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| A minx, it seems, is no relation to a mink. But did Hillman know that? |
I ALWAYS thought that Hillman innocently named its Minx after an animal, unaware that the word would prompt snickers in certain circles – including, I must confess, mine.
And in Mike Myers' circles too, it seems. "I bet she shags like a minx," his character exclaims in the 1997 movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
But none other than the Oxford English Dictionary defines minx as "an impudent, cunning or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman"– and traces its origin to the mid-16th century.
The M-word appears never to have been an alternate form of mink, the weasel-like critter so favoured by furriers. (For an unsettling photo of a mink eating a crayfish, see the Wikipedia entry.)
And in Mike Myers' circles too, it seems. "I bet she shags like a minx," his character exclaims in the 1997 movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
But none other than the Oxford English Dictionary defines minx as "an impudent, cunning or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman"– and traces its origin to the mid-16th century.
The M-word appears never to have been an alternate form of mink, the weasel-like critter so favoured by furriers. (For an unsettling photo of a mink eating a crayfish, see the Wikipedia entry.)
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| Raymond Loewy and Associates contributed to the Minx's stately styling. |
Surely then, Hillman would have known in 1932, when it introduced its first Minx, that the name would carry a salacious connotation. Perhaps this was the intent – though if it was, you'd think the British manufacturer might have applied it to something, er, racier than what was from the beginning an upright sedan.
Sadly for me and my fellow snickerers, Hillman's offering did not spawn a series of impudent imitators, such as, say, the Triumph Trollop or (to spread the sexism around) the Humber Horndog.
But the Minx, under the stewardship of Hillman's parent, the Rootes Group, would live on through successive models right through to 1970. A midsize vehicle, at least by most of the world's standards, the "faithful family car" enjoyed strong popularity in the 1950s and '60s, when it was built in four countries for numerous markets.
Not coincidentally, that was the time of the Audax bodystyle, shared between three Rootes marques and partially designed by the firm of Raymond Loewy, who is famous for the 1953 Studebaker Starliner, among other things.
See also:
Sadly for me and my fellow snickerers, Hillman's offering did not spawn a series of impudent imitators, such as, say, the Triumph Trollop or (to spread the sexism around) the Humber Horndog.
But the Minx, under the stewardship of Hillman's parent, the Rootes Group, would live on through successive models right through to 1970. A midsize vehicle, at least by most of the world's standards, the "faithful family car" enjoyed strong popularity in the 1950s and '60s, when it was built in four countries for numerous markets.
Not coincidentally, that was the time of the Audax bodystyle, shared between three Rootes marques and partially designed by the firm of Raymond Loewy, who is famous for the 1953 Studebaker Starliner, among other things.
With wide grille, scooped-out sides and pert, reverse-angle c-pillar, but no overpowering design features, the Audax was a pleasing mix of American cues and British restraint.
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| Dark glass nicely sets off the white paint of this 1957 or '58 Hillman Minx Series II. |
This Minx's curved bumpers and latticework grille identify it as a 1957 or '58 Series II model. Tinted glass and blacked-out window trim give it a clean, almost modern look, and allow the eye to linger on its exceptional white paintwork.
I can't tell you if it has its original 1.4-litre overhead-valve gasoline engine or some later diesel, but I do suspect that whatever the powerplant, the performance is more matronly than minx-like.
Stop snickering. It's still a nice car.
I can't tell you if it has its original 1.4-litre overhead-valve gasoline engine or some later diesel, but I do suspect that whatever the powerplant, the performance is more matronly than minx-like.
Stop snickering. It's still a nice car.
See also: