Who knows this attractive Aero Minx?

I have just purchased a Hillman Aero Cresta Minx, a blue car, which was in Denmark for many years. It will be the only one now in Germany. Only three are still existing, so I was told. As I am always collecting and looking for very rare cars, this Aero Minx was the best. The car is still in denmark and will be transferred to Germany in the next week. I really love the styling of this vehicle from 1935.

During my time as the prewar Minx registrar at the Hillman Owners Club iIcame across some Aero Minx, but none of it had a divided windscreen, if so, then during restoration two small Le Mans windows were used, but as fair as I know as a modern aspect to make it look faster. I did not come across anything about the London 1932 car, but that does not mean anything, there is a special registrar for the Aero Minxes, in my cases it was only by chance. But given the +/- 700 Aero Minxes which were build to my knowledge nearly not two were looking the same and there were a number of one offs. Even in 1932 e.g.the design of the ventilation slits in the bonnet changed.

Another photo of the two ladies, taken from a more offside front position, appeared in syndicated newspaper Motor Show Reviews during the second week of October 1932. The lady on the left was named: “Miss Evelyn Spilsbury, daughter of Sir Bernard discussing the new Hillman Aero Minx Saloon, 10 h.p., with a friend at the [London] Motor Show.” Bernard Spilsbury was the famous Home Office pathologist; his daughter was an actress and married a Scotsman in 1934.

Oddly, the photo was used again in October 1933 Motor Show Reviews, titled: “Feminine interest in the new Hillman Aero Minx at the Motor Show”. That year they said: five or six “Minxes are on the Hillman stand, including the neat Aero Minx with a Burlington drop-head coupe in Corona Red. Corona Red wouldn’t be a popular colour in 2020!

The Hillman Aero-Minx sports saloon at the earlier 1932 show was described as Nile-blue and grey, confirmed when it appeared soon after at the Scottish Motor Show in Glasgow: “The feminine mind, it is tacitly agreed, is less conservative than the masculine, and this explains, perhaps, the concentrated attention women have given to the Hillman Aero-Minx, which made the journey north from Olympia. In its outline it achieves a modern geometrical look, the horizontal line of the bonnet being surmounted by a roofline which sweeps in an unbroken ellipse from the peak to the tail. The effect is youthful and slightly impudent, and never was a car more aptly named. Its intriguing qualities are enhanced by a colour scheme of lavender grey and blue, the upholstery being of blue. This is one of several cars one finds to have no running board, while to give the occupants the maximum benefit of sunshine without any of the wind discomforts of an open car inlet into the roof are panels of celluloid. The car is priced at £245 and if the interest it has aroused be any criterion, the departure in design will be encouraged.”

My book, "Art Deco and British Car Design" devotes a whole chapter to the Hillman Aero Minx. On page 33 there is another view of the prototype at the London Motor Show in 1932. The production version in 1933 was know as the Streamline Saloon and differed from the prototype by having different front wings that flowed into running boards. The factory illustration artwork for the 1932 prototype shows different bonnet louvres but these never appeared on an actual vehicle. The appearance of a split windshield on your photo is an optical illusion probably produced by reflection of the lighting at the Motor Show, as the prototype and production cars only ever had one piece windshields.

Alan, I think what looks like a windscreen divider in the photo is merely a reflection. This windscreen is a one-piece like those shown on-line. Very attractive car.

There are pictures of a 1933 Hillman Aero Minx online, and the louvers in the bonnet and the construction of the front wings look identical. The only difference seems to be the one-piece windshield on the later car.