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This high-performance saloon was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1969 but was only called the Hillman GT in its first year of production. It was the sporty offering of the Rootes Group Arrow range before being replaced by the Hillman Hunter GT.

With a tuned Rootes 1725 cc engine and twin Stromberg CD150 carburettors, it was primarily marketed towards “the married man who still remembers fun, free, fast, bachelor GT days”. The car, somewhat controversially, included high-backed seats with moulded head restraints; they were seen by many as restricting vision for both the rear passengers and driver. Rootes were the first manufacturer to introduce high-backed seats as standard in the UK. The Hillman GT also had two bands of peelable stripes to enhance the sporty look that Rootes preferred to call “Virile GT stripes”.

The Hillman GT is arguably the rarest car from the Rootes Group manufacturer and it is believed that this vehicle, built in Linwood, Renfrewshire, is the only surviving example. It was bought by the TV show Bangers and Cash in 2022 as a restoration project which will be featured in an upcoming programme and is on display in the Museum until it is auctioned, as per the usual end point of the show’s projects.