Hillstrom Motors

Hillstrom Motors Incoporated


By the time 1997 rolled around, the executive board of Hillstrom Machinery were starting to get desperate trying to find a way to save the rapidly dying vehicle division, following serious financial difficulties incurred by total commercial failure of the Hillstrom Cougar. As the future became more and more bleak, a literal Christmas miracle happened when on December 20th, 1997 when Union Motors offered to purchase the then near bankrupt Hillstrom Motors from the parent company and by February 10th, 1998 the deal concluded successfully. Not more than two months later, Hillstrom put out their very first model (Albeit a rebadged Union Motors product) under Union’s owner ship. As of 2022, Hillstrom has begun to move into the future by introducing hybrids into their lineup as the carry their heritage further into the 21st century.


We start in 1998 with the launch of Hillstrom Motors’ first car under Union Motors.

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The Hillstrom Conquistador


That first model was the Hillstrom Conquistador, a small premium pickup truck. Available in four trim levels and engines ranging from 4.8L V8 to a 6.0L V8 and an optional 5 speed manual, it was a fun, easy to drive vehicle that had the ability to be used as a work truck.



Powered by the UNMX Series V8, the Conquistador had just over 350hp and 500Nm of torque and had a towing capacity of 1.6 tons.



While it wasn’t as well known as the other small /small, high performance trucks (ie, Ford F150 Lightning, and the Dodge Dakota RT) it was quite well received. Many owners converted their trucks into formidable off-roaders, thanks to the standard fitted locking diff and 4x4 system. Thanks to its financial success, the Conquistador was produced from 1998 to 2001 across one generation before being replaced by the newer Hillstrom Warrior. The Conquistador is considered the savior of Hillstrom, and the car that brought the brand back to relevancy.

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I like what I see this far. I am sure you will keep the right spirit alive.

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Btw this is the Conquistador Sport, which is the high performance model

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BTW, I am curious what the Cougar is supposed to be. :slight_smile:

I haven’t made that one yet but I’ll just say that it had issues with landing on its roof and it was not the only reason why it nearly killed the company. I looked at the American Motors Wikipedia page and drew some inspiration from there.

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