Solved: Wendax 962 - Hillman Sunbird

[Wendax]

No

[ropat53]

Hillman Gaylook?

Oh Snap!! And I thought I was going to con you into giving me a point for the "Prince of Darkness" identification.

Here in Argentina among the antique car enthusiasts there's a well known joke:
"Do you know why they drink warm beer in England?"
"Because the refrigerators are made by Lucas"

[D-type]

Funnily enough, in the last 40 years I've had two electrical components go wrong - a Bosch Alternator and a Motori Marelli lambda probe (which cost 4 hours in labour as the wiring loom was so tight that it had to be partially disconnected to gain enough slack to remove it)

[Wendax]

Hillman Gaylook?

No

[D-type]

Just to confirm:
The car was not made/ assembled by Isuzu, Paykan, Touring or anywhere else outside the UK
The photo was not taken in UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Belgium.  But in another LHD country
So the picture shows a UK-built car having its headlamp alignment checked with a Lucas 'Beamsetter' in another country

The car was sold as a Hillman *****  - not Minx, not Sceptre, not Husky, not Gaylook

Is the name something simple like Hillman De Luxe

[Wendax]

Your summary is correct, but it was not called Hillman De Luxe.

[Hiawatha]

Sedan?

[Wendax]

No, more poetic

[D-type]

One of the other Rootes-owned names, say Hillman Gazelle

[Wendax]

I don't know of any other Rootes car wearíng this name. Later on, two other car manufacturers used this name for some of their cars.

[Bill Murray]

Are you commenting on the name "Gazelle" or the name you are still looking for??

Bill

[Wendax]

I was commenting on the mystery name. I do know the Singer Gazelle.

[richard cuyler]

As far as I can tell, it's just an ordinary Hillman Minx Series 111c, which is undergoing an MOT test. The little plastic aerofoil on the windscreen wiper suggests, perhaps, an enthusiast owner.

I really do think, though, that the image has been 'mirrored' and that the car is actually RHD.

[Wendax]

No, the picture is not mirrored. On the unmodified picture you can read the (non-British) licence plate. The car might well be identical to a Hillman Minx Series IIIc, except for its name and nameplate.

[fyreline]

Also, the lettering on the Beamsetter isn't reversed.

I think this is one of those where the answer is right in front of us. It's definitely a Hillman Minx Series III, just sold somewhere where they called it by another name. We've been through all of the "other names" we are familiar with, and apparently it's none of those. Time to dig deeper . . . good job Wendax, this is a tough one!

[Hiawatha]

Are we in USA?

[Bill Murray]

I am not trying to be funny, but considering the Lucas Beamsetter, I doubt it as there were many American brands for this sort of test instrument.

The photo does remind me of the interior of a Swedish "Svenskbilprovning" site where I had to get my two American cars inspected when I moved to Sweden in 1974 but I can find nothing on a different name for that Minx in Sweden.  And, of course, they probably used a Phillips light tester anyway.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

I don't want to start another false chase, but I am now concentrating on the uniforms of the testers as a possible clue.
As earlier posted, it may just be too obvious but I am now hours into this thing looking at Google sites all over the LHD world and coming up with absolutely nothing.  I am not quitting though but now I have to take the wife and live in sister in law shopping for the rest of the morning my time.

Bill

[Wendax]

Are we in USA?

No

The photo does remind me of the interior of a Swedish "Svenskbilprovning" site where I had to get my two American cars inspected when I moved to Sweden in 1974 but I can find nothing on a different name for that Minx in Sweden.  And, of course, they probably used a Phillips light tester anyway.

Not Sweden, but we are getting closer now.

[mekubb]

Hillman Superminx ?

[D-type]

Could it be Denmark?  For some reason, several British cars were renamed for the Danish market.

[ropat53]

It is Europe, Holland?

[Wendax]

Hillman Superminx ?

No

Could it be Denmark?  For some reason, several British cars were renamed for the Danish market.

Yes, it is!

[ropat53]

Hillman Minx Sunbird

[ropat53]

I found this brochure