HUMBER (Great Britain) 1898-1976
Thomas Humber's bicycle business was established in 1868. It was
therefore no surprise that the company's first vehicles to be powered
by an internal-combustion engine were tricycles and quadricycles.
These led to the Humberette of 1903, with a tubular frame and a
single-cylinder 5 hp engine. By 1905 the range of Humbers included
two- and four-cylinder cars ranging from the 5 hp to a 10/12 hp
four. A three-cylinder 9 hp put in a brief appearance in 1903-04.
But from 1905 the two-cylinder cars were dropped, the range consisting
of 10/12 and 16/20 models, with a 15 hp appearing in 1907. It was
back to twins in 1908, and 1913 saw the Humberette name revived
for an air-cooled vee-twin 8 hp (later examples were water-cooled).
Mention should be made of the team of cars F. T. Burgess designed
for the 1914 Tourist Trophy race. These used four-cylinder 3.3 litre
twin overhead camshaft engines, but suffered teething troubles in
the race and failed to show their mettle.
The post-war years saw the company establish a reputation for themselves
by producing solid, well-mannered cars. Side-valve engines were
favored up until 1922, but after this date overhead inlet/side exhaust
engines appeared, the 8/18 of 1923 being a typical example. Other
excellent fours; a 9/20 and 14/40 hp consolidated the company's
position by 1927 that year also seeing the appearance of a fashionable
six: the 20/55 hp model. However, 1930 saw the take-over of the
company by the Rootes brothers and the appearance of two more sixes,
the 2.1litre 16/50 and 3.5 litre Snipe.
The final departure of the overhead inlet/side exhaust engine came
in 1932, Humber settling down to their traditional role of providing
cars for the upper middle classes. The following year came the 1.7
litre four-cylinder 12.hp, though by the end of the decade the company
was only producing six-cylinder models, the 4.1 litre Super Snipe
and its variants being made during the Second World War.
After the war, production of these side-valve sixes continued, the
Snipe and 4.1 litre Pullman range being augmented by a 2 litre four
cylinder engine of Hillman origins in the Hawk. Overhead valves
did not appear on the Super Snipe and Pullman until the 1953 season;
while the Hawk did not acquire them for another year. 1959 saw the
re-emergence of the Super Snipe (it having been dropped for a short
time) with a 2.7 litre engine, though this was later upped to 3
litres.
The ailing Rootes Group was taken over by the Chrysler Corporation
in 1964, the Sceptre of that year being a more luxurious version
of the Hillman Minx; this having a four-cylinder engine of 1.7litre
capacity. This was the only upholder of the Humber name, the re-styled
Sceptre being phased out in 1976.
1959 Humber
Super Snipe
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