Humber

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.

(Vintage European Automobiles)