1959 Hillman Husky Commer Cob Project

Description

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

The 1959 Hillman Husky Commer Cob was a compact British utility vehicle born from the collaboration between Hillman and Commer, both part of the Rootes Group. The Commer Cob, introduced in 1956, was a van version of the Hillman Husky, derived from the Hillman Minx Mark VIII. By 1959, the Cob had evolved into a practical delivery van, sharing its underpinnings with the Husky.

The Cob featured a simple, utilitarian design with a flat load floor and side-hinged rear doors, making it ideal for tradespeople and small businesses. The 1959 model was powered by a 1390 cc overhead-valve inline-four rated producing modest power but offering reliability and economy. The vehicle was praised for its maneuverability and compact size, which made it well-suited for urban deliveries. It was part of a broader trend in post-war Britain toward versatile, car-based commercial vehicles, and it remained in production until 1965.

This unusual Commer Cob was created by removing the rear seat and blocking off the rear side windows of a 1959 Hillman Husky station wagon. A plan to update the Husky with a Sunbeam Alpine Series V engine and Weber carburetors was not completed, leaving it with no brakes and unknown drivability. This is a project by a veteran hot rodder and just needs to be finished.

Highlights

• 1959 Hillman Husky station wagon converted to a Commer Cob sedan delivery

• Updated with a 1725 cc Sunbeam Alpine Series V engine

• Alpine Series V close-ratio four-speed manual transmission

• Upgraded with front disc brakes and other modifications

Features

• Updates include:

  • Twin Weber 40DCOE carburetors

  • Master cylinder moved to right side to make room for the Webers

  • Pertronix distributor

  • Electronic tachometer

  • Rally-style toggle switches and circuit breakers

  • Front disc brakes

  • Larger rear drum brakes

  • Hillman Super Minx rear axle

  • Relocated battery

Known Imperfections

• No brakes

• Engine drivability unknown

• Some wiring incomplete

• Tachometer does not work

Included

• Receipts

• Boxes of extra parts and documents

Ownership History

This 1959 Hillman Husky Commer Cob is offered by the estate of the previous owner, who wrote about his project: “When I bought it, this particular car had already been updated with the front disc brakes, larger rear drum brakes, and rear end from a (circa 1966) Hillman Super Minx, which improved it considerably. However, it still had the original underpowered 42 hp, 1300cc engine. I found a Series V Alpine (1725 cc, five main bearings, etc.) engine and had Mulder’s Auto Machine (Boise, Idaho) rebuild it with custom rods and pistons, cam, shaved crank, balanced, etc. I also found a Weber twin 40DCOE set up for it, one of the rare cast and finned oil pans, and a few other odds-n-ends, and that’s what my buddy Tom Wilson (excellent A&P Mechanic w/FAA Inspection Authorization) installed. It also has the Series V Alpine close-ratio four-speed transmission. I’m guessing maybe 140 hp at the crank now.

“The first problem we encountered was that the left-side-mounted twin Weber 40DCOEs weren't even close to clearing the brake master cylinder. So, Tom came up with the idea of putting the master cylinder on the right-hand side of the car. This was accomplished with a junkyard master cylinder, jackshaft, and enough other stuff so that it at least looks like it'll work. However, we wanted to get the engine running first, so we never even attempted to bleed the brakes or try them out. And that is why the brakes don't work!

“After I got the wiring done, I took the car to Throttle Works to see if they could get the engine to rev up and run right. They did some more work on the Webers, also tried removing the distributor's vacuum advance unit to see if that would allow proper timing adjustment and ended up re-clocking the distributor and plug wires. I tried starting it, and it actually sounds like it’s revving up pretty well now. I suspect that a few more tweaks may be in order though.”