Hillman Hunter and the Rootes Arrow saloons (1966 to 1979)

Why people buy one

• Classics World calls the Arrow practical and reliable, with a simple engine, rear-wheel drive and MacPherson strut front suspension.
• A works Hunter driven by Andrew Cowan won the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon, which gives the plain saloon a genuine competition story.
• The Hunter GLS has the Holbay-tuned 1725cc engine with twin Weber carburettors and a close-ratio gearbox; Motor Sport in 1972 and Classic & Sports Car both give 93bhp (DIN), with a top speed of just over 100mph.
• Overdrive was offered, and Classics World counts a working overdrive as a definite plus.
• The Hunter-based Paykan was built in Iran until the mid-2000s, and Classics World says some wings, valances and sills now come from there.

What to weigh up

• The specialist quoted by Classics World says the cars "rust everywhere", and later cars fared worse than those from about 1969 to 1974.
• Original floorpans are largely unavailable, and original velour trim is scarce.
• Genuine GLSs are rare, with Classics World putting around 40 on the road; a Holbay engine or quad headlamps can be fitted to an ordinary Hunter, so check the car's identity.
• Classics World calls the Hillman GT the rarest Arrow of all. Badges and twin carburettors can be added to any Hunter, so check a GT's identity as carefully as a GLS.
• The fastback Sunbeam Rapier, Rapier H120 and Alpine, and the Humber Sceptre Mk III, share mechanicals but are covered elsewhere.

Where they rust

• Inner and outer sills, and all the jacking points (in the sills on post-1973 cars).
• Front floorpans.
• The rear chassis legs over the back axle and around the rear spring mountings.
• Front wings and the joins with the front panel, and the panel under the front bumper.
• The tops of the rear wheel arches around the rear damper mountings; check from inside the boot.
• Rear wheel arches, rear wing lower edges and door bottoms.
• The boot floor, often rotted by a leaking rear screen seal.
• MacPherson strut tops, which Classics World says rust less than on contemporary Fords but still need checking.

Mechanical weak spots

• A rumble under load suggests worn main bearings.
• Engines with an alloy head need antifreeze all year; look for head gasket leaks, overheating, or a cold-running engine with the thermostat removed.
• Check for oil and fuel leaks around the carburettors; flaking paint inside the fuel tank can block the fuel system.
• Most cars have a four-speed manual gearbox; overdrive relays are a known electrical fault, and Borg-Warner automatics were three-speed, then four-speed from 1973.
• Rear leaf springs sag and are hard to find, though new ones are being made.
• Track rod ends fail regularly; Classics World says ball joints and bushes are readily available.
• Distributors and the switches on later dashboards are known weak points.

At a Mathewsons viewing

• Check the chassis number on the identification plate against the V5C. On cars from July 1970 the product code in the number shows the model, for example 040 for a Hunter GLS, according to Rootes coding published by the Tiger East/Alpine East club.
• Ask for a Rootes Archive Centre Trust heritage certificate, which can confirm model, colour and build date; the Trust lists Ryton and Linwood records from 1950 to 1976, so cars built after 1976, including the Irish-assembled cars, may not be covered.
• For a GLS, open the bonnet and look for twin Weber 40 DCOE carburettors and the Holbay engine, then check that the quad headlamp front, close-ratio gearbox and papers all agree.
• Lift the boot floor covering and the carpets to check for rot, and use a torch on the sills, jacking points and rear chassis legs.
• Check the dashboard for cracks and the trim for damage; if staff start the car, listen for bottom-end rumble and look for leaks; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Seen on Bangers & Cash

• Hillman GT (Restoring Classics series 3, episode 5, First shown November 2023 on Yesterday)

Sources

• Rootes Arrow buyer's guide (Classics World), 4 July 2023
• Morris Marina vs Hillman Hunter vs Vauxhall Cavalier (Classic & Sports Car), 2 August 2023
• A spring selection (Motor Sport), May 1972
• 50 years of the Hillman Hunter (Lancaster Insurance), 8 September 2016
• Hillman Hunter wins (Our Warwickshire), 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
• Rootes Arrow (Wikipedia), accessed 14 October 2026