Rootes Arrow


Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979 in Europe, and continuing on until 2005 in Iran. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler. The range is almost always referred to by the name of the most prolific model, the Hillman Hunter.
A substantial number of separate marque and model names were applied to this single car platform. Some were given different model names to justify trim differences and, from time to time, models were sold in some European markets under the Sunbeam marque, and at other times used UK marque/model names. Singer Gazelle and Vogue models were also sold in the UK for one season badged as Sunbeams after the Singer brand was withdrawn.
The models sold – not all concurrently – were, alphabetically by marque:
The most prolific model within the Arrow range, the Hillman Hunter, was the Coventry-based company's major competitor in the small family car segment. In its 13-year production run, its UK market contemporaries included the Ford Cortina, Vauxhall Victor, Austin/Morris 1800, and Morris Marina. The sports-orientated Sunbeam Rapier occupied a segment contested by the Ford Capri, MGB GT, Vauxhall Firenza, and to an extent the Triumph Dolomite, while the more upmarket Humber Sceptre competed with other premium-specification cars based on conventional saloons, such as the Vanden Plas 1300 and 1500, the Wolseley 18/85, and the Ford Cortina 1600E and 2000E.
The Arrow range extended to several body styles: saloon, estate, fastback coupé and a two different coupe utilities . Depending on the model, they had two doors or four doors. Not all marques were represented in all body styles, with the coupés being reserved for Sunbeam.

Development

The Arrow range was conceived in 1962. Following the Hillman Imp, consideration was given to developing a larger rear-engined car, but this concept was dismissed, and the engineering settled on for the new car was more conventional and closer to the layout of the existing Audax series.
With cash-strapped Rootes struggling amid continuing engine cooling problems with the Imp, which often resulted in warped cylinder heads, the cautious Arrow broke little new engineering ground. New parts were largely based on tried and tested Rootes components, using a new but strong 5-bearing version of the well-proven 1725 cc overhead valve petrol engine as a starting point which varied in output from . The engine was inclined by a modest 15 degrees, to allow for a lower bonnet line and to enable packaging of the carburettors. This engine was further uprated by specialists Holbay, employing two Weber 40DCOE carburettors to produce for the Sunbeam Rapier H120 and Hillman Hunter GLS. A smaller 1500 cc engine was the standard for manual versions of the Hillman Minx and the Singer Gazelle, and the Hillman Hunter DeLuxe model which succeeded the Minx. Automatic models were all powered by the 1725 cc engine. Particular attention was paid to weight and cost to bring the vehicle in line with its natural competitors, including the Mark 2 Ford Cortina.
For the first time in a Rootes car MacPherson strut suspension featured at the front, with a conventional live axle mounted on leaf springs at the rear. Other firsts for Rootes in the new car were curved side glass and flow-through ventilation.
Manual transmissions were available in four-speed form with an optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive, or Borg-Warner automatic transmission, again as an option. Initially, the Borg Warner Type 35 3-speed automatic was offered, then the Type 45 four-speed automatic became available in 1973.
The handbrake was situated between the driver's seat and door rather than between the front seats. This followed the practice established with the 'Audax' cars.
The first Arrow model to be launched, the Hillman Hunter, was presented as a replacement for the Hillman Super Minx. The Hunter was lighter than its predecessor and the wheel-base of the new car was actually shorter than that of the old, but the length of the passenger cabin was nonetheless increased by moving the engine and the toe-board forwards.
For the first two years there were few changes. However, in May 1968 power assisted brakes were made available as a factory fitted option. Hitherto this possibility had been offered only as a kit for retro-fitting: it was stated that the factory fitted servo-assistance, at a domestic market price slightly below £13, would be cheaper for customers.
A mild facelift in 1970 gave new grilles to the various Hunter trim levels, and some derivatives gained a more fashionable dashboard, exchanging wood for plastic, but the car remained fundamentally the same throughout its life.
A more detailed facelift for 1972 brought a new all-plastic dashboard with deeply hooded round dials, new steering wheel, plastic instead of metal air cleaner, reshaped squarer headlamps in a new grille and some engine tuning changes.
For 1975, bumpers were enlarged and the tail lights were enclosed in a full-width anodised aluminium trim piece.
Following the 1967 acquisition of Rootes by Chrysler, the Arrow derivatives were rationalised until only the Hillman Hunter version was left by 1976. From September 1977 it was re-badged as a Chrysler, which it was to be for the remaining 2 years of its life. Hunter production was switched in 1969 to Rootes' troubled Imp plant in Linwood, from its original home of Ryton.
Sales were lower after 1975 following the launch of the Chrysler Alpine, a similar sized car but with front-wheel drive and a hatchback bodystyle, at a time when rear-wheel drive saloons still dominated in this sector.
Following the Hillman Avenger's move to Linwood in 1976, the very last European Hunters were assembled in the Santry plant, Shanowen Road, Ireland from "complete knock down" kits until production ended in 1979 – but no evidence exists to suggest that the Talbot badge was applied to any production Hunter following Chrysler Europe's 1978 takeover by Peugeot, and the application of that badge to other Chrysler models sold on or after 1 August 1979.
The final Chrysler Hunter was built in September 1979 in Porirua, New Zealand, and was donated to the Southward Museum. In 2000 the Museum sold the car to a private collector.

Models and market positions

As Rootes looked to rationalise the number of platforms and the total engineering cost of their vehicle line-up during the 1960s, they kept alive the many names of the companies they had purchased to maintain product differentiation in the market place. As such, the Arrow was simultaneously aimed at several slightly different market segments, using a range of brand and model names during the car's 13-year production run.

Hillman

The first models, launched on the domestic market in October 1966 with a 1725 cc engine, were given the Hillman Hunter name with the respected name Hillman Minx, following in January 1967. Hillman would remain the British group's most prolific marque. The Hunter model name was not in fact entirely new for a Rootes-related car, having been used for one year's production of the Singer SM1500.
Sports models included the Hillman GT, which was based on the Minx trim, but was a model in its own right. It featured a twin Zenith Stromberg CD150 carburettor version of the 1725 engine developing and Ro-Style wheels. in 1972 came the Hillman Hunter GLS with a specially tuned twin-Weber-carburettor engine shared with the Sunbeam Rapier H120 model, as well as close-ratio gearbox and quad headlights.
The estate version, announced in April 1967, was originally launched as the "Hillman Estate Car" without either Hunter or Minx badging. It came with a one-piece tailgate which was much cheaper to produce than the horizontally split two piece tailgate featured on the car it replaced, but the change nevertheless drew some unfavourable press comment.
The car's image was boosted when a Hunter driven by Andrew Cowan won the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.
The range was soon simplified with trim levels and varying engine specifications: the Hillman Hunter DeLuxe or DL replaced the Minx and retained the Minx 1496 cc engine; the 1725 cc engine with an iron cylinder head being an option on these entry-level models. Above that were the Hunter Super and Hunter GL, both with the higher specification alloy headed engine and two different trim levels. The twin carburettor engined "Hillman Hunter GT" eventually replaced the Hillman GT, and the Holbay-engined GLS was positioned at the top of the range.
For the 1975 Motor Show, a limited edition Hillman Hunter Topaz was produced. This was largely based on the Hunter Super and equipped with overdrive, radio, vinyl roof, Rostyle wheels and a special half cloth upholstery as standard. This car was only available in a unique metallic bronze paint finish. The price was less than that of the standard Hunter Super when fitted with the optional overdrive. A Hillman Break de Chasse was sold in French-speaking markets, based on the Minx specification.

Singer

The Singer Vogue and Singer Gazelle were positioned slightly upmarket of the Hillman Hunter and the Minx respectively. Nevertheless, the need to compete on price was evidenced with the announcement of the Singer Vogue estate car. The Vogue saloon was fitted with an alternator, but the Vogue estate, announced in April 1967, was fitted with a dynamo; the manufacturers explained that the change was made to help keep the model's recommended UK-market selling price below £1,000.
The Singers were short-lived models, retired early in 1970 along with the rest of the Singer range. Briefly following the retirement of the Singer brand, and throughout the model life for principal export markets, the Singer Vogue was badged as a Sunbeam.