In the 1950s and 1960s it was everywhere. Now the Singer Gazelle isindeed a rare species. Oonagh Charleton reports on a confirmed sighting
Teresa Smyth's battleship grey, 1965 series V Singer Gazelle has never won any wars, but it can trace its proud heritage to a manufacturer whose reputation was largely built on helping to arm the Allies and steer them to victory in the second World War.
Built on a bicycle dynasty that successfully traded in the 1800s under the direction of George Singer, the Gazelle originally appeared in 1956 only months after Singer motors were taken over by the Rootes Group.
When the Gazelle model eventually ended production in 1970, it was used as a variation of the Hillman Hunter.
The legacy of Singer helped to mobilise the Gazelle's popularity where George's customers boasted of one queen, two princesses and 13 countesses.
Although virtually impossible to find in Ireland, approximately 1,369 Gazelles are still running worldwide and are recognisable as chunky cars with a front grill reminiscent of the Ford Edsels "Oldsmobile sucking a lemon".
Both Singer and Hillman shared the same body shell and mechanical components but the upright grille incorporated into the bonnet was the main distinctive feature of the Gazelle.
During the second World War, five large Singer factories produced vital bombers, shell cases, Spitfire engine mountings and landing gear for military aircraft. And, during the first World War, one of the Gazelle's predecessors, the "10" went into active service in France, Italy and Mesopotamia.
The company had made history when it produced the Singer 10 - one of the forerunners of the light car. And in 1914 it captured all the Brooklands racing records in the under 1,100 cc class.
Teresa, who was given her 1,600cc Gazelle for free when a previous owner decided it was cluttering up his property, has spent the past few years rumbling around the British countryside in a car that even she fondly refers to as a "tank".
"It was like, people knew when they saw you that, if they were going to hit you, they would definitely come off worse."
Economic difficulties after 1945 were overcome when Singer accepted a merger with the Rootes Group. The immediate result was the Gazelle.
The result of plans to create a luxury version of the Hillman Minx, the Gazelle differed enough to stand alone as a unique and incredibly memorable car especially for those who drove it.
Certainly, Teresa's Gazelle has rich memories of long drives through the countryside with friends piled into the back. And there were impulsive trips to France with rucksacks squeezed into the boot
What about reliability? Generally excellent, apart from one occasion on a film set where it went through a phase of needing to be push-started. The actors using it had to push it along, jump in, start it, and only then, camera - action.
Another quirk was never being able to get it into first gear unless you were completely stationary. "It really did have its moments," she explains smiling. "It was very manual, you had to be forceful with it to get it moving but you could get good speed out of it. I also loved the style of it and interior with its walnut dash and the leather seats.
"My biggest upset was when it was stolen - the interior was completley ripped, all the leather. It broke my heart. I was lucky that nothing was damaged apart from the interior."
The Gazelle front-end styling differed from that of its sibling, the Singer Hunter, with a walnut trimmed upper fascia panel and an option of leather trim. With the Rootes Group corporate engine, twin carburettors and a higher compression ratio it was a little heavy on juice but definitly had a bite.
With a synchromesh gearbox and diaphragm spring clutch, the Mk V also boasted a 0-60 in 26.2 seconds and ran at 26 miles to the gallon.
Singer was also the first British company to fit independent front suspension and produce a car with clutchless gear change. The Gazelle's front suspension, operated by means of swinging links and coil springs was matched by semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear and double acting hydraulic shock absorbers.
Front disc brakes and self- adjusting rear drum brakes were heavily emphasised as features in sales manuals at the time and the fact that the chassis itself was perceived as having exceptional strength and rigidity.
Other features included a dished steering wheel with chrome plated horn ring and steel wheels with wide base rims. Sales people were also known to excitedly pitch the "now lockable glove compartment" and "top speeds of 85 mph".
The late 1960s saw Rootes/Chrysler slowly abandoning the Singer after years of difficulty in developing its own identity where instead of introducing the next marque, a series of independently named models such as the Vogue and the Chamois were introduced.
Teresa, who now plans to restore her Gazelle and sell it on, will always see it as a car that was distinctively part of her life. "We always looked like we were having a good time in it, and I am so aware now of how cars are so homogenised and how special the interior is for example.
"I used it as my main car for years and so never really saw it as a classic but I'd get people coming up to me in Birmingham or wherever saying . . . 'Wow, that was my first car'. It was special but not outrageous. It wasn't perfect, or incredibly shiny, just like a big old tank. That's exactly the way I'll remember it."