Tim Fry,the designer of the Hillman Imp

Coventry News site

The man who created a legend

 Tim Fry

May 27 2004
By Annette Morgan

Tributes have been paid to a Warwickshire designer, who helped create one of Britain's best-loved cars. Businessman Tim Fry, 68, of Southam Road, Dunchurch, died of cancer at St Cross hospital, Rugby, last Monday.

He came up with the idea for the Hillman Imp car with engineering partner Mike Parkes while working for the Rootes car company in Coventry in the 1950s. The affordable runabout became a firm favourite with families and later collectors. He was only 20 and fresh from an apprenticeship when he and Mr Parkes - who later went on to become a successful professional racing driver - persuaded company boss Sir William Rootes to allow them to make their dream car. The duo had a small family car in mind, which could comfortably fit two adults and two children, but could still do 60 mph economically. After working on the prototype for several years, the first Hillman Imp rolled off the production line at a factory in Scotland in 1963, driven by the Duke of Edinburgh. They were manufactured up until 1976.

Daughter Christa Pelton, 38, said there had been about 200 mourners at her father's funeral, which took place at Oakley Wood crematorium, near Warwick, on Monday. She said: 'It was overwhelming and amazing. My father was a lovely man and it was nice to see so many people agreed. He was a great father and always ready to listen.'

After his success with the Imp, Mr Fry went on to style the Hillman Avenger, before taking early retirement in 1971 to set up his own company, Smallfry, which was based in School Street, Wolston. Rather than concentrating on cars, Mr Fry designed all sorts of equipment, ranging from showers to telephones. In 1984 he took on a young Coventry designer, Steve May-Russell, as a freelance. Two years later, Mr May-Russell joined him as a business partner and helped build up a successful product design consultancy, which today counts Marks and Spencer, B&Q and Triton showers among their customers.

Mr May-Russell, of Abbey Park, Coventry, said of Mr Fry: 'He wasn't bothered about the business side of things - that was what I did. He always loved to design things and find solutions to engineering problems. He was very unpretentious and focused.'

Mr Fry also leaves his wife Karin, other daughter Trinity Loubser, 35, and grandchildren Orianna, three, and Josie, five months.

My thanks to The Coventry News for this item.

R McB