The Hillman Imp was produced from 1963 to 1976, the Imp was Hillman’s attempt to produce a car to compeat with the highly successful Mini. The Imp was a huge gamble for for the Rootes Group (the owners of Hillman) as the introduction of the Imp saw the need for a new factory to be built in Scotland and also a huge cost in developing the rear engine car.

Hilman Imp

The Imp featured an 875cc all aluminum engine mounted over the rear wheels. luggage space and the spare wheel were located in the front bonnet and the short rear boot space was reserved for the mechanicals and engine. A unique feature was the rear opening window that perhaps made the Imp into the first hatchback despite there being no room in the back for parcel space.

Around half a millon Imps were sold during it production time, it is suggested that Hillman had anticipated more sales and the Imp saw the down fall of the Rootes Group leading to the sale of the group to Chrysler in 1967.

The Imps were often credited with poor build quality leading to poor sales. The factory was built in Linwood just outside of Glasgow, The UK Goverment gave incentives to large company to build plants in areas of high unemployment. The problems with the Linwood plant was that much of its workforce were unskilled and there were frequent strikes and industrial disputes causing more financal problems for Rootes.

After the 1967 buyout of Rootes by Chrysler many of the Hillman and Sunbeam brands were gradually rebadged as Chryslers except the Imp that continued on untill the end in 1976 as a Hillman. By 1979 Chrysler europe were in so much financial trouble they sold out their entire operations to Peugeot, who in turn closed the former Imp factory in 1981 and renamed all the products as the Talbot brand.