1966 Hillman Gazelle 1725cc Saloon

Description

The original Singer Gazelle, essentially an upmarket Hillman Minx, debuted in 1956 and was an entirely conventional family car, albeit with attractive styling penned by American designer Raymond Loewy, best known for his earlier Studebakers. The new body was given the name ?Audax? (Latin for ?Bold?) by Rootes' marketing strategists and proved popular with buyers both in Britain and abroad. Unlike the Hillman Minx, which made do with a pushrod motor, the Gazelle was initially fitted with an overhead camshaft unit, endowing the car with strong performance. The Gazelle was updated several times during its ten-year production run, gaining small tail fins and a bigger windscreen on the Series IIIA, while the Series V (there was no Series IV) was restyled, with a lower roofline, longer rear doors and the wraparound rear glass deleted, resulting in a much roomier rear compartment. The final derivative of the so-called 'Audax' Gazelles was the Series VI in 1966, with a revised grille and an all-new engine. Although Singer Gazelles had previously been sold in Australia, following Chrysler Australia's takeover of Rootes Australia in 1965 the decision was made to badge the latest Series VI as a Hillman in this country. The Gazelle was relatively powerful, thanks to a 1725cc four-cylinder engine with an alloy cylinder head, Solex twin-barrel carburettor and five-bearing crankshaft and output was a healthy 85 horsepower. The transmission was a fully synchromesh four-speed box, with a Borg-Warner automatic unit optional. The unitary chassis featured independent front suspension with telescopic shock absorbers and a torsion bar, while the rear end made do with conventional semi-elliptic leaf springs. Lockheed disc brakes at the front were another quality feature while the rear drums were now self-adjusting. The nicely appointed interior boasted individually adjustable reclining front seats and walnut facia and door cappings. Marketed as ?The Flying Gazelle?, the Hillman's traditional styling was looking somewhat dated by the mid-Sixties and it remained in production for a relatively short period, consequently survivors are few in number and rarely sighted today.