Hillman Hunter History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Model history available. Detailed year guides are not published for this model.
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Introduced in October 1966, the Hunter was the lead model of Rootes' new 'Arrow' range — a conventional, rear-drive mid-size saloon engineered to be light, simple, and inexpensive to build. It replaced the ageing Minx-class cars and, via badge engineering, underpinned a family of Singer, Sunbeam, and Humber siblings on the same platform.
The Hunter's reputation was made in October 1968 when a works car driven by Andrew Cowan won the gruelling London–Sydney Marathon, an 10,000-mile endurance rally — a high-profile victory that became central to the car's marketing.
Robust and easy to maintain, the Hunter outlived its maker's independence. Chrysler, which had taken full control of Rootes by 1967, kept it in production; from September 1976 the car was rebadged as the Chrysler Hunter as the Hillman name was phased out, and a version was assembled in Iran as the Paykan for decades afterward.
Body styles
- Saloon
- Estate
- Coupé
Notable special editions & performance variants
Hunter GT / GLS
Sportier, higher-trim Hunters with twin-carburettor engines and uprated equipment.
Related models
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