Following on from their father’s successful car sales business, the Rootes brothers, William and Reginald went on to buy well-known British motor manufacturers such as Hillman, Humber, Singer and others and had manufacturing plants in the midlands, Southern England and in nine other countries.
However, by the 1960’s, the Rootes Group finances were not in great shape due to failed car design projects, the lack of sales success of the new Hillman Imp and the huge investment in their new Linwood plant in Scotland. As a consequence Rootes Motors was taken over in stages by the Chrysler Corporation from 1964.
Introduced in 1966, the contemporary looking Hillman Hunter (part of the ‘Arrow’ family of badge-led cars) designed by Rex Fleming, represented a new era of Rootes inspired cars and was, at last, funded well by Chrysler’s investment. It competed squarely with the likes of the Ford Cortina MkII and Vauxhall Viva HB. The flagship GLS, featuring the Holbay performance engine, was made between 1972-1976 and combined the best features of the GL and GT versions.
First registered on the 10th July 1974, little is currently known about the history of this GLS. The previous owner lived in the Ipswich area, and Looking at previous receipts for parts during 2018/19, certainly appears to have carried out a fair amount of maintenance on this Hunter.
The current owner purchased it in March 2021 and has also continued the improvements which have included an interior refresh and five new tyres, along with routine servicing. Although not confirmed, the current owner believes that a body restoration and re-paint may have been carried out around five years ago.
The V5 is present along with the current MOT ‘Pass’ certificate which shows no advisories and expires on the 2nd August 2022. The tax expires on the 1st March 2022.
A neat ring binder file of parts and servicing receipts going back to 2018 indicates that this GLS has been mechanically well maintained and indeed suggests that some engine work has been done, but this is uncorroborated.
The Chrysler I.D. the plate is attached at the front of the engine bay.
The spacious and airy interior is what you would expect from a 1970’s styled vehicle and looks very original and unmolested. The black steering wheel and deep-hooded plastic dash looks spotless and without signs of sun damage or unsightly alterations.
The green and brown tones of the upholstery and door cards are in keeping and are also in excellent condition and set off nicely with new ‘champagne’ carpeting purchased in March 2021 from Coverdale (UK) Limited. Wood dash fascias and door capping add a touch of class, and despite a few varnish cracks, are fine. The roof lining has some mottling around the edges and a small tear at the rear.
We are reminded that this GLS is indeed the ‘sporty’ model with the rev-counter up front and a comprehensive set of angled water, fuel, oil and ammeter gauges in the centre. The climate controls and light switches, etc., all fall easily to hand and the owner informs us that they operate as they should. The quarter lights, window and door handles are in good condition and do their job well too. The boot is tidy, appears solid and holds a new spare tyre and is finished off with a new mat.
Having been restored in the past, the metallic green paintwork still retains a deep shine and is very presentable, but there are signs of some bubbling and a few scrapes and stone chips evident around the whole car, the most obvious being on the nearside front wing (see photo). However, structurally speaking, this Hunter appears reassuringly sound, having recently passed it’s MOT.
The wheel arches look solid, and although not perfect, the sills, front and rear valences are straight and have had stone chip paint applied.
The chrome is by and large good along with the rubbers, glass, quad headlights and plastic light covers (although the nearside front side light does have a crack). The black leather-grained vinyl roof is tip-top.
Original to the GLS, the Rostyle wheels look as though they have been recently re-painted in the correct silver/black combination and are shod with new 165HR13 Dunlop Aquajet tyres purchased from Vintage Tyres in April 2021 at a cost of £744.00 for all five.
The underneath is clean and undersealed and it appears that the front subframe/suspension may have been replaced fairly recently.KDP-014.jpg6.93 MB
THE MECHANICS
Lifting the bonnet reveals the all important Holbay rocker cover sitting on the H120 1725 OHV four cylinder engine with the correct twin Weber 40DCOE carburettors. It should put out around 100 bhp and cover 0-60 in just over 10 seconds and, although not confirmed by the current owner, the original Holbay engine specification should include a hotter cam, higher compression pistons and the back axle should have a ratio of 3.89:1 with a Laycock J-type overdrive.
Showing 70,000 miles, this engine appears to have had some attention in the last few years judging by receipts for parts supplied during 2018/19 (see photos). It is currently unclear exactly what work has been done, but Scholar Engines Limited appear to have linered all four cylinders in March 2019 and Speedy Spares Services Limited supplied a piston ring set and big end bearing set amongst other items in July 2019. The current owner has recently given the engine a complete service with new plugs, points, filters and an oil change.
The Holbay engine certainly starts on the button and ticks over quietly with no untoward rattles or noises. A quick blip on the accelerator and it feels like it wants to go. The close-ratio four-speed gearbox feels precise and the servo-assisted brakes (front discs/rear drums) seem to pull up nicely.
On the road, the MacPherson strut front suspension and live rear axle and springs should be comfortable and the steering box, although heavy when parking, should be positive enough at speed. In many ways it drives more like a modern car but is more engaging.
The simple design of the Hillman should make it easy to live with and easy to maintain - long gone are those grease nipples!
If you are looking for a very rare and appreciating alternative (and perhaps less obvious) classic with a subtly tuned performance engine, then this could be the one for you. According to the ‘How many are left’ website, only around 12 GLS examples remain on British roads!.
This GLS has a presentable body, appears to be mechanically sound and is practical too. With good parts availability, it can be run on a shoestring, will do 30/35mpg on a run, has a roomy and comfortable interior, great visibility, and with features such as a heated rear screen, could even be used as a daily driver. In the right hands, this Hillman Hunter could continue to be a true survivor!.
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