The first Mini was put on British roads in 1959. Despite morphing through a few changes, its descendants have proved to be one of the most popular British cars ever built. Small just doesn't come into it, the Mini has showed itself to be deceptively spacious, nippy, economical and trendy. Considered one of the most reliable cars ever produced, Mini still have some stiff competition to live up to.
However, there is still one car out there that easily steals the record for reliability. The Hillman 14 has been on the road for 69 years and has clocked up 300,000 miles. With a top speed of 55 mph, a tax exemption position and an insurance cost of just 50 pounds a year, the car has served its owner well with barely a day of the road.
With comfort and luxury ahead of its time, the Hillman has leather seats and a thirty year AA membership that has never been used. It has been out every day on local shopping trips and occasional trips to London or coastal holidays.
The car is now up for sale because its devoted owner has become too old and frail to drive it but he is keen to see it go to a good home. Obviously, he has kept up a good maintenance system on it and the next owner will be getting a classic car to be proud of. They will also be the cars sixth owner but can expect to pay a little more that the 12 pounds and ten shillings that the current owner paid for it. In fact, when it goes to auction, you can expect to see it fetch anything up to 1,800. pounds
So, the Hillman is as famous as the Mini. Not the usual names you hear bandied about for reliability but up there with the best, nonetheless. They are also a darn sight more reliable than some other cars too.
The Ford Galaxy and the Ford S-Max have been voted among Britain's least reliable cars, which is something of a disappointment for a company with what would normally have such an enviable reputation. On top of these, Land rover and Jaguar, which have just been sold by Ford have also come under weighty criticism. Maybe Ford should be asking themselves some questions?
The survey to distinguish unreliable cars was no small one either. A total of 40,000 drivers were surveyed and of those that owned Galaxy's, one in four had a problem within the first twelve months, with S-Max following closely behind with unacceptable problems within the first two years. Most of the problems were to do with braking or electrics - no minor faults then!
At the other end of the scale, reliable cars came in the form of the Honda Jazz, Skoda Fabia and Volvo C30, all scoring 96 per cent for reliability. This is quite a turnaround given that a few short years ago, it was considered quite an embarrassment to be seen driving around in a Skoda. So, all those Skoda drivers can now drive out happy in the knowledge that they may well pass a fancier car broken down at the side of the road - just remember to give them a wave!
Author Resource:-
Vehicle expert Catherine Harvey looks at the trustworthiness of the Mini in comparison to other British cars.
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