20 Jun 01
Singer was Rootes' now long forgotten upmarket brand, better than a Hillman but not quite as ostentatious as a Humber. Thus the Chamois was a posh version of the intriguing but troublesome Hillman Imp, a Rootes rear-engined retort to the Mini. But it was only a mild make-over really, with wider wheels, dummy grille, better paint, walnut inside and a chrome side flash. Late ones had quad lamps and there was a 55 bhp twin-carb model called the Sport. Curiously, the cute Chamois Coupe didn't come with the more potent engine. The rear-engined Imps, once they'd ditched the awkward pneumatic throttle, were nifty little cars (the engines were brilliant) but never captured the public's imagination like the Mini.
