Bare shell restoration between 2018 and 2020 and carefully used since; front disc brakes; only 38k miles indicated; super condition; a fun little road car or an ideal base for a giant-slaying Historic race or rally carEvery now and again, a car comes along which deserves to be a lot more successful than it proves, the Hillman Imp falling nobly into this ‘heroic failure’ category for Rootes.

Code-named Project Apex, it was to be the Rootes Group’s first small car and they were determined to get it right, work beginning on the car in 1955 and continuing steadily until it was finally ready for launch in 1963 – which was far too late as the equally brilliant Mini, launched in 1959, had by then stolen all its thunder.Despite having fine handling by virtue of its all-independent suspension, an innovative opening rear screen, and a superb rear-mounted, race-derived, all-alloy Coventry Climax engine mated to a brilliant baulk-ring synchromesh transaxle that was far superior to the one found i...