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Hillman, Chrysler and Talbot Avenger (1970 to 1981)
By Jon Cosson · Last checked
The Avenger (1970 to 1981) was sold as a Hillman, then a Chrysler from 1976 and a Talbot from 1979, as saloon, estate, GT, GLS and Tiger. It is simple and robust, but rusts, and Tiger claims need careful checking.
At a glance
- Years
- 1970 to 1981 (four-door February 1970; GT late 1970; estate 1972; Tiger 1972 to 1973; two-door 1973; 1300 and 1600 engines late 1973; Chrysler badge and facelift 1976; Talbot badge 1979; production ended 1981)
- Body styles
- two and four-door saloon; five-door estate
- Engines
- Rootes cast-iron overhead-valve four: 1248cc and 1498cc (1970 to 1973), 1295cc and 1598cc (from late 1973); twin carburettors on the GT; twin Weber 1498cc on the Tiger
- Built in
- Ryton-on-Dunsmore, England (bodies pressed at Linwood), with assembly moving to Linwood, Scotland, in 1976; also built in Argentina and Brazil and assembled elsewhere
Why people buy one
- A conventional rear-wheel-drive family car with MacPherson strut front suspension and a coil-sprung rear axle, easy to work on at home.
- Classics World calls the all-iron engine a "generally robust unit when maintained correctly".
- A wide range, from basic saloons to the twin-carburettor GT, the GLS and the rare Tiger.
- Five-door estates, which Classics World says are now seldom seen, add practicality and rarity.
- The Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club, founded in 1989, covers every Avenger, and the Rootes Archive Centre Trust holds Avenger factory records from 1970 to 1976.
What to weigh up
- AROnline notes the Avenger never had great resistance to rust, and Classics World warns of filler under fresh paint.
- New old-stock panels are scarce and larger repair panels can take months to arrive.
- The Tiger was a small run: the Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club estimates about 200 Mk1 and 400 Mk2 cars, and survivors are few. Tiger parts were homologated for racing and rallying, so treat any claimed Tiger with caution until its history is proven.
- The Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club says Mk1 Tigers were converted from four-door Avenger Supers by Chrysler's competitions centre, and Mk2 cars used the GL body; ask the club to look at a claimed car.
- Twin-carburettor GT and Tiger engines are tricky to set up, and choke cables often fail.
- The Talbot Sunbeam and Sunbeam-Lotus share parts but are not covered here.
Where they rust
- The front wings around the headlamps, along the trailing edge and at the bottom behind the front wheel.
- Rear wheel arches and the lower rear corners.
- Front and rear valances.
- Inner and outer sills and the jacking points.
- The bottom of each A-post and the adjoining chassis rail, and the bottom of the B-post where it meets the sill.
- The box section between the front valance and the radiator panel, and the joins between the inner wings and the bulkhead.
- The metal around the strut tops and the front chassis rails at the strut mountings and engine crossmember.
- Look for fresh paint, filler and heavy underseal hiding repairs.
Mechanical weak spots
- Listen for bearing knock, look for blue smoke and check for oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil; head gasket failure is not unknown.
- Timing chain rattle only matters if it is excessive.
- The second-gear synchromesh wears; a whining rear axle on high-mileage cars and a slipping clutch are common.
- A stiff clutch pedal often means a stretched cable.
- Too much body roll points to worn front struts and rear dampers; check for broken springs and ball joint play.
- Vague steering can mean a worn rack. Check the discs and drums for scoring and the hoses and cylinders for leaks.
At a Mathewsons viewing
- Compare the chassis number with the V5C. On Avengers the three-digit product code shows the model, for example 251 for a GT and 252 for a GLS, according to Rootes coding published by the Tiger East/Alpine East club; no separate Tiger code is listed.
- For a Hillman-era car, ask whether a Rootes Archive Centre Trust heritage certificate exists; the Trust lists Avenger records from 1970 to 1976, so later Chrysler and Talbot cars may not be covered.
- For a claimed Tiger, check the details the Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club lists: Mk1 cars were mostly Sundance Yellow with a matt black bonnet bulge, while Mk2 cars were Sundance Yellow or Wardance Red with four headlamps and a full matt black bonnet; both have twin Weber 40 DCOE carburettors, and the club lists a matt black rear panel and a boot spoiler for the Mk1. Ask for history back to the 1970s.
- With a torch, check the sills, A and B-post bottoms and front chassis rails, and lift the carpets and boot mat to look for rot.
- Open the bonnet, look at the strut tops and check the oil and coolant; if staff start the car, listen for knocks and look for smoke; do not assume it will be started.
Parts, specialists and clubs
Most service and mechanical parts are easy to find, and repair sections and some new front wings are made again, but new old-stock panels are scarce. The Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club and the Hillman Owners Club both cover the Avenger, and the Rootes Archive Centre Trust holds factory records for 1970 to 1976 cars.
Seen on Bangers & Cash
- Hillman Avenger Estate (Bangers & Cash series 2, episode 5, First shown March 2020)
- Hillman Avenger (Bangers & Cash series 14, episode 8, First shown September 2026 on U&Yesterday)
Sources
- Hillman Avenger buyer's guide (Classics World), 19 March 2025
- Avenger Tiger (Avenger Sunbeam Owners Club), accessed 14 October 2026
- Raise a glass to: 50 years of the Hillman Avenger (AROnline), accessed 14 October 2026
- Hillman Avenger (Classic & Sports Car), accessed 14 October 2026
- Later chassis and engine number coding (Tiger East/Alpine East), accessed 14 October 2026
- Heritage certificates (Rootes Archive Centre Trust), accessed 14 October 2026
- Hillman Avenger (Wikipedia), accessed 14 October 2026
An independent guide from Thornton-le-Dale. Not connected with Mathewsons or the programme.