@@jon8xty1 Yes they were the purest and nicest looking Avenger I think.
@robincook3367
Жыл бұрын
Yes, the Avenger was an Escort competitor, not Cortina. Even the Mk1 and 2 Cortinas were the next size up. The Arrow range was the Cortina competitor. As mentioned in the video, the Avenger started life as a Hillman, became a Chrysler, then a Talbot, but also been sold as a Sunbeam, Plymouth, Dodge and VW. Has any car been sold under so many different marques?
@tides2002
Жыл бұрын
My dad had an early Hillman Avenger in blue. It was the car that brought me home from the hospital after I was born. He sold it to friend who used it until it dissolved some time in the mid 80’s
@willswheels283
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Matt, really good to see one again with a Talbot badge, they were a good car, I think rust and apathy seems to have killed most of them off, there’s a big following for BMC, Ford, Vauxhalls of the 60’s, 70’s but Rootes cars seem to be still lagging behind. I had a Talbot Samba which was a great car but they were never a rootes car of course just a rebadged Pug 104. You don’t see many Avengers of any badge description, and there’s probably fewer of the Talbot badged ones. That one looks in very nice condition.
@David_H-73
Жыл бұрын
The Talbot logo on the grille has been retrofitted, it would have had the Chrysler Pentastar from factory until the end of production.
@David_H-73
Жыл бұрын
@@TomAlter1000 are you not thinking of the Sunbeam that got a new grille and Talbot logo for the last 9 months of production. Part of the Peugeot takeover of Chrysler uk was that Chrysler kept the rights to the Avenger so any cars produced would have to carry the Pentastar logo although with a Talbot script on the bonnet.
@David_H-73
Жыл бұрын
@@TomAlter1000 ok, shame it never made it onto any of the publicity material.
@kevincraven4038
Жыл бұрын
At BT in the early 80s they had a couple of Avenger Estates in the car pool - if you preferred the newer FWD Ford Escort Estates (which it seems everybody did!) you had to get up very early in the morning! I used my own car, Ford Granada 2.8i GL, for the luxury, and took the mileage money! 😂
@AureaJMelo
Жыл бұрын
In Portugal the Avenger was badged as Sunbeam. My mother bought a new one in 1976, a 1600 S. In the early 80s she moved to FIATs (ughh) and I drove this gorgeous car until 1991 when I suffered a terrible accident with it, a taxi driver almost killed me in Lisbon downtown
@keztrucker7478
Жыл бұрын
My first car in 1981 and the one i passed mydriving test in was a 1976 vintage Hillman Avenger estate 1300 deluxe , red with tan leatherette interior, I managed over 25,000 miles in that car in the 16 months I owned it, It had a few quirky bits and pieces not seen theses days like steering column mounted rotating headlight switches on one side and on the other side of the steering wheel mounting indicators stalk/ horn and an identica rotary one that operated the wipers with a push function you needed to pump to squrt/dribble water onto the screen totally useless at speeds over 30mph, the engine was lively enough for a young novice like myself at the time , being an estate with folding rear seats much courting was achieved ha ha many a happy time was had, My second car was a Ford cortina the Avenger having been traded in when the oil consumption became almost on par with the fuel , At over 120,000 miles the Avenger had suffered the trials of new and heavy footed learner/novice very well never letting me down at all , my only reminder from those days is the ringing in the ears I have from the road /engine /wind noise of that little engine flat out at ....ahem "motorway speeds officer" 85 ish mph 😊
@manofthehour6856
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, Matt! I always love your enthusiasm and fair assessment of ALL cars. You don't disdain any car, and simply see them for what they are, how well the vehicles served their purpose, and their historical context and place. Its always a pleasure to see such enthusiasm for a car that may not be a modern supercar / hypercar, BUT might actually be more important for its role in the mass production market along with its contemporary rarity. Few thought about saving the ubiquitous models! I would be over the moon seeing a Plymouth Cricket (one of its various marketing names in Federalized form) here in the USA. An absolute pleasure as always!
@azimuth2142
Жыл бұрын
I preferred the MK1, the Hillman badged version.
@davidclarke9767
Жыл бұрын
I worked at Rootes in 1973 working on the Avenger we had in the few months I was there numerous strikes a disinterested workforce a man I knew was an inspector in the paintshop he told me couldn't be bothered to check every car for missed paint. Some cars only made it outside to the car park but somehow got damaged and a team of body men repaired sometimes fairly major panel damage there was a constant stream of cars awaiting repairs.
@thomasfrancis5747
Жыл бұрын
IIRC the Avenger also pioneered the use of structural adhesives in its body construction. Now, if you could find/drive a (very orange) Avenger Tiger....
@colrhodes377
Жыл бұрын
I had two Avengers and i would dearly love another
@stephenhowell5611
6 ай бұрын
Avengers were sold in the US as the Plymouth Cricket, and South America as the Dodge 1500, confusingly with an 1800 engine, I think some even had a 2 litre. A 74 GLS was for sale near me some time ago, bit of a project but sold quickly despite what I thought was a high price.
@michaelhayes1205
Жыл бұрын
It was known as a Hillman Avenger in New Zealand 🇳🇿
@ciaranmurray6623
Жыл бұрын
It must be the one of the best car model names of alltimes. If Im not mistaken the tv ads at launch time used the Avengers theme music ( i.e John Steed Emma Peel etc)
@petedenton9434
Жыл бұрын
One big problem with the Avenger was for people following it down the road on a sunny day. The curve of the boot lid was perfect for reflecting the sun into following drivers' eyes!
@Thanos.m
Жыл бұрын
Having lived in Coventry I instantly recognised were you filmed. Interestingly my last place Coventry was built on grounds of where the old Ryton plant was
@joewyatt2407
Жыл бұрын
It’s aged really well. Very smart looks and definitely feels too overlooked as a classic. Interesting review!
@ronmccullock1407
Жыл бұрын
I owned a Talbot Avenger nice car
@markbriggs5531
Жыл бұрын
Victor Meldrew. The Crimson Avenger.
@SB-vb8ch
11 ай бұрын
Mk4 & 5 Cortina didn't have body colour on show either? Also mk3 Escort had quarterlights in the rear doors as did the Mk4. These facelift cars were quite an odd mix of new & old. Always reminded me of the Ambassador vs the Pricess. Guess the Ital was in a similar vein too. Trying to make something look new without costing too much!
@danmccarthy4700
Жыл бұрын
It fascinates me how this car spent the twilight of its existence as a Volkswagen in Argentina.
@johnhutcheson2047
Жыл бұрын
The lion on the headlamps is the Lucas lion logo not a Peugeot one.
@scooterist1972
Жыл бұрын
My first car back in 1990. Cost me £260 and £260 to insure. No radio so I had a stereo cassette player on the back seat which a various friend had to operate. Bright green with a black vinyl roof. PAC142W
@ianstewartorr8455
Жыл бұрын
As a kid I remember my grandmother having one it was metallic blue with a white vinyl roof I’m sure it was a L reg greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
@levelcrossing150
Жыл бұрын
Electric Blue met.
@ianstewartorr8455
Жыл бұрын
@@levelcrossing150 thanks
@levelcrossing150
Жыл бұрын
@@ianstewartorr8455 You're welcome. I've worked on many new ones. There was a special edition in Electric Blue and a white vinyl roof called the Avenger Top Hat.
@pauljohnson4871
Жыл бұрын
Amazing car Matt. There are very few of these left.
@shahsheikh541
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting….my friend had a Talbot Solar which he kept for many years….it was a very good drive although it had a very poor image.
@tobeycat2007
Жыл бұрын
We had couple of avengers in early 70s when I was young great cars, in 1980 dad got new company car was 1.6 estate in maroon red, was a good car, changed it in 84 for astra estate just not as good.
@petrisimila1965
Жыл бұрын
Okay sunbeam avenger oli 70 luvun rallikilpailussa hyvä kilpuri
@Phiyedough
Жыл бұрын
I always thought of the Avenger as Escort size rather than Cortina size. The Hunter and later the Talbot Solara were rivals to the Cortina.
@adampowell5376
Жыл бұрын
I agree.
@ochayethegnu2915
Жыл бұрын
Yep, definitely an Escort rival. The Minx/Hunter and then the Solara were the Cortina fighters.
@Whiters8
Жыл бұрын
I think it was originally planned as a Cortina rival but the Mk3 was a bigger car than the Mk2 and so the Avenger fell between the Escort and Cortina in size.
@emmajacobs5575
Жыл бұрын
@@Whiters8similar story to the Morris Marina being pitched against an outgoing competitor
@judethaddaeus9742
Жыл бұрын
@@Whiters8 makes no sense why Chrysler would plan it as a Cortina rival when the 3 year-old Hunter already was their Cortina rival. The Avenger ended up only 0.2” longer than the Mk1 Escort. Its engines directly rivalled the Escort’s in size and power, rather than the Cortina’s. It was certainly aimed at the Escort. To note, even the Mk1 and Mk2 Cortinas were significantly bigger than the Avenger. The Mk3 really grew in wheelbase rather than physical size. And even so, the Hunter was the Cortina rival.
@smigunc3024
Жыл бұрын
I had a 1978 Chrysler Avenger it was a beautiful gold one with a black vinyl roof, I have very fond memories of it. My dad worked in the Linwood factory from when it opened in the early 1960's to when it closed in the 1980's. :)
@mpersad
Жыл бұрын
Growing up in Maidstone, Kent in the 70s and 80s, with the huge Rootes dealership/servicing building (still my favourite video you've done to date!) we saw so many of the Rootes and Talbot cars and vans. So many memories. and just lovely to see this exceptional car still roadworthy. Thanks Matt, another super review.
@Julianpms
Жыл бұрын
+1 from me, I also grew up in Maidstone and passed the Rootes garage on my way to school every day ("Olim meminisse juvabit").
@porscha901
Жыл бұрын
I remember that
@johnsampey344
Жыл бұрын
That Service building is still standing unused today.😢
@hackdaniels7253
Жыл бұрын
@@johnsampey344 It's actually being converted to flats. There's a video of it as a disused shell on this very channel.
@paulie-Gualtieri.
Жыл бұрын
Victor Meldrew had a red 1500 GL Hillman Avenger
@rodhili3946
Жыл бұрын
Rootes products never seemed to get the credit they deserved. If I'd known you were going to drive past my house you could have called in for a cup of tea 🍵
@mikemartin2957
Жыл бұрын
Great video! That is NOT a Peugeot trademark on those headlamps , yes the Chrysler Pentastar logo is present at the top corner, but that Lion is Joseph LUCAS trade mark that was used until around 1983. That Lion logo appeared on many Lucas headlights in the 70s such as MK1 &2 Capri, Austin Princess & MK1 Granada.
@Mighty_Cat_Mods
Жыл бұрын
Did you just manage to talk about the Avenger for nearly quarter of an hour without once mentioning the word Hillman?
@johngrubb1590
Жыл бұрын
You forgot that it was a Hillman Avenger as well, I had a1500DL I miss that car it was fantastic.
@easyeaz
Жыл бұрын
Now that's how a classic car review should be done!! Small quirks us anoraks love to know and a very in-depth history of the mark as is and has been. Well done indeed 😊 Very underated but great car would love to own.
@Hipas_Account
Жыл бұрын
I own a 74 Sunbeam Avenger 2dr with the 1.3 liter although it originally had the 1.6 that the previous owner apparently blew up. The 1.3 is a lovely little engine and the gearbox is so smooth and easy, the rest of my specific car is quite hinky since its been done up in the 90's "My Summer Car" style. I'm hoping to get that thing back on the road this summer if all goes well, or at least try and get it going under its own power, which it didn't do yesterday.
@paulc9588
Жыл бұрын
Great video, I always liked the Avenger but actually prefer the facelifted version over the original. Very popular as police patrol cars on 'T' and 'V' plates, no doubt because they were inexpensive but pretty tough and reliable. According to the Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club production actually continued into early 1981, which I have read elsewhere. When the Avenger officially became a Talbot in 1979 it seemed to take a while for the Chrysler pentastar badge to be replaced. Apparently dealers were provided with Talbot badges to replace the Chrysler ones they had on new cars in stock, but it seems like many of them did not bother!
@darrenwilson8042
Жыл бұрын
My first car was a Hillman Avenger 1250 DL - PCW 879 J - Loved that car
@mattw8332
Жыл бұрын
What a lovely example. 😍 I do like Avengers. Shame that these later ones lost the 'hockey stick' tail lights and bold looking steering wheel with it's round hub. Between 1986 and 1990 my parents bought a 1980 Talbot Horizon 1.3 LS. Their first hatchback. It still had the blue Pentastar badge on the grille. I recognise the interior door handles on this Avenger as the same ones o. The Horizon and the seat fabric was similar.
@chrispop99
Жыл бұрын
Bought a '74 Avenger @ 2 years old, and ran it to 100k with minimal issues. One of the best cars I have owned, and many times better than the Cortina of that era.
@profrumpo
Жыл бұрын
I'd forgotten that by this stage the memorable hockey stick rear lights of the original Hillman version had been dispensed with. I recall Victor Meldrew was an owner of a crimson Avenger, and had problems visiting his local garage.
@peterriggall8409
Жыл бұрын
Yea I remember that episode. Very funny.
@mikemartin2957
Жыл бұрын
Yes ,poor old Victor was booked for ' kerb crawling' in one episode when his Avenger was playing up!
@verovieira1
Жыл бұрын
Also produced in Brazil under the name of Dodge Polara. We didn't have the four-door version around here. Thanks for sharing !
@jsm7043
Жыл бұрын
Too short. Such a rare car deserves more time.
@fhwolthuis
Жыл бұрын
That's a blast from the past! They were very rare here in the Netherlands. That steering wheel is straight from the Talbot Horizon and Simca 1308, as far as I know.
@waynemurphy4542
Жыл бұрын
My Chrysler Avenger had same wheel plus door bins in front. The lack of a glove box always annoyed me
@andrewwmacfadyen6958
3 ай бұрын
The steering wheel had to be updated because of safety regulations, the Chrysler Europe design department was after the disastrous Chrysler 160/180/2 litres moved to Ryton UK and headed by Roy Axe later of Chrysler USA and Austin-Rover. He had design responsibility for all Chrysler Europe.
@jaspal666
Жыл бұрын
Stellantis just introduced the Jeep Avenger... a Europe only EV. Seems they think the Avenger name still has weight in Europe?
@seancooke7332
Жыл бұрын
So amazing to see a 42 year old product of Linwood still looking and driving as intended. They got a lot of stick because of the Imp but it was a great little car and there was nothing wrong with the Sunbeam or the Talbot Avenger. Very famous for appearing in the Steets of San Francisco in Plymouth Cricket guise. I have travelled in 1971, 1972, 1975 Estate and 1979 Chrysler versions and they were indeed all a cut above. Great engine.
@richardharibo
Жыл бұрын
My first car was this!! Amazing car, loved mine ❤ Escort rival not Cortina. Great to see a video on it, thanks 👍🏻
@Mark1405Leeds
Жыл бұрын
Fond memories of my grandads '74 1.6 Hillman Avenger estate! Great car to drive and so reliable! The car I passed my test in!
@buickmclean8163
Жыл бұрын
Salute , I passed my test in my Father's K reg Avenger estate.
@grahamhassall3408
Жыл бұрын
@@buickmclean8163 same her with my dads 73 Avenger 1250 deluxe estate (none of your fancy accessories like carpet or a radio here!). I passed my test in it in 77 and have great memories related to it
@buickmclean8163
Жыл бұрын
@@grahamhassall3408 But you did get a foot mounted dipswitch if I remember correctly ? : )
@marklittler784
Жыл бұрын
Police forces used them abundantly as unmarked cars and CiD cars.
@jennydonne8946
Жыл бұрын
Why no mention that it started as a Hillman
@jontaylor1652
Жыл бұрын
What a shame there are so few left these days, Avengers were a really good car in their day.
@lewis72
Жыл бұрын
At no point in this video did you state that it was a Hillman Avenger at launch and for many years.
@williamwade641
Жыл бұрын
My parents owned a special edition Hillman Avenger, called a Top Hat. It was electric blue with a white vinyl roof and automatic gearbox. They are now extremely rare apparently. I was shocked to learn that so few Avengers have survived, they were a good car.
@julieandalansmith4193
Жыл бұрын
I had one of these back in the day, VWM 311L. It was a really nice car.
@Farney-gy1qo
Жыл бұрын
The door mirrors look like they're placed in different positions, but they're not! My dad had one with "J" lights in the early 80's. He had just ground in the valves, and refitted the cylinder head and went for a test drive. A drunk driver in a Capri crashed into him. I was a 5 year old child in the front passenger seat, I remember the mangled door being ripped open to save me.
@grahamflorence4823
Жыл бұрын
The Avenger actually started out as the Hillman Avenger, with round head lamps and L shaped tail lights, and a couple of different dashboard designs if I remember correctly, it was facelifted when it became the crysler avenger
@levelcrossing150
Жыл бұрын
Deluxe had a long speedo in an all vinyl finish, the Super was similar with a silver panel and the GL was totally different with three round clocks.
@garywilton1514
Жыл бұрын
Was it just me or did Matt miss out the Hillman badging entirely? Surely most Avengers were badged Hillman?
@Zeem4
Жыл бұрын
@@garywilton1514 They were badged Hillman until 1975. From 1975 to 1978 (or so) they were badged as Chrysler. After that they were badged Talbot on the bonnet, but retained the Chrysler pentastar badge on the front grille (my dad had one of these), because the PSA Group built them but Chrysler still owned the rights to the design. The very last models were fully badged as Talbot, like the one in the video.
@levelcrossing150
Жыл бұрын
@@garywilton1514 No he did make reference at times but this video was about the Talbot Avenger. The first generation of Avengers were indeed Hillmans.
@neilturner6749
Жыл бұрын
@@levelcrossing150 ? Just watched the film again and can’t recall any mention of Hillman at all, let alone on several occasions (“at times” as you say). And no Matt doesn’t just talk about “this “ Talbot version, he goes through the Avenger’s history from design to the end of production.
@LOTPOR0402
Жыл бұрын
Looks like a Marina
@chrispop99
Жыл бұрын
It does, but it's a much better car. The Marina was a Morris Minor with different tin.
@kins749
Жыл бұрын
Always been a big Rootes fan, sadly unappreciated and often forgotten
@R-bobo
Жыл бұрын
I had the Chrysler Avenger back in the 80s it was a great driver & served me well for many years, I eventually sold it for twice the money l bought it for.
@ghosthaggis7102
Жыл бұрын
You forgot the Hillman Avenger.
@simonhodgetts6530
Жыл бұрын
I remember these well……not bad, but not great either. Better than a Marina, but outshone by the Cortina and Cavalier…………a bit of a stretch of credibility by 1980, and sadly the facelift lost the excellent ‘hockey stick’ rear lights of the original design…….formed the basis of the rather charming Chrysler Sunbeam though.
@levelcrossing150
Жыл бұрын
The revised rear lights looked like a cheap fix.
@judethaddaeus9742
Жыл бұрын
This is a great video on a car that’s unjustly panned or forgotten. However, one thing I can’t understand is why everything I’ve ever read about the Avenger compares it to the Cortina… when *the Avenger was almost identical in exterior size to the Mk1&2 Escort* and was much smaller than the contemporary Mk3 Cortina. The larger Hunter and then Alpine/Solara were the company’s Cortina rivals. Why the Avenger is assessed the same way, as a Cortina rival, baffles me. Taken against the Escort, it was a far more competitive model and superior in many ways.
@Mortimer50145
Жыл бұрын
Ah the second Avenger. Not the original Hillman Avenger with the boomerang rear lights and the weird drum-shaped switches for lights and wipers sticking out of the steering column. My grandpa had a couple of "real" Avengers. I have not-so-fond memories of having to drive a Talbot Avenger when I had to go and visit a customer as part of a summer job. I borrowed a colleague's Avenger and it was clapped-out, totally and utterly. He'd parked it on the wrong side of a busy road, facing up hill, in a fairly small parking space with cars parked ahead and behind. Try driving a car that you've never driven before, whose clutch bite point is unknown (and almost non-existent: the clutch was so badly worn), when you have to set off uphill, starting on the wrong side of the road so you need both directions to be clear before you can go. I spent a minute or so nudging the car back and forth so I was pointing out of the space and had a fairly straight route to set off, then waited for a gap in the oncoming traffic, pulled out half way across the road and waited for someone to let me join the traffic. It was the only way: I'd still have been there now if I'd waited for both directions to simultaneously let me out. The car was a wreck: the clutch seemed to slip if I applied a shade too much power, and there was a throbbing at about engine-rev speed which may have been stick-and-slip of the clutch as the engine rotated, due to warped flywheel. The gear selection was very hit and miss: sometimes it would go into third and sometimes if wouldn't - maybe worn synchromesh. And the brakes... Well at least my colleague had warned me to brake earlier than I would do normally, and I'm glad for the warning because the brakes didn't really work and pulled to one side and juddered badly. I wonder whether that car passed its next MOT.
@waynemurphy4542
Жыл бұрын
My first car was a 1979 Chrysler Avenger GLS 1.6. it was very modern when I bought it. Have good service but the plastic dash and cloth seats suffered from sun damage. This example is in remarkable condition. I'd say it's main rival was the Ford Escort while the Hunter was pitched as a rival to the Cortina and Marina.
@stephenjcuk7562
Жыл бұрын
The first time I have ever seen an Avenger review not once referring to it as a 'Hillman' Avenger. Everything that followed was just window dressing, just like the Ital was to the Marina.
@theclappedoutdairy-man3507
Жыл бұрын
Great review Matt. Coincidentally I will be passing the site of the factory it was made (Linwood ) in the next half hour. 🏴
@TheChill001
Жыл бұрын
Quick addendum: might want to try and smooth the sound for any post-edit talks, I think it's mainly because of the microphone, but the sounds tended to be rather harsh, which is a pity considering you do have a very smooth and light voice that's generally a joy to listen to
@leonardosimm3536
Жыл бұрын
I'm showing my age now; I remember Bruce Forsyth in the TV adverts, waxing lyrical about the electronic ignition (a big deal in the 70s)...
@davidm5842
Жыл бұрын
I had a 1972 Hillman Avenger Estate 1500 DL. The only car I've driven that understeered more was an early Marina. If you could get the front end to go round a corner fast enough the back end would hop sideways.
@michealhaskell7258
Жыл бұрын
Iremember my Roots Rapier back in the sixties!, wish I kept it longer. This was a 2 door twin carb 1500cc 1957 model. It outclassed most cars that siize at the time!
@anthonywalsh2164
Жыл бұрын
Chrysler 180 was the Cortina competitor. Like the Cortina the Australian version, the Centura, ended up with a 4 ltr six, a hemi in the case of the Chrysler. A great car with a limited slip diff. It was my first car!
@stuartbrooks5734
Жыл бұрын
it was also called the Hillman avenger but was an earlier shape with L shaped rear lights
@IanCorfield-y6s
Жыл бұрын
Over the years I have owned 2 avengers the first a 1972 1500 Super owned from new by my father this was my first car at the age of 17 in 1977 , the 2nd I've had from new in 1980 a 1.6 GLS in moss green met with black vinyl roof and all the std GLS equipment Inc front fogs in a binnacle under the stainless steel bumper , rostyle wheels stainless wheel arch mouldings , bodyside mouldings silver painted front grill chrome door handles and stainless rear trim between the rear lamp clusters which included rear fogs and reverse lamps ! This car runs now an uprated and modernised TI spec engine and exhaust wiith the twin Weber carburetors. The front suspension was replaced with the Capri 2.8i struts and vented discs and the rear a narrowed Chrysler 2litre beam and discs and the Optional in 1980 rostyle wheels shod with 185/65x13 tyres and yet to the untrained eye the car looks pretty much original To say the car has been cherished is an understatement!
@BanjoRen
Жыл бұрын
I had a 1972 Hillman Avenger in the early 80's. I noticed you missed Hillman from your list.
@trevorhoward2254
Жыл бұрын
There's an immaculate Avenger Tiger on display at a petrol station in Knighton, Powys,
@intheshadows..2107
Жыл бұрын
Growing up in the 1970's I saw a lot of them. The 1st the Avenger badge on the front was rectangular, then they upgraded it to a circle, thats was vital information for a kid. I remember the day I saw the Talbot version in a garage in Renfrew near where it was built. As a car mad youth who took down number plates and could name every car being sold in the UK this was big and I saw it 1st. On the Monday morning I remember explaining to my mates the massive upgrades.A totally different steering wheel, a new front end, dials that where round not the rectangular old speedometer that was a orange line that went up to the speed it was doing but the most important change in our book was the rear L style lights had changed and me and my mates where upset as we liked the old rear lights but we gave it a pass as it had these new fangled rear fog lights which really impressed us. Thanks for the memories dude
@intheshadows..2107
Жыл бұрын
@@TomAlter1000 Yes your right I remember it being rectangular but must have got it mixed up with my mates dads Austin land crap that was the 1 that moved up
@andrewstones2921
Жыл бұрын
I had one of these in 1991 when it was 11 or so years old, it was as new condition and only 16k miles and it was extremely rare then. I never went looking but it was my friends elderly fathers car and he gave up driving, I got it cheap because basically nobody wanted it. It was basic, but ran beautifully. The interior was typical Talbot, which I quite like. Sadly a drunk driver collided with it while it was parked, and it was a write off.
@chrisharkin3741
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Matt, what a charming little car! These were never sold in Australia, so I'm not really familiar with them. Last year (September 2022) when on holiday in New Zealand, I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw an immaculate yellow Avenger just like this one. I wasn't close enough to see if it was Chrysler or Talbot. It was at Pak N Save supermarket at (I think) Whangarei on the North Island. An older woman was driving it, I wondered if she had owned it from new? It looked really well cared for. They were assembled in NZ. The lion image on the headlight glass was Lucas's symbol at the time, quite different to the Peugeot lion, BTW.
@martinclapton2724
Жыл бұрын
Very overlooked, the Avenger , originally with Hillman badging, although it was aiming to compete in the fleet market with the Cortina’s and Marinas of the world , it also generated the Hillman Avenger Tiger , usually painted in bright yellow with very 1970s black decals , but these were aimed at the R S Escort range.The Tiger name came from the earlier Sunbeam Alpine Tiger which had an American Ford V8 instead of the standard 4 pot 1725 cc.
@paulpaintshop103
Жыл бұрын
Avengers were 1500 or 1600 cc, even the Tiger, they never had the 1725.
@martinclapton2724
Жыл бұрын
@@paulpaintshop103 didn’t say the Avenger had 1725cc . If you read the text again , you will see I was referring to the Sunbeam Alpine sportscar of 1960s . The Tiger variation of that car had the Ford V8
@paulpaintshop103
Жыл бұрын
@@martinclapton2724 I restored one a few years ago
@glentyan2505
Жыл бұрын
I watched this waiting to hear the word Hillman as I had the Tahiti Blue GL model .... glad to see this omission has been corrected in the comments. I never found the steering heavy.
@francis2811
Жыл бұрын
It came equipped with unergonomic uncomfortable seats!
@siraff4461
Жыл бұрын
I'm feeling my age now. You're telling me this is really rare and so on but to me thats just a car. The things are everywhere. Were...
@andybrook1585
Жыл бұрын
Memories of being driven to school in 1987 in Yeovil in a brown mid ‘70’s Hillman Avenger Estate with brown vinyl.
@caroldave4037
Жыл бұрын
Mate back in the day had estate repmobile really decent motor good drive made my ford at the time feel like fred flintstone car (but still prefered fords of the time...) spoiled by politics and failures of the time...
@SharpblueCreative
Жыл бұрын
Didn’t mention the Hillman Avenger which my dad had. He also had the estate version.
@LeChave
Жыл бұрын
Oh Matt, why didn't you show the rear end and how it differed from, in my opinion, the far better earlier model? 🤣
@johndrake2729
Жыл бұрын
Nice that you're profiling the Talbot, but I want to see a Hillman one.
@richardsmith5249
Жыл бұрын
My parents had a succession of Avengers as company cars from my father's transport business. The first was a bronze saloon, with the conical glass on the instruments and the big chunky rotary switches. The second was a bright blue estate, and the third was a sort of gold metallic estate. They were also sold in the US as the Plymouth Cricket.
@Thorscauldron
Жыл бұрын
Nan & pop showed up in a rental. I think around 1971. It was the relatively new Hillman Avenger with hockey stick taillights. The one they had was very basic. It had no passenger visor or lighter. Pop smoked and had to use his own lighter and remember to bring it along. He wasn't impressed. He'd had a Super Minx and he thought the Avenger tinny & plastic. I think this was shortly after the time Chrysler took over. Nobody at the NA dealerships seemed to know how to keep the Plymouth Cricket's carb tuned.
@anthonystevens8683
Жыл бұрын
This takes me back. As a kid I was always a fan of the Avenger and often pestered my dad to get one if he couldn't get the Chrysler 2 Litre or a 180, he couldn't afford it with a mortgage, 2 jobs and kids so he didn't. They were very popular in the 70's. It wasn't until the later 80's that I got to drive a rather tired one to a festival, for some reason I ended up being the only one with a valid licence at the time and had insurance and the others would 'pay me back for the petrol used', they didn't. Anyway I still have very fond memories of these cars, even the one I drove that had... err interesting behaviour as far as some of the controls were concerned, I did mention that it was very tired. Many thanks for sharing Matt, this brought a smile to an older fart who thankfully had the chance to drive an original all those years ago.
@sarahrobinson410
Жыл бұрын
My dad's work Friend had one Identical to this car .. I believe his was a 1.6 GLS automatic. Both gentlemen worked for The Rootes Group my Dad worked 32 years there. My other uncle worked at Rootes Ryton Plant he took tours around the factory the days of the Talbot Alpine and Solara and the big barge car..Tagora..He had at least 5 brand new cars over a period of years Imp or Sunbeam Hunter and Avengers 1976 was his last one Pinky coloured one with vinyl roof Even I worked as a part time valeter at Cheylesmore garages.. I got to drive a few cars.. I grew up with my dad owning a Hillman hunter 1500 DL 1973 car in Lilac with black vinyl roof NOE 442M. I had the odd driving lesson and my sister too.. He then splashed his hard earned cash and bought a brand new Talbot Horizon 1985 1.3LX omg C409 URW its still out there some where. Even I owned Hillman Avenger 1.6GL I gave £40 for it Spent £100 on mot work and drove it about Coventry Some guy went in the back of me Funny it was Id Decided to sell it I got £50 from the guy who tapped my rear end A light cluster from Scrap yard for £3 quid fixed it myself and straightened the chrome bumper out and had a sale of £325 Quid. Great video to watch after the Friday from hell... Insurance companies..
@Stevieweevietv
Жыл бұрын
Wow that brings back memories. My dad had a bright red one with a black roof as a company car in the early 80s. Think it came after his brown Allegro! Do especially enjoy your drives when it's a car from my past. Very nostalgic!
@01ls1z28dabx
Жыл бұрын
Not going to lie, that startled me seeing a person sat behind you out of the blue.
@nervo6321
Жыл бұрын
A Rare Bird Indeed…Attractive Though.
@darrensmith6999
Жыл бұрын
Very similar in to the Morris Ital in shape and in purpose.
@johnmontgomery9149
Жыл бұрын
What is the big deal about a tea shelf? You are bloody obsessed with them.
@Steve-GM0HUU
Жыл бұрын
Yes, remember these. They certainly seemed to disappear from the roads very quickly. Don't remember seeing many after about 1990. The example in the video is a very nice example.
@paulbennell3313
Жыл бұрын
I had a Chrysler Avenger 1300LS in Chestnut brown, "The Flying Turd". No rev counter on the Chrysler variant, the LS being a very lowly model in the range at the time. Vinyl seats too. I still loved it and would love one now but finding decent examples is difficult, many remaining cars can now be swept up with a brush and dustpan and carried away in a carrier bag or two...
Пікірлер: 383