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1972 Hillman Avenger: James Need & Helen Wells

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A Tale Of Two Cars

Spare a moment, as you read this, to think of why your particular passion means as much to you as it does. I would hazard a guess that it may not be entirely unconnected to the sorts of vehicles and machinery that were in everyday use when you were a child and that you longed to own when you grew up.

With this in mind, I would like to tell you why we are about to embark on the restoration of a car that no doubt some of you sent to scrap yards without a second thought. We are the proud owners of a 1972 Hillman Avenger 1250cc.

Perhaps I have misjudged you and you can quite understand why it was an exciting moment when James returned from an amble round the car line-up at Kettering rally to report that there was an Avenger in the line - and what was more - it was for sale! On the other hand, perhaps I was right to predict that this enthusiasm might require further explanation. The first car I can remember my family owning was a sky blue Avenger Estate, though this is just a hazy memory owing to the fact that I can only have been about five at the time. The second and third cars were both white Avengers, but it is the third which stands out most in my memory and which is responsible for the current contents of our garage.

This formidable piece of machinery had done the equivalent of a couple of circuits of the globe by the time it expired, had towed far greater weights than I can ever believe it was designed to do and had withstood the ravages of two growing children. Chrysler Avenger CLW521T eventually turned grey (as is so often the case after a hard working life) in order to match the 'fleet' of vans run by the firm. She ran for what seemed like years on unleaded fuel without having undergone any major surgery to make this possible, and even did her bit for the preservation of her predecessors in the transport world by fetching the mudguards for our ERF 133URB from up North. (She didn't do this on her own, mind you; there were limits to her talents). I recall getting up at 4am to accompany Dad on this great adventure, which was added to by the fact that he made me promise not to tell Mum we had done 100mph on the motorway!

Her interior was top-of-the-range shiny vinyl, which had tendency to remove a layer of skin from the backs of your legs in hot weather, and her ceiling was of a spotty pattern that may or may not have actually been holes. Years of poking children's fingers failed to solve the mystery. She sported two lines along her sides, which I am happy to note are also a feature of our current project, as is the vinyl interior, which is less of a cause for celebration! Sadly, CLW521T had to be laid to rest eventually and was succeeded by a range of vans and cars which failed to achieve the same status for me.

Perhaps you have similar fond feelings for an old piece of metal, and I would guess that many of you are reading this because you do. Whether or not it really makes sense to be so sentimental is neither here nor there. What it means in reality is that CNL809K now has a new loving home, and practically, that we can look forward (and I do mean look forward) to many chilly nights in a dimly lit garage, many (many) cups of coffee and no doubt many pieces of unidentifiable Avengerbits distributed around the house (well.... if past experience is anything to go by!)

Helen Wells and James Need