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1953 Hillman Minx Phase VI Convertible Hardtop

1953 Hillman Minx Phase VI Convertible Hardtop in Chowoo, Movie, 1966

Class: Cars, Coupé — Model origin:

1953 Hillman Minx Phase VI Convertible Hardtop

Vehicle used by a character or in a car chase

Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
Lateef ◊ 2020-02-09 23:47
Gag Halfrunt ◊ 2020-02-15 11:31	I wonder how "Minx" was transliterated back then. There is a K-Pop group which was originally named Minx (밍스). Link to "ko.wikipedia.org") -- Last edit: 2020-02-15 11:36:07
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2020-02-15 11:59	I don’t think that this is a Californian at all. The conformation of the roof and rear window are totally at variance with what one would expect. Possibly it may be a convertible with a roof from something else grafted on. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/61783826108425302/ For comparison. http://pics.imcdb.org/5605/7019.jpg Perhaps the Scottish Brummie would care to comment? -- Last edit: 2020-02-15 12:39:37
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2020-02-15 12:08	https://www.etymonline.com/word/minx minx (n.) 1540s, mynx "pet dog," later (1590s) "a young, pert, wanton girl" [Johnson], also "a lewd woman," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps a shortening of minikin "girl, woman," from Middle Dutch minnekijn "darling, beloved," from minne "love" (see minnesinger) + diminutive suffix -kijn (see -kin). Klein's sources suggest the word is from Low German minsk "a man," also "an impudent woman," related to German Mensch (see mensch), which in vulgar use also has a sense of "wench, hussy, slut." What the Koreans made of it in 1900 and frightened to death, who knows? -- Last edit: 2020-02-15 12:19:27
dsl ◊ 2020-02-20 18:22	Away from home so can't dig out any info, but agree it's a strange one. Phase VI with short boot was the first series with a Claifornian, but only made for 6 months. Doesn't look like the usual Californian top (but did Ph6 have unique style which was redesigned for the Ph7 long boot revamp??). Otherwise I'd agree it looks convertible-ish, but with a fully integrated hardtop - no sign of clip-on bits or the convertible folding roof underneath. So at this stage, I don't know ....
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2020-02-25 08:16	https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/61783826108425302/
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2020-02-25 17:46	The above picture is said to be a Minx Californian from 1953. If that is correct the design does not at all resemble the subject car above the Plimsoll line.
dsl ◊ 2020-02-25 19:50	I'm out of ideas to explain it. Agree not a Californian as rear window format is wrong, even for the first Californian (short boot as seen, in this Phase VI facelift only made for 8 months Feb-Oct 53) so it must be something done to a convertible. But no bodged join lines, pillars look fully integrated without join lines outside or inside, so not a clip-on hardtop, no sign of a folded fabric hood, and the prow over the windscreen is tall and saloon-like, not the flatter profile of the Californian or the convertible's thin screen top and no visible join line. So a fixed hardtop, and well made. Nothing similar seems to have emerged from Coventry, and while Isuzu were just starting to make their Minxes with this Phase VI generation, as far as I can tell they only did saloons at the beginning. Aus production also a theoretical candidate (maybe they designed their own coupe??) but again no reference found. Plus it's LHD, so unlikely to have been made in J or Aus. My best guess is therefore originally a Coventry-built convertible, with a custom-built locally made hard roof as a well made permanent conversion with the fabric roof removed. With the frameless doors (4th thumb) it could become a DIY quasi-Californian. Maybe this happened later in its life when it became a taxi - if it had been used as a taxi from new, a more practical showroom decision would have been to use the normal 4-door saloon.
Sunbar ◊ 2020-02-25 20:34	Door's quarter-lite and the rear quarter glass is from the Californian from the photos on the web. The 1953 Minx convertible had a sharp point on the top of the door's quarter-lite (see second thumbnail) and a smaller more angular rear quarter glass, the Californian's was a complete arc shape. https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/classic-car-images/hillman/minx2.jpg http://classiccars.brightwells.com/images/lots/originals/h1_20.jpg I'm assuming currently a Californian with a reworked roof and rear glass surround, the glass shape is not altogether convincing and could be from another manufacturer perhaps, but still a competent rework.
dsl ◊ 2020-02-26 01:00	Re-lidding a Californian does not make much sense - it's already got a perfectly good one (unless something like a meteorite fell on top of it). Closing a convertible is a strange thing to do, but is believable. I looked at the side window shapes as well, but couldn't reach any conclusions.
Sunbar ◊ 2020-02-26 13:52	I cannot explain why but the rear quarter glass as compared below. edit: Immediately after I found that the glasses on the convertible look to have changed to be common with the hardtop, so my idea collapsed! -deleted partial comment- The front quarterlite is also different Convertible versus Californian hardtop but that could also be year related rather than model. I've seen reports the the hardtop came from Thrupp and Maberly did that also apply to the convertibles? -- Last edit: 2020-02-26 14:00:07

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