So often in motoring life, it’s the most basic models that provide the most entertainment value. As long as you’ve got a decent engine and enjoyable handling, who needs fancy equipment or luxury fittings? Just ask any proud owner of a Mini 850, for example – they’ll tell you all about the fun to be had from a small car with real charisma and few creature comforts.
It was the same with the Hillman Imp in this brochure from October 1971. “This is the lowest-priced Imp” it said of the entry-level model. It offered all the “big features of Imp” but was praised for being a “no-nonsense, practical car”, still with all the fun appeal of the better-equipped models.
Presumably then, Chrysler came up with a snappy new name for that year’s cheapest Imp? No, there was no new moniker in sight: “So, sensibly, we just called it Imp”. Fair enough.
