IT IS a Hillman Husky.

The calls and emails about the 1965 “mystery car” started at 7.44am last Thursday and have hardly stopped since.

Many thanks to all; their volume proves beyond doubt the type of car parked in Laburnum Avenue, Durham City, because there was one voice which broke the unanimity and raised a measure of doubt.

Dave Simpson, secretary of the Yorkshire Dales Classic Car Club, however summed up the consensus of opinion.

He said: “The Hillman Husky was a small estate type of car with two doors and a single side-opening rear door.

“They were built about the same time as the betterknown Hillman Minx saloon and later had the side windows removed to become the Commer Cob van.”

Peter Henry agreed: “It’s a Hillman Husky, manufactured by the Rootes Group.

My father had two models for several years in the early 1960s when he was service engineer covering the North of England repairing dental equipment.”

Jim Hall in Newton Aycliffe sold Huskys (surely only the plural of the dog is huskies) from Darlington’s Woodland Road garage. “They were very popular with tradespeople,”

he said.

The Hillman Husky Mark 1 was introduced in 1954. It was an estate with two passenger doors and a single, sidehinged rear door. Its rear bench seat folded down to create a large boot.

It was based on the Hillman Minx saloon car. There was a Hillman Minx estate car, but it had four passenger doors and was nine inches longer than the Husky.

Different versions of the Husky were introduced in 1958, 1960 and 1963. The one in our picture is probably a Series II or Series III. Its top speed would have been about 73mph, it would have accelerated from nought to 60 in about 27 seconds and it would done about 31 miles to the gallon.

It would have cost between £586 12s 1d and £674, depending on the optional extras – a heater, for example, cost an additional £17 5s.

It was available in five single colours and five duotones – ours is light blue with cream around the windows, the most popular duotone. The interior was either red or fawn.

The one lone disputing voice said that our mystery car was a Standard Ten Companion, and this caused many callers to think. The two types look very similar, both came in duotone with a lighter colour around the windows.

However, it seems the Standard Companion had four passenger doors, which caused there to be three windows along the vehicle’s side, whereas the Husky had only two doors and only two windows.

Just to confuse matters further, when the Husky’s rear side windows were replaced with a metal panel, it was rebadged as a Commer Cob van.

Production of the Husky ceased in 1965. “The Hillman name disappeared in 1976, and the company was purchased by Peugeot in 1979,” said Robin Hind of Sadberge, completing the story.

DINKY POINT: Just some of those who responded within 24 hours were: Roy Simpson, Paul Burnett, Allan Schofield of Ushaw Moor, R Young, George Hope, Graham Turner of Middleton in Teesdale, Clive Sledger, Frank Cowans of Willington, Alan of Campbell Motors in Coundon, David Atkinson of Bishop Auckland, John Wardle of Staindrop, Walter Hine of Sherburn, David Robinson of Gainford, John Loraine of Norton and Mike Crabtree and Mr Gravling, both of Darlington.

Thank you all.

PICTURES of classic cars always seem to produce a huge amount of interest.

So perhaps we could introduce a new Memories section entitled “My First Car”.

If you have any memories, details or incidents concerning the first car you owned, or the first one you remember your parents owning, please email a few paragraphs to chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk or write to him at the above address.

If you have a picture of the car, so much the better.

IT is often said that Echo Memories doesn’t know its left from its right, and John Lambard spotted last week that we definitely don’t know our east from our west.

High Souk, or High Stoop, station on the Weardale Extension Railway was to the west of Tow Law, where the A68 meets the B6296.

“The principal building there these days is the Brown Horse pub at the road junction,”

he said.

The station – which may have been a glorified halt which doubled with the crossing- keeper’s cottage – was operational between about 1855 and the early 1890s.

LAST week also mentioned the epic 1954 FA Amateur Cup final between Crook Town and Bishop Auckland.

A draw at Wembley was followed by a drawn replay at St James’ Park, Newcastle.

The decisive third match was at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, watched by 36,722.

These were pre-floodlight days, causing the matches to be played in the afternoons.

“My dad, Tom, was working at the Furness shipyard at Haverton Hill and I remember him saying that all of them downed tools at lunchtime, went down to the Tranny bridge to go to Ayresome Park,” says Martin Birtle in Billingham.

“They must have given up half a day’s pay – that’s how keen they were in those days.”