Hillman · 1925–1930

Hillman 14

The Hillman Fourteen is a medium-sized 4-cylinder car announced by Hillman's managing director Spencer Wilks, a son-in-law of William Hillman, at the end of September 1925. This new Fourteen substantially increased Hillman's market share and remained on sale into 1931. During this time it was the main product of the company. Late 1920s fashion when engines and other mechanicals were firmly fixed to the chassis decreed that a medium-sized car like the Fourteen should be given a six-cylinder engine to reduce vibration. So the 2-litre Fourteen's place was taken by the 2.1-litre six-cylinder Hillman Wizard 65 in April 1931. This Wizard 65 was itself dropped in 1933. The 2.8-litre Wizard 75 continued (renamed 20/70) alongside a 2.6-litre Sixteen and a 3.2-litre Hawk, all of six cylinders. For four years Hillman had no offering in the 2-litre slot. The six-cylinder cars were not as successful as had been expected, and in October 1937 a new 2-litre four-cylinder Hillman Fourteen with a handsome new body filled their previous place in the Hillman range. Hillman now offered just their Minx and this new Fourteen. In 1946 production resumed but the former Hillman Fourteens were now given a protruding boot lid and no running boards and badged Humber Hawk.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Hillman Wizard

All Hillman 14 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

New market segment

In the early 1920s Hillman had concentrated on smaller cars with the 10 and 11 hp models but with their 14 horsepower car they entered the larger sized class taking on the Austin 12 hp and Humber 14/40. The new Hillman was priced at £345 for the saloon, undercutting the Austin which sold for £455, it was advertised as "the car that costs less than it should". Engine The engineering was largely conventional with a 72 x 120 mm long stroke, monobloc, side-valve 1954 cc, four-cylinder 35 bhp engine built in-unit with a four-speed gearbox and spiral bevel geared rear axle. Chassis Four wheel, cable operated, drum brakes were fitted from the start but unusually a vacuum servo was an option. The handbrake had its own set of shoes on the rear brakes. The steel section chassis had semi-elliptic leaf springs all round. In a test by The Autocar magazine, the top speed was around 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) and fuel consumption 23-24 mpg. Bodies A range of bodies were offered including saloons and tourers. The cars were well fitted out and spacious with a right-hand gear change by the driver's door, a feature regarded as up-market at the time. Safety glass was fitted in the windows of the 1928 Safety Saloon. Wire spoked or artillery wheels could be specified. A V-windscreened landaulette was advertised in 1927. Standard equipment included: clock, speedometer, oil gauge, screen wiper, driving mirror, shaded dash-lamp, licence holder, rug rail, floor carpets etc. Road test. In early January 1925, The Times's motoring correspondent described the new Hillman's engine as lively enough, quiet and vibration-free, but said the suspension was hard. There was no undue grumble or hum from the gears. All the controls including steering and brakes were said to work well, and the seats, fro

All new car

Olympia October 1937 First displayed at the Olympia Motor Show in October 1937 some of its thunder was stolen by the "Ghost Minx" displayed beside it. Holes had been cut in the Minx's body and replaced by Perspex panels. Body The new 2-litre Hillman Fourteen was a much prettier car than their Minx's sole remaining stable-mate their 3.2-litre Hawk which it replaced. It was a straightforward, in essence simple, design for an economical four-cylinder car. Full use had been made of the wheelbase and track so five passengers may be carried in comfort. There were six side-windows and swivelling quarter lights in the leading edges of the front windows. Further air was supplied through a ventilator in the scuttle. The de luxe model's sliding roof was steel like the rest of the body. Passengers' feet were not restricted by footwells. Lockable luggage space at the back of the car was considered adequate, the spare wheel was carried in a separate compartment below the luggage. The windscreen could be opened high enough for a clear view in fog. Two wipers were fitted and three swivelling ashtrays. Front seats slide forward and back. New engine. The new engine was a return to the medium-sized simpler and more efficient 4-cylinder type rather than the 6-cylinder engines fashionable earlier in the 1930s. It had been given an oil bath air cleaner and an automatic choke for the downdraught carburettor. The valves were mounted to one side of the block and operated by pushrods. Cooling water was circulated by an impellor and the amount of cooling provided by the radiator was regulated by thermostat. The design, then displacing 1669 cc, was a scaled down version of the Snipe's engine first used in Humber's Twelve of 1933 and now bored out to 75 mm. The engine, the clutch and the gearbox w

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Hillman 14 hp
Manufacturer: Hillman Motor Car Co Ltd
Production: 1925–1930, 11,000 approx produced
Class: Mid-size / Large family car (D)
Body style: 4-door saloon (6 or 4-light, coachbuilt or fabric), all-weather drop head coupé, tourer, chassis for bespoke bodywork, van
Wheelbase: 112 in, 114 in from 1928 Track, 52 in, 56 in from 1928
Length: 162 in
Width: 64 in
Predecessor: Hillman 11
Successor: Hillman Wizard 65
Engine: 1954 cc I4

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3785638CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillman_14CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1252650743 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1926_Hillman_14_(8376388449).jpgCC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Robert Knight from Colton, England · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.