Hillman Minx Series IIIc - a rare 60s classic car!

Today's video is the about the affordable budget family classic car saloon from the 1960s, the Hillman Minx 1600, sometimes called the Audax Minx or known by its correct name, the Series 111c Minx.

about:
Hillman Minx Series IIIc

Audax minx, 1600 minx, series 3c…it can be hard to understand the evolution of a 60s classic car like the Hillman Minx Series 3c without a little education.

The Minx name was first used in the 1930s for a completely different car, but sensing winds of change from competitors, the Audax range of cars from Rootes came to market, with the dynasty being brought to life by the Rapier in 1955.

And Audax? It’s latin for bold, which the range certainly was, with American styling influences like the curves, the chrome for added flair and wrap glass of the backlight and matching reverse slope of the rear side glass.

Audax design wasn’t limited to the upmarket Rapier and the trusty Minx, it was also extended out to the Singer Gazelle, in the autumn of 56 after the first Audax Minx had been unveiled in spring of 56.

Now we talk a little later about the British hesitancy for looking too flashy later on and in fact, it was this staid and stiff approach to design which meant many overseas buyers felt Brit were just a little too…well, boring.

Rootes, known at this point globally, decided they were going to challenge that with the Audax cars and kept it fresh with regular updates and by 1959, the car gets to ‘series 3’. These series updates weren’t just a few piecemeal offerings like new colour ways or a fancier radio. For example, the step up to the Series 3 saw thought out changes like new, larger engine, steering mechanisms and much more like slight exterior tweaks.

By 1961, the Series 3c came to market. Although the car is cheerful enough, it was very much a budgeted affair and even with sales tax increasing, the saloon was cheaper than the departing Series 3b.

It’s sometimes known as the 1600 Minx because it’s got the 1592cc engine as used in the Super Minx, however, it was £80 cheaper than the Super Minx.

The 1600 engine, the sales brochure promises, gives sparkling performance and vivid acceleration; which is not entirely elaborated upon, but the car does have a top speed listed as being in the high 80s, so it’s not too slow to be considered as something you could use today.

For a budget car, it was still packed with brilliant care and thought and steering maintenance was even re-examined and the introduction of greaseless nylon joint inserts at the outer track rods was new for this model.

Optional extras included radio, heating and ventilation kit, steering column gear change and whitewall tyres. Special accessories included clock, oil gauge, ammeter, overriders, reversing lights and other small details.

Motor magazine at the time gave the car a decent enough review and said everything else in the £700 price bracket was inferior in either space or speed. Not a bad choice for budget buyers who fancied a car which actually, didn’t look entirely budget, despite small cutbacks like no carpets in the rear of the car.

But who owns a car like this in 2023 and why? Well, it’s back to a familiar channel regular, Kev, to tell us why he picked a Minx.