Some of the more interesting cars at any car show are often found at the adjacent parking lot. Recent proof is this 1967 Sunbeam Minx DeLuxe. The car is driven daily as an around town runabout by Maggie Ware, whose father picked up the sedan only slightly used in 1968. The car has remained in the family since. This Rootes Group survivor is in original condition, soldiering on in its intended role as a practical and stylish mid-size sedan.
This Sunbeam Minx is actually a Hillman Minx, and a representative of the end run of 1956-67 Rootes Group Audax (latin, for bold) body Minxes. The Minx was a sedan variant of the Hillman Rapier, designed in part by Raymond Lowey of Studebaker fame. Maggie has been driving the Minx now for a number of years, and even met her then future husband at a British car gathering by helping him push start his TR4-A. She was first impressed by the sporty Triumph’s independent rear suspension. Malfunctioning electrics brought the couple together.
“When I met him he owned a TR4-A IRS. The night I met him, he needed a push start. That’s what solidified the relationship. I knew then!”, said Maggie.
The Minx has been mostly trouble free over the years, with the main problem coming from nefarious thieves who desire to liberate the Minx of certain rare parts shared with other Rootes Group products. Maggie reports that the famously troublesome Lucas electrical system has not succumbed to its usual role as the Prince of Darkness. An occasional bulb replacement along the way with routine scheduled maintenance has kept the Minx safely charging steadily forward. Maggie enjoys keeping the Minx in original as possible running condition, and has an understanding of the pitfalls and victories of driving forty-plus year old British-built machinery.
“I don’t just own my car, we have a relationship”
The “Always check the parking lot next to the car show for interesting rides.” photo is awesome. Fantastic composition! Nifty car, too. I always wonder about those nuts who daily-drive 30+ year old economy cars…
Neat little car, but look in the back ground. Looks like an International Travelall. And what’s behind it?
I need one, preferably with the 100-horsepower twin-carb alloy-head version of the good old 1725cc motor. It’d be a good match for my ’62 Alpine…
Awesome little car…My Uncle used to own an Sunbeam Tiger. He said the car was slow to get rolling but the front end would get ‘light’ over 90 MPH.
The first car I ever owned was a ’67 Sunbeam Minx that looked exactly like this one; same 1725cc engine, same powder-blue color. It had no radio but it did have an automatic transmission. It also had a hand choke, which meant that it would start right up in any weather. The only troubles I ever had with it were that the brakes had a slow fluid leak and the exhaust system needed replacing. Unfortunately, this car was sold through Chrysler dealers as what was then known as a “Captive Import”. The problem with that arrangement was that the U.S. companies that sold “Captive Imports” in those days rarely stocked parts and provided little or no service. As a result there were hardly any mechanics who knew how to fix Sunbeams and, even if you wanted to do it yourself, parts were virtually impossible to get.