Beschreibung
WELL, well. Look what has popped out of the cavern of cool cars that is Martin Howey Classics (Est. 25 years). Yes, it is a 1974 Hillman Avenger 1300 DL.
I have always had a real soft spot for the Avenger. I would have been 15-years-old when the model was launched in 1969 and I thought it was a super, trendy looking family saloon. And those "hockey stick" rear lights really did it for me. They still do.
The Avenger kind of died a slow death as I seem to remember. It was a good, attractive, reliable, affordable car. But, like so many other makes and models in the early 70s, they tended to..... well, how shall we put it. How about fall apart!
So many found their way from the manufacturer to companies where Reps (remember that word) drove them into the ground. The poor things - that's the Avengers and not the Reps - probably had a four or five-year lifespan.
Ten years or so ago, you would still see a few advertised ranging from the grotty to the glorious. But, since then, they have gone up in a puff of smoke. Vanished. Those who own good ones are obviously hanging onto them as you just don't see them cropping up any more in the classic car market place.
Well, here's one for you. One family owned until this year (48 years of ownership) and reported to have been dry stored for quute some time until around six months ago. Incredibly original (I have never owned one so un-molested) with low miles of 37, 000 which is very probably correct - or at least very close to being correct as the speedo and odometer are not currently working. But you can tell. You can tell from the interior, the seats, the headlining. You can tell from the factory folds on the car's panel work. And also from nuts and bolts and bits and pieces that were coloured with blue sealer at new to mark them down as being factory original. You will find that in such places as beneath the rubber covers on the suspension turrets and behind the horn push on the steering wheel.
A super engine bay and boot, both untouched. The underside looks like it has never seen welding. The floor pans are in original blue body colour. The car drives like a one-year-old car and pulls exactly as I remember them back in the 70s, first time around.
In my opinion, the bulk of the car's paintwork is the original and thus there are some very small cosmetic bits here and there. Personally, I would leave well alone. I would say that the nearside rear pillar behind the back door has seen some sport of blow-in but a weekend of buffing and polishing this old girl would be a labour of love. All in all, it's about as original as you are going to get I would suggest.
This description is based on my opinion of the vehicle, the paperwork that comes with the car and anything I have been told about it. The vehicle is 49-years-old and this cannot be taken as a definitive statement for obvious reasons. As with most classic cars, there may be faults and quirks whilst, almost inevitably, some degree of tinkering and care will always be called for. Such are the joys of owning an antique vehicle and they must be taken within their own context and not compared to modern day cars. They are sold as old, mainly out-dated machines and come without any comeback whatsoever. They are my terms and conditions.
My classic cars are motoring antiques. This car, for example, is 49-years-old. It's not two, five or even ten-years-old as your own everyday car may be. It has been in service for more than half a century and so will have quirks and faults in there somewhere. However, faults on these old girls are not always apparent when buying and selling classics which is what I do. I do not restore them, nor do I pretend that they are concours cars. The majority of them go out as they came in, and I continue to enjoy finding more - a skill which is becoming increasingly difficult as many of you will be aware. They deserve to be taken on as "family pets" and cared for through thick and then. They don't make them any more and demand now out-strips supply. Please bear all this in mind, and enjoy your classic car. I can also assist with delivery and so please ask for a quote.
I have now been established as a one-man band classic car dealer for 25 years and pride myself on my buying prowess and - due to small margins - my prices which I firmly believe are up there among the very best in the UK classic car marketplace.
Thanks, Martin. the details below.
