An English made mini-car that got outstanding mileage, but was soooooo small that it was not really a sensible family car. I can't for the life of me think of any reason we would have thought it was a good buy, but we bought it. It was pea soup green and had a stick shift. Between it and the truck I think it was what Paul learned to drive in. I know he took it to Seminary when he was licenced to drive and picked up others on his way to Church in the mornings. They, I don't believe, make them anymore. If you haven't seen one, which is more than likely, I know where there is a great example. The Movie "The Pink Panther". George dressed in a gorilla suit for the Princess' costume ball, escaped in a red convertible Hillman-Minx. Ours was just a tad bigger because it was a four door sedan. Not much more however.
What made me think of it was strolling down memory lane this morning I recalled a camping trip we made to the Big Sur in it one summer. That little car was packed from stem to stearn and the top had a carrier as well. We must have made a wonderous site driving up Highway 1 like that. In fact, it is a wonder the little thing could pull the family and all that gear to and from our vacation. We lived in Pico Rivera at the time so it was quite a distance. No question the little car made it up and down those hills in pretty good stead, but it wasn't built for speed under such a load I can tell you.
Maybe that was the reason Jay got the Camper for the truck? I can't really remember. I don't remember us ever taking it another time for a trip like that. I loved driving the darn thing, but it wasn't safe with the traffic and all. It didn't take up much room in the garage and that was nice. We had it for quite a while, but I don't recall what we traded off when we got it. I know we traded it off for the Ford Station Wagon that was Orange and White. Come to think of it, it may have been the blue and white Pontiac we had that Jay never liked that we traded in. I never knew for years that the reason Jay was anxious to get rid of the Pontiac was he had been late one night going to work and forgot to shut the motor off and it idolded all night while he was at work. It did a job on the motor and we had to have it replaced. He never confessed that to me for such a long time. I liked the car myself, but I guess it was the experience that soured him against the car. What ever.
Not a great interlude in our lives, but something I thought was a bit interesting. Who would have thought Jay would have concidered having such a car? He was so practical. I guess it was the gas mileage that got him. We had the Hillman for quite a few years. It was a great car for me, but it was funny seeing Jay unwind as he got out of it. Good thing the kids were young, having to put the front seat back for him to drive didn't give much leg room in the back. No it didn't have bucket seats. In fact, bucket seats were an extra if they were available, and in standard cars they were not an option. You had to be putting money into sport cars, etc. to be able to have them. Bucket seats only became the norm many years after our Hillman days.
If I was to grade all the cars we have ever own, and there have been a goodly number I would have to say it was the blue Malibu. Jay regretted trading it in when he bought the cream and tan Buick he bought while Paul was on his Mission in England. He has since said he should have kept it and fixed it up for Paul. It was such a good car. Nothing really wrong with it. Jay just saw that Buick and his youth instinct kicked in. He had never had such a sports car before. Bucket seats, fancy dash board and a console in the center that was 'cool'. It was only a two door and that was not the best idea, but we only had Dawn at home at the time. I guess that was the car she learned to drive in. That and the truck. That dear old Chevy butter yellow truck that Jay was so proud of. He kept it until just before we moved to Paso Robles. He traded it in on his tan Nissan pick up. I suppose our most honored car was the 1941 Black Chev that Jay bought after he got out of the Navy. It had been stored for the duration of the War and was a real find. His Dad had found the car and wanted to buy it for himself, but Jay beat him to it. It was the car that gave Jay the purpose of asking me out on our first date. We loved that car.
A side light about that car is, it is the one that the horse tried to jump when we were coming home one night. Paul was just a baby and was asleep in my lap. (They didn't have car seats back then). We lived in Norwalk and it was rural country with no street lights. As we turned off the main street leading to our housing track we both thought we saw something cross the road. With only the headlights it was not light enough to be sure. As we came to the first cross street, we caught sight of this horse coming full gallop on my side of the car. Fortunately, the horse was a jumper. That was not good enough as the car was moving, even though Jay had dropped the speed down, the horse was not able to clear the car. As it hurdled the car its' front hoofs hit the dividing bar of the windshield (that cars no longer have), which saved both Paul and I from being trampled. With the motion of the car, the horse was thrown so its'
hind quarter caved in the side of the car - where a back door would have been, only this was just a two door car. The horse was pretty banged up. No one has any idea how the horse had got loose from its barn, but it did.
The people were upset that the horse was not able to perform in some kind of a show. They tried to have us sited some way, but the Police found it was unavoidable. The car was repaired and Jay had it painted a light blue. I think that was a mistake. Never looked as classey after that. We drove it for years, in fact it is the car in which I learned to drive. Oh, and it had a stick shift on the steering column. I guess I have driven about every kind of gear shift they have made. Great for changing cars safely.
Well from Hillman-Minx to the history of the cars we have owned and loved or hated. Maybe it is only interesting to me, but it is out there for everyone to see now. Enjoy!
Written this 3rd day of August 2010
by: Eileen Rosenberg
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