Customer Reviews

Imp: The Complete Story

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When the Rootes group decided to take on the likes of the Mini and the Ford Anglia, they decided to do something completely different.

This is the story of the Hillman Imp and its derivatives,cars that were supposed to cause a revolution in the automotive industry, but did not live up to its full potential. Mowat-Brown has long been an Imp enthusiast, and although one would have expected Graham Robson to tell their story, he does a very good job of it.

Not only is the development history of these cars discussed in detail, but a lot of space is given to the story of the Linwood plant in Scotland that produced nothing but the Imp during its entire production life. All the problems surrounding the car are also extensively covered.

Many of the Imp derivatives, like the stunning Sunbeam Stiletto, the Singer Chamois and the Hillman Husky are also included. However, this is where my only real criticism of the book needs to be mentioned. Where is the Clan Crusader, which was built on the Imp chassis, and what about the Zagato Zimp? The inclusion of the latter car is difficult to understand, because although it was scrapped with the introduction of the Stiletto and the other coupe models, it was a significant model in the Imp's history.

Otherwise, this is a fascinating history. It is a shame that the Imp was not quite a success, and that it was eventually neglected. If you like these cars, you will enjoy this book.