Seven years ago, visitors to the 2015 Hagerty Festival of The Unexceptional were mesmerised by Chris Reed’s Avenger, which won the coveted “People’s Choice” prize. 

Some commented favourably on its Grasshopper Green bodywork, while others marvelled at its black vinyl upholstery and thin-rimmed steering wheel. Above all, it represented a now incredibly remote motoring past – a time when a Hillman decorated with a coachline denoted the driver’s professional standing. 

Today, only two 1600 Super Estates appear to still be in use.

The Avenger debuted in February 1970 as a saloon, with the Estate following in March 1972. Car magazine regarded it as practical and very versatile, while an Autocar test concluded: “Despite its unexciting character, the Avenger Estate is able to fulfil the needs of a good many people.”

A 1,599cc engine became available in 1973 and by 1974 the 1600 Super cost £1,644 – £63 more than an equivalent Ford Escort XL and £77 more than a Vauxhall Viva SL. However, unlike its fellow British rivals, the Hillman boasted four side doors and, after folding the rear bench, it offered 60 cubic feet of luggage space. 

Chrysler UK proudly stated the Super lived up to its name “from the tip of its streamlined bonnet to the beam of its reversing lights”. Unlike the entry-level – and somewhat misnamed – De Luxe version, there were also a carpeted floor (including the load area), a luggage bay lamp, two-speed windscreen wipers and a glovebox lock. 

Should the owner feel incredibly extravagant, they could also spend another £25.42 on reclining front seats and £3.43 on side indicator repeaters. The brochure further described the engine, suspension and styling as “rugged”; the reality may have been a weekly trip to the garden centre, but the dream was the Cairngorms at the very least.

In 1976 Chrysler badging replaced the Hillman marque, and in 1979 there was another change of name to Talbot, shortly after French manufacturer Peugeot acquired the US concern’s European operations and applied one its nameplates. British sales of the Avenger ended in 1981; a decade later, their numbers had already greatly diminished. 

Reed came by his example in 2010. “When I was first looking for a car in the mid-1990s, they were already getting thin on the ground, and none appeared in the classifieds at the time,” he said.

“My enthusiasm for the Avenger stemmed from my childhood when there were several in the family. This car turned up at the right time for me on eBay. Despite the paintwork being in several shades, the body was surprisingly solid, and the interior was incredibly well preserved.” 

As for the Estate’s road manners, Reed observes: “There is no pretending this is a performance car. However, the lack of weight and the reasonable mid-range torque means it keeps up fine with modern traffic. 

“The excellent visibility and the accurate rack and pinion steering make it easy to drive in town; 70mph is a realistic maximum for continuous cruising as it [the engine] is at just over 4,000rpm by then. Past that, it is getting a bit loud and busy.”

His Avenger Estate is equipped with “Heavy Duty” servo-assisted front disc brakes and reinforced suspension, which Reed finds quite firm when the Estate is unladen. However, he also points out “the Avenger handles tidily and stops well as reported in contemporary road tests. Its practicality almost goes without saying, although there’s nothing to hold things down in the load space, so you have to be careful to avoid luggage flying around and damaging the less than robust trim”.

The public reaction to the Super Estate, as Reed notes, is “generally positive, particularly about the condition of the car and its rarity.

“Some people have good memories of them in the period, and a few less positive – though this was the 1970s and build quality seems to have been rather variable. But that thin-rimmed wheel, the dashboard style and the view over the near-flat bonnet firmly place the Avenger in its era, and I enjoy the drive.”

And the owner of a Hillman with “that extra bit of Super luxury” would expect nothing less.

For new and used buying guides, tips and expert advice, visit our Advice section, or sign up to our newsletter here

To talk all things motoring with the Telegraph Cars team join the Telegraph Motoring Club Facebook group here

A-Z Car Finder