used a pass to exit the Uni car park, in order to escape paying the fee. What a mistake. The bollard came up from underneath at the gate, resulting in the prop shaft snapping off. We students, having finished studies for the day, watched as the owner and his passenger pushed the car out of the way to allow others to exit the car park. When I exited in my D Reg Mk 2 Cortina, by then almost 9 years old, I used my pass to raise the barrier, in order not to repeat the previous mistake. A notice was later put up warning as to the dangers of tailgaiting.
They are a brilliant car and had the privilege of driving one the same as the one your in many years ago moving someone's possessions from matlock to eastyorkshire. My old friend from years ago had an estate one and then a salon that was am automatic.
yes they were superior to the equivalents, had a saloon, lovely car to drive, easy to work on and didn't rot like the fords
There were a couple of Avengers in my family. My grandfather had a Hillman Avenger saloon and a few years later my aunt had a Chrysler/Talbot Avenger (i think it carried both badges).
Your right Steph, I haven't seen one of these ever, an impressive car.
Rented one in London back in the late 70s, despite asking for a dark colour (it was for a funeral in Cambridge) I got a canary yellow one (' that's all we got, guv'). Still, the dearly departed might have been amused at her hearse, the line of black cars following and the yellow Avenger at the rear! Nearly ended up at my own funeral as it rotated 180 degrees on ice on the A10...
It'd be cool to see an "I drive a classic" week away in a period camper van, or car and camper combo. You could break it up into a series. Especially if you were going to some retro events. Or just having a busman's holiday.