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Singer Gazelle (1955 – 1967) Review

Singer Gazelle (1955 – 1967) At A Glance

4/5

+Upscaled Hillman Minx with more luxurious interior and more power

-Lacking the glamour of its Sunbeam counterpart

After the failure of the SM1500, Rootes pursued the badge engineering policy for the Singer Marque. The first Gazelle was an upscale Hillman Minx was initially powered by Singer’s own 1497cc overhead camshaft engine. But that sliver of individuality was erased in 1958 when it was replaced by Rootes’ own overhead valve unit.

A full range was offered, with saloons, estates (rare and worth 25% more) and convertibles (pay double for those) all available. The Rootes Group updated the Gazelle almost every year in parallel with Hillman until production ended in 1967, by then it had a 1725cc engine, less curves and was a great deal of fun to drive.

Ask Honest John

Who will insure my 18-year-old daughter on a classic Singer Gazelle?

"I have seen a 1962 Singer Gazelle 4-door automatic saloon for sale for under £2000, which I would like to buy for my daughter's 18th birthday. We have both driven it and my daughter has fallen madly in love with it. However, no insurance company will touch her. Most have said she needs to be 25, a couple have said 21. I appreciate that classic cars can be expensive to maintain and finding parts is not easy. The car has been serviced and MoT'd at my local classic car garage (which is selling it on behalf of the owner) and I would keep that going. I would have thought that classic car insurers would be over the moon to have younger drivers driving 'real' cars and, more importantly, not being able to drive fast. Is there anything you can suggest?"
I agree with you. I think some are more sympathetic than others. Try the links in this directory: www.honestjohn.co.uk/useful-websites/tax-insurance-warranties/ and you might get lucky. And take a magnet to that 1962 Gazelle. They were rot boxes even at four years old, so unless it has been dry stored all its life, or has had a lot of metal replaced, I think there will be some hidden horrors. The Smiths ‘Easidrive’ autobox could also be suspect and difficult to get fixed. And, of course, if she passes her test in an auto, an auto will be all she can drive.
Answered by Honest John
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