Restored Rarity: 1958 Hillman Minx Series II Convertible – Sold?

June 30, 2023, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

May 27, 2023 Update – The seller of this rare-in-the-US Hillman Minx just replaced their expiring Craigslist ad with a fresh listing.  While the limited pictures and description remain the same, this time around, the seller elected to lower their asking price from $14,500 to $12,500.

April 29, 2023 Update – After a one-week pause, The seller of this Hillman Minx we first spotted in early April replaced their expired listing with a fresh Craigslist ad. The brief description, limited pictures, and $14,500 asking price all remain the same.

April 20, 2023, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” until we come across a replacement listing.

For all of the famous British car marques, even American-based non-car enthusiasts recognize (think Rolls Royce, Jaguar, MG, Triumph), many more storied names have long since passed into obscurity in the U.S. One of those is the Rootes Group and its Hillman division.  Hillman was a British automobile brand created by the Hillman Motor Car Company, founded in 1907. Under the control of the Rootes brothers, the Hillman company was acquired by Humber in 1928. The Rootes brothers would then sell their controlling interest to Chrysler in 1967. The marque continued to be used under Chrysler until 1976.

Over the years, one of the more popular Hillman cars was the midsize Minx, launched in 1957.  While most Minx’s left the Hillman Factory as more pedestrian sedans, the company also offered a four-place convertible such as this restored red 1958 Hillman Minx Series II convertible for sale on Craigslist in April 2023 in Ronan, Montana.

Currently offered for $14,500, Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is in the range of selling prices for a variety of Hillman products. As a second data point, our soft copy of the OldCars.com 2023 Pricing guide confirms the seller’s ask falls this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $13,400.

British car maker Hillman produced its mid-size family car line in a number of different generations and body styles from 1931 through 1970.  In addition to the Hillman versions of the Minx, the parent company Rootes Group offered badge-engineered versions under the Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam brand names. Hoping to expand in the lucrative US market, in 1956, Hillman introduced its new unit-body “Audax” platform. Rootes Group stylists even enlisted Raymond Loewy’s design team to develop the car’s styling, which was heavily influenced by the early 1950s Studebaker cars.

Body manufacturer Pressed Steel Company constructed the body shells of the Minx coupe, station wagon, and convertible in Scotland; the four-door versions were assembled in the Rootes plant, and the convertibles, with their complex three-position tops, were finished by the Rootes-owned London coachbuilder Thrupp & Maberly. Series I and Series II versions of the Audax-generation Minx relied on an economical 1390 CC inline-four transferring power between a choice of manual and semi-automatic transmissions.

The Torq-O YouTube Channel features this 1957 Hillman Minx launch video:

With only three pictures provided, the ad for this restored 1958 Hillman Minx Series II convertible has us asking more questions than it answers. If the seller can provide more pictures detailing the quality of their convertible’s restoration, that will go a long way towards building your confidence in adding this rare-in-the-US example to your British car collection.

If you are serious about buying this Minx convertible, you can start the conversation by reaching out to the seller using the contact information provided in their Craigslist ad.  When you connect, please remember to mention you saw their restored Hillman featured here on GuysWithRides.com. Good luck with the purchase!

Here’s the seller’s description:

Show or go: What would you do with this restored 1958 Hillman Minx Convertible?  Please comment below and let us know!