The Sunbeam 1250, Sunbeam 1500 and Sunbeam Avenger were not separate designs: they were the Hillman Avenger, the small family car that Rootes launched in 1970, sold on the continent under the Sunbeam name. In France it was badged Sunbeam 1250 and 1500, later 1300 and 1600, and in some northern European markets it was called the Sunbeam Avenger.
Sunbeam 1250/1500 at a glance
| Maker | Rootes Group, later Chrysler Europe |
|---|---|
| Built at | Ryton-on-Dunsmore, then Linwood, Scotland |
| Production | 1970–1981 |
| Also sold as | Hillman Avenger, Sunbeam 1250/1500, Sunbeam Avenger, Plymouth Cricket, Dodge 1800, VW 1800 |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Bodies | two- and four-door saloons, five-door estate |
| Engines | 1,250 cc and 1,500 cc four-cylinder |
| Sunbeam names | Sunbeam 1250 and 1500 in France, later 1300 and 1600; Sunbeam Avenger in northern Europe |
| Suspension | independent front, coil-sprung live rear axle |
| Built | about 790,000 by 1981 |
| Survivors | fewer than 260 in use in Britain by 2016 |
The car was sold in Britain as the Hillman Avenger; this page covers the Sunbeam-badged versions and uses the English and German Wikipedia articles on the Avenger.
History of the Sunbeam 1250/1500
Development (1963–1970)
The project was conceived in 1963, the styling brief went to design director Roy Axe in 1965 and engineering began in 1966. The Avenger was one of the first cars to use computer-aided design for its unitary body, and it was among the first to answer new safety requirements, with a rigid passenger compartment, a front crumple zone, strengthened windscreen glass and a heavily padded instrument panel. After its press introduction in Malta in early 1970 it was built at Ryton-on-Dunsmore near Coventry, with bodies and panels shipped by train from Linwood in Scotland and powertrains from Stoke. In Germany the car is described as having been conceived as a world car, and from the autumn of 1965 developed under the works code B-Car to replace the Audax range and sit between the Imp and the coming Arrow models.
Hillman, Chrysler and Talbot (1970–1981)
From 1970 to 1975 the car was marketed solely as the Hillman Avenger. It arrived in February 1970 with 1,250 and 1,500 cc engines and DL, Super and GL trim; the GL had four round headlights, brushed nylon seat trim and a full instrument set. A twin-carburettor GT followed in October 1970, the GLS replaced it in October 1972, a five-door estate appeared in March 1972 and a two-door saloon in March 1973. After Rootes became part of Chrysler Europe the car was sold from 1976 to 1978 as the Chrysler Avenger, and after the sale of Chrysler Europe to PSA from 1979 to 1981 as the Talbot Avenger. By the end of British production in 1981 some 790,000 had been built, but by 2016 reportedly fewer than 260 remained in use in Britain.
The Sunbeam-badged Avengers
If Britain kept the Hillman name, continental Europe did not. The Avenger was extensively marketed there, first as a Sunbeam and as the Sunbeam 1250 and 1500 in France, later as the 1300 and 1600, while some northern European markets called the car the Sunbeam Avenger. The German Wikipedia notes that, unlike almost every other postwar Rootes model, the Avenger used no badge engineering at home: in Britain and Ireland it was sold only as a Hillman. Abroad, the Sunbeam badge gave the continental Chrysler and Simca dealers a familiar British name for the car. The same platform also produced the Plymouth Cricket in North America from 1971 to 1973, the Dodge 1800 in Brazil from 1971 to 1980 and the VW 1800 in Argentina.
Design and features
- Sunbeam 1250 and 1500: the French-market names for the Avenger with the two engine sizes.
- Sunbeam Avenger: the badge used in several northern European markets.
- Computer-designed body: one of the first cars engineered with CAD, with a front crumple zone and a padded dashboard.
- Badge-engineered family: the same car was also sold as the Plymouth Cricket, Dodge 1800 and VW 1800.
- Long life: production ran from 1970 to 1981, through the Hillman, Chrysler and Talbot names.
Sunbeam 1250/1500 versions
- Sunbeam 1250 (France): the 1,250 cc version of the Avenger.
- Sunbeam 1500 (France): the 1,500 cc version, later replaced by the 1300 and 1600 names.
- Sunbeam Avenger: the northern European badge for the same car.
- Chrysler Avenger and Talbot Avenger: the later names in Britain after 1976.
- Plymouth Cricket, Dodge 1800 and VW 1800: the same design sold in America, Brazil and Argentina.
The Sunbeam name was also used on the smaller Sunbeam Imp and on the Sunbeam Arrow range. More cars are in the Sunbeam collection.
Video: 1975 Hillman Avenger 1500 Dyno Run
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Hillman Avenger, English Wikipedia: development, launch, trims, Sunbeam export names
- Hillman Avenger, German Wikipedia: B-Car project, Chrysler and Talbot years
