The Chevy Impala was a huge success for Chevrolet, introduced in 1958 and dominating the US market throughout the '60s.... however, across the Atlantic in England, another Imp was making waves.
The 875cc rear-engined Hillman Imp, was assembled in Scotland from parts manufactured in Coventry. To begin with, it was neither reliable, nor popular, but it eventually found what was to become a cult following.
That rise in success can be attributed to rally driver Rosemary Smith, who drove the Hillman Imp to trailblazing wins, even though she agreed the car was difficult to drive and was "utter rubbish."
The Hillman Imp became more endeared when it was used by the Coventry police force, and was affectionately known as the "Panda" car.
And so, roll on to the 1965 San Francisco International Car Show, and the highly genderised Lord and Lady Imps. The Lord Imp was "for men only" and featured ship-to-shore radio, air horns, and a portable bar... I kid you not. Lady Imp was much more refined, but was definitely "a new car a man wouldn't want to drive" with a hair dryer, a telephone, and a cosmetic perfume console. Follow those links, and decide for yourself whether you're man or lady enough.
Either could have been yours in 1965 for US$3,700 (about US$37,500 in today's money)... or rather, they could have been had either made it through to production.
