Testing the (pre-production) Imps

The Imp started life as a very tough youngster indeed. It had undergone years of severe and intensive testing, in snow and in tense heat and dust. It has been left out in blizzards, driven hard and non-stop on the Silverstone race-track, stood up to the notorious Belgian pave, and tested to destruction over the East African Safari Rally course. It lived for some time as an Ottawa commuter, being driven 15 miles to and from the city each day and left out at night in sub-zero temperatures.
For months before its announcement, teams of Rootes apprentices and pupils drove production-line models up and down between Glasgow and Coventry to test the cars' reactions to different handling and driving styles.

			Baby-Hillman mit Heckmotor Die ersten Bilder vom neuen fünfsitzigen Hillman-Kleinwagen, der im Frühjahr 1963 auf den Markt kommt. Der Motor liegt fast waagerecht im Heck und hat 875 Kubik-zentimeter Hubraum. Für das Gepäck sind zwei Kofferräume vorhanden, von denen der hintere durch die hoch-klappbare Heckscheibe zu erreichen ist. Baby Hillman with engine in the back. The first images of the new 5-sitter Hillman small car, that comes on the market spring 1963. The engine lies almost horizontally in the back and has 875 cm3. For luggage there are 2 spaces available of which the rear can be reached via the up-folding rear window.
	Die Stern, 51 / 1962

Garret Walker remembers

• Test drivers (Garry and others)
• France - Aug. 1962
• Italy - November 6-28 1962
• the Arctic - Jan. 20 to Feb. 22 1963
• The Kenya Test - March 1963

Ken Sharpe remembers

• Development of the Hillman Imp
• 1st cold climate test - Canada, 1962 - prototype
• Testing at Dunlop
• Apex 3 (?) at M.I.R.A.
• 2nd cold climate test - Scandinavia, 1963 - preproduction
• 2nd hot climate test - Kenya, 1963 - preproduction
• opening day festivities
• 3rd cold climate test - Scandinavia, 1964
• 3rd eurocontinental test - Spain, May 1965

Alan Lane remembers

Matthew Lambert (March 16, 2008):
"Alan spoke of an Edward Vaughan - test driver - with some fond & funny memories."
"He says when they were driving the prototype around in '62/'63, when they pulled into the petrol stations, if people asked about the car they would say it's from Germany."

Tested and Proven (Rootes booklet; p. 14)