01
Origins
The SM1500 of 1948 was independent Singer's all-in wager: an entirely new full-width saloon with the company's traditional overhead-camshaft engine in a modern chassis with independent front suspension. The engineering was sound and the styling, bluff and transatlantic, dated almost immediately — 'plain' was the kind contemporary verdict. Priced above the mass makers and below the prestige marques, it found too few takers, and Singer lacked the capital to replace it properly; the wood-trimmed, traditional-nosed Hunter of 1954 was a facelift wearing a heritage costume. Losses mounted until the Rootes Group absorbed the company in 1956, after which Singer meant an upmarket Hillman. The SM1500 is thus a poignant machine: the last car a proud engineering firm designed entirely for itself, and the one that couldn't save it.
Singer Hunter front · Redsimon · CC BY 3.0
