Hillman Husky
1954–1970 · two unrelated cars, one name · and no part fits both
A customer who says “Husky” has told you nothing until they give a year. One is a front-engined Minx. The other is a rear-engined Imp.
Find Hillman Husky parts by category
RelatedHillman MinxHillman ImpHillman
Not listed? Plenty of parts suit several marques and never get the model name in the title — ask us and we will check the books for you.
About the Hillman Husky
The 1954–65 Husky is a Minx underneath — front engine, rear drive, a floorpan eight inches shorter than the Minx estate, and a half-saloon, half-estate body with a glazed van-like rear and a single side-hinged rear door. The Mark I of 1954–57 has the 1265cc side-valve at 35bhp; the Series I of January 1958 moves to the 1390cc overhead-valve at 51bhp, with the 1592 for North America. Series II, March 1960, is the glass breakpoint: greatly enlarged front and rear windows and a roofline lowered by an inch and a quarter. The Series III ran 1963–65 on 15in wheels and drums all round — and that is the fact worth pausing on, because in those exact years the Minx Series V had gone to front discs. Same family, same showroom, different brakes. The Commer Cob is the van version of the same car.
The 1967–70 Husky is something else entirely. It is a Hillman Imp — the 875cc all-alloy overhead-cam engine mounted at the back, a transaxle, swing axles at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear, rack and pinion steering, drums all round. Its body has a vertical top-hinged tailgate with the bottom of the opening level with the floor — the exact opposite arrangement to the side-hinged rear door of the earlier car. It also got uprated rear shock absorbers and springs and a strengthened rear suspension over a standard Imp. Nothing from one Husky fits the other. Not a panel, not a seal, not a brake part, not a lamp.
Hillman Husky — specification & changes within the model
- Which Husky — look at the back door
- Single side-hinged rear door = 1954–65, Minx-based, front engine. Top-hinged tailgate, opening level with the floor = 1967–70, Imp-based, rear engine. That is the whole test and it takes two seconds.
- Brakes — the trap
- The Series III Husky of 1963–65 kept drums all round while the Minx Series V of the same years had front discs. Do not sell a Minx Series V front brake part to a Series III Husky. The Imp-based Husky is drums all round too, like every Imp.
- March 1960 — the glass breakpoint
- Series II brought greatly enlarged front and rear windows and a roofline lowered 1¼ inches. Screen glass and seals split there.
- Engines, front-engined cars
- Mark I 1954–57: 1265cc side-valve, 35bhp. Series I from Jan 1958: 1390cc overhead-valve, 51bhp (1592cc for North America). Series II from March 1960: improved manifolds and a Zenith 30 VIG carburettor from November 1959. Series III 1963–65: 1390 retained, new Zenith 30 VNN.
- Chassis numbers where we have them
- Series I from A2 800 001 (Jan 1958). Series II from B2 000 001 (March 1960). No published number for the Series III.
- The Commer Cob
- The van version of the Minx-based Husky — same floorpan, same running gear. If you have a Cob, this is your page.
- Not claimed
- Brake specifications for the Mark I, Series I and Series II — only the Series III is documented as drums all round. And earth polarity, as everywhere else in this range.