Hrubron - BL export kit car?

[Johnnytheboy]

For reasons I can't elaborate on, my old man was recently given a highly-confidential set of production figures for British Leyland cars over the years.

All very interesting, but puzzling too.

One page includes mention of 204 Hrubron 4-door cars delivered overseas in kit form in 1981 and 1982.

Hrubron - yep, that's H r u r b r o n - does anyone know what these were?

Google - before anyone says it - is not my friend on this occasion. A single result - tantalisingly on a car website, but in French and appears to be someone's stab at identifying a picture of a vintage car.

[davepoth]

I've binged it (ooh er), and there's a reference to a brazilian E-Book which I'm attempting to open...

[slomax]

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&...fficial%26prmd%3Divns

is the only thing i can find, and its not even spelt right?!

[davepoth]

davepoth said:

I've binged it (ooh er), and there's a reference to a brazilian E-Book which I'm attempting to open...

That was a dead end.

[Y282]

drawing a bit of a blank too here. the french site appears to have someone guessing an answer to a question with the response "hrubron" so lends validity to your enquiry. nothing more though.

[restoman]

Short version of the Mini Moke perhaps:



Created by Jean-Claude Hrubon in 1980 (who called it "Green" (998cc) or "Juan" (125cc Sachs motorcycle engine)),
Produced by an Asacien craftsmen by Schmitt Automobiles (France) in 1981 under the name "Schmitt" (998cc) and "Schmitty" (49,9cc),
Production continued in Migennes (also France) in 1984 upto 1987, under the name "La puce", "the flee".

Doesn't have 4 doors though ?

[tubster1275]

Hi

A couple of options would be the Morris Ital that went to china or the Rover badged Honda (Quintet) that went to either Australia or New Zealand.

There were several CKD kit operations on the go the other options could be setting up the India production line for SD1's

Cheers,

Mike

[lowdrag]

Please don't ask me why, 'cause I can't tell you, but somewhere the grey cells are telling me this was a deal with Israel back in the days. Like the Hillman Hunter was called, IIRC, a Paykan in Iran etc.

[AAGR]

restoman said:

Short version of the Mini Moke perhaps:



Created by Jean-Claude Hrubon in 1980 (who called it "Green" (998cc) or "Juan" (125cc Sachs motorcycle engine)),
Produced by an Asacien craftsmen by Schmitt Automobiles (France) in 1981 under the name "Schmitt" (998cc) and "Schmitty" (49,9cc),
Production continued in Migennes (also France) in 1984 upto 1987, under the name "La puce", "the flee".

Doesn't have 4 doors though ?

I wonder if you clever guys are now getting somewhere ? The Schmitt, which looked like a Moke, had a 998cc engine, which was a familiar Mini-sized A-Series engine.

Not four doors ? Well, according to the picture, there were no doors at all, or an infinite number of doors ....

Keep digging guys ....

[52classic]

My guess is that the kits were the mechanical bits to make the GRP bodied minis in South America.

[guru_1071]

52classic said:

My guess is that the kits were the mechanical bits to make the GRP bodied minis in South America.

the mini cords where done in the mid 1960's so 1980s is too late

[Racing green 2]

The yellow schmitt and monte carlo are mine, I've just stumbled into that picture on here googling :-)

There's an estimation of several hundreds schmitts made, of which less then 10 are 4-seaters, the majority are 2-seaters. There's even a six-wheeler made, and mention of hardtops in the sales brochures, although I've never found a picture of such top. None of the schmitts have doors obviously. If the topicstarter could send me a scan of that page, that could be intresting for me, as collecting sales brochures of the schmitt and all related items is one of my mini-hobbies :-)

[lowdrag]

I've and idea, dredged from the depths os what neurons are left, that this was the CKD Ital/Marina sent to Iraq or Iran back in the days.

[AAGR]

OK then, here's an easier one to entice all you identity crunchers.

What, if you please, was an Austin America ? That, indeed, is how it was badged.

[Steffan]

AAGR said:

OK then, here's an easier one to entice all you identity crunchers.

What, if you please, was an Austin America ? That, indeed, is how it was badged.

From what I can see it was an 1100/1300 see:http://www.austinamericausa.com/. No idea what the Hrubron was???

[ItsaTVR]

ETA: unless BL was pushing 10 year old pieces out, this wouldn't be the Hrubron.

Indeed, the America was the US import version of the Austin 1300, successor to the MG 1100 Sports Sedan. Many (most?) were sold with a 4-speed auto box... Quite special at the time for that, even the best US cars still had 3-speeds as autos and even manuals... and in that delightful shade of robin's egg blue/aqua.
In the daze of my Yooth my daily driver was a MG 1100 and I had an early Mini 850 intended for time-trials/gymkhana/autocross. I picked up a junker America (fire, as I recall, fueled by a leaky SU. Not unheard of...) as I needed side class for the 1100, and plumped the 1275 into the Mini. That was the plan.
Thaat's a story for another day. Young, poor and stoopid It was the best of times, and so on...

Edited by ItsaTVR on Sunday 29th April 19:50

Edited by ItsaTVR on Sunday 29th April 19:53