SINGER CHAMOIS (1964-1970)
Despite high hopes, the Hillman Imp’s initial sales gave Rootes something of a headache. The firm’s new small car wasn’t selling in quite the numbers it had initially projected and therefore action was required. The idea was to push the model more upmarket, and to do that another name would be employed. Like BMC, Rootes was already well practiced at badge engineering, and there were myriad monikers within the Group that could be slapped on the Imp’s rump to add perceived luxury to a new upmarket version. The Singer Gazelle saloon was already popular with the buying public, so Rootes named this posh Imp as the Singer Chamois, hoping that some of the glamour would rub off on the smaller offering.
The Singer Chamois wasn’t considerably more luxurious than the common or garden Imp, but inside it got larger seats and walnut veneer, plus the very useful additions of a temperature
