59-507: The Humber Snipe was a four-door luxury saloon introduced by British-based Humber Limited for 1930 as a successor to the Humber 20/55 hp (which remained in the catalogue as 20/65) at the same time as the similar but slightly longer Humber Pullman . The first Humber Snipe was launched in September 1929 under the banner headline "Such Cars As Even Humber Never Built Before". It showed
118-403: A Humber motorcycle. Later models switched to using Minerva engines, but production ceased in 1906 as there was insufficient space at the factory. Motorcycle manufacture resumed in 1908 when the new Stoke factory opened, and the new range were exhibited in 1908 at the annual Stanley show. Humber produced many new models of motorcycle in the pre-war years, but production of motorcycles ceased during
177-549: A controlling interest. The two Rootes brothers joined the Humber board in 1932 and began to make Humber the holding company for vehicle manufacturing members of what became their Rootes Group . By 1960 annual production was around 200,000 vehicles. Previous insistence on Rootes family control, however, may have led to under-capitalisation of the business. Building a brand new car, the Hillman Imp , proved beyond Humber and Rootes Group resources and their businesses were bought by
236-590: A limited number were built before the Mk I was replaced by the Mk II. The Mk II had an enclosed roof with a turret for the machine gun and retained the 4×2 drive of the Mk I. The Boys faced forward in the front of the hull. Otherwise armoured as the Mark I, the roof was 7 mm and the turret 6 mm. The Mk III was externally similar to the Mk II but had 4×4 drive. Production began in late 1941. The only difference from
295-680: A prototype and nine production motorcars in their new Coventry premises. In November 1896 a car was exhibited at the Stanley Cycle Show in London. They are claimed to be the first series production cars made in England. At Humber & Company's next general meeting in 1897 the managing director said they had received many letters asking if they would produce a motorised vehicle, and that they had in fact been working on this project for two years, but had delayed production until they found
354-636: A seven-seater Pullman both for the October 1929 Motor Show. For the time being the 9-28 and 20-65 hp models would continue but at a reduced price. Later Michael Sedgwick would describe the events of this era as "a levelling process comparable to the fate of Wolseley " ('s 1920s cars). Out, he said, went uncertain braking, the i.o.e. engine and superbly finished coachwork, the new cars were pure Rootes with Bendix brakes, downdraught carburettors, "silent third" gearboxes with central gear lever and hydraulic shock absorbers. The 16 hp car could cope with
413-579: A suitably reliable engine. Having now found an engine they were gearing up for production. The first Humber car was produced in 1898 and was a three-wheeled tricar of the 'sociable' type powered by a single cylinder Turrell engine. Their first conventional four-wheeled car appeared in 1901. Cars went into production in Beeston near Nottingham as well as Stoke, Coventry but to separate designs. Just as with bicycles Beeston Humber products retained their high quality image. The Beeston works closed in 1908 on
472-611: Is a thriving club, and many of these upmarket cars survive today from before the 1930s. Until 2020, the world's largest collection of the Rootes brothers' Humber cars (built after 1930) could be viewed at the Marshalls Post-Vintage Humber Car Museum in Hull . It included 21 Humber cars dating from 1932 to 1970 on permanent display, plus 24 unrestored cars. The museum has now closed for good and many of
531-477: The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group . Three Mk I vehicles were modified for use by the British royal family and the cabinet ministers and were known as "Special Ironside Saloons". The original version with open-topped hull and 4×2 drive. Armoured to a maximum of 10 mm on the front and 7–9 mm on the sides. Armament was a Boys anti-tank rifle and a Bren light machine gun . Only
590-876: The Ryton plant was originally built to produce aero engines. At Speke , Liverpool, another shadow factory opened in April 1939 assembled bombers. Armoured cars, scout cars and staff cars were made in the existing factories along with much other war material General Montgomery , Commander of the British and Allied forces in Northern Africa during the Desert war of World War II , had two specially built Humber Super Snipe four door open tourers made with larger front wings or guards, mine proof floors, special fittings and long range fuel tanks. Two cars were built for him and used in
649-714: The 200 Ironside Is) and the MkIII and MkIIIA were the cars most widely used by the Reconnaissance Corps in action, and many were also employed overseas by the RAF Regiment for airfield defence. A number of vehicles are preserved in museums: A reproduction also exists in private ownership in the Czech Republic A replica built on a postal jeep chassis and with wooden armour exists in Florida, where it
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#1732794539191708-501: The Africa campaign against General Rommel , who used a Horch open staff car. Montgomery's Humbers were known as 'Old Faithful' and the 'Victory Car'. Both cars still exist in museums in England and are a testament to the high engineering and manufacturing standards of Humber and Rootes Ltd. The victory car drove Montgomery and Churchill through the streets of London during the VE parades at
767-722: The Air Ministry during the Second World War. Humber Light Reconnaissance Car The Humber light reconnaissance car , also known as Humberette or Ironside , was a British armoured car produced during the Second World War. Produced by the Rootes Group , the Humber light reconnaissance car was an armoured car based on the Humber Super Snipe chassis (as was the Humber heavy utility car). It
826-500: The Chrysler Corporation in 1967. The cycle industry was consolidating in the late 1880s and partners Thomas Humber and fledgling company promoter T Harrison Lambert sold their Humber Cycles business to investors who added a number of other substantial cycle manufacturers and then floated the new combine on the stock exchange. Such was the public's recognition of Humber products and their high quality and reliability
885-620: The First World War. In 1899 Humber produced a motorised tricycle at their Beeston works with a De Dion Bouton engine of 1.75 hp or optionally 2.25 hp. This had electric ignition (early De Dion Bouton engines used hot tube ignition ), and was capable of 30 mph (48 km/h). The price in December 1899 was £84. This tricycle was based on the De Dion-Bouton tricycle and built under licence. In 1896 Humber built
944-614: The Humber Pullman continued to be offered with the older, more powerful 4086-cc engine. 2706 were made. Civilian availability ended in 1940 when the factory was largely given over to production of the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car , also known as the 'Ironside' or 'Humberette'. Humber saloons based on pre-war designs continued to be built for government use. The militarised Super Snipe was given increased ground clearance, wider track (5 ft 1 inch at
1003-641: The Humber Snipe bodywork only with a low final drive ratio. The other cars also became slightly bigger Hillmans with different engines and a longer wheelbase. A Humber Twelve was introduced that looked like a Hillman Minx with a painted spare wheel cover and hinged quarter lights. There was attractive work by independent coachbuilders on the Twelve chassis. The Vogue sports saloon may or may not have been designed by couturier Captain Molyneux . The Twelve's engine
1062-438: The Humber tradition of offering a lot of car for the money. These were the four-cylinder Humber Hawk and the six-cylinder Humber Snipe and Humber Super Snipe . The six-cylinder engine of the 1945 Snipe was a side-valve unit, of only 2731 cc. The engine block dated back to the Humber 18 of 1935. Maximum power output and speed were stated respectively as 65 hp and 72 mph (116 km/h). For customers who remembered
1121-679: The Imp's reliability. The Imp's heavy development expenses and slackening sales to USA brought about losses for the Rootes group in both 1962 and 1963. In February 1964 the owners of the minority holdings in Humber Limited (and Tilling-Stevens and Singer Motors) sold their holdings to Rootes Motors Limited taking in exchange shares in Rootes Motors. Humber and its two subsidiaries now became wholly owned subsidiaries of Rootes Motors Limited. A last major activity of, by then, Lord Rootes ,
1180-469: The Mk III was additional vision ports at the front angles of the hull. Armour was 12 mm to the front, 8 mm to the sides, 7 on the roof and rear, and 6 mm on the turret. Built for VIP use, Thrupp & Maberly provided a relatively luxurious interior which was split by a Perspex screen to separate driver and passengers. A passenger side door was provided to make entrance and exit easier and
1239-580: The Snipe as a more powerful vehicle, the car could also be specified with the 4086-cc 100-hp engine which had been fitted in the 1930s and which was still the standard power unit in the 1945 Humber Pullman . Fitted with this engine, the car was branded as the Humber Super Snipe . When the Humber range was upgraded for 1948, the Snipe was withdrawn, leaving only the Hawk and the Super Snipe listed, alongside
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#17327945391911298-548: The UK. The two Rootes brothers remained in control of their group from their adjoining suites of offices in Devonshire House, Piccadilly . The ground floor Rootes showroom on Piccadilly is now an Audi showroom. Imp and Chrysler The success of BMC 's Mini made Rootes speed the development of their own small car. A new assembly plant was planned but government was obliging major employers to build new plants where there
1357-549: The area. The new retail idea was itself turned down by Edinburgh and Glasgow councils. Regrettably, all the Bathgate factory buildings were eventually flattened, and the site was ironically, subsequently, used merely as a distribution centre for a number of other automotive manufacturers. Humber Motor Company Limited Limited was registered as a Scottish company in August 1986 then dissolved July 2007; 'Humber Motor Company Limited'
1416-458: The brand disappeared under Chrysler ownership. The Snipe, or from late 1932, Snipe 80 featured a 3498-cc six-cylinder engine of 80 mm bore and 116 mm stroke with the overhead-inlet, side-exhaust valve gear that had been a feature of the company's six-cylinder engines since the mid-1920s. A single Stromberg carburettor was fitted. The four speed transmission had a right hand change lever (right hand drive cars) until 1931 when it moved to
1475-795: The cars have been sold off. Humber produced a number of aircraft and aero-engines in the years before the First World War. In 1909 the company signed a contract to build 40 copies of the Blériot XI monoplane , powered by their own three-cylinder engine, and four aircraft were exhibited at the Aero Show at Olympia in 1910. During the First World War Humber built the BR1 and BR2 engines designed for Humber by W O Bentley and more engines were built in different factories in Coventry for
1534-400: The centre of the car facilitating the production of left hand drive examples. The shutters on the radiator grille were opened and closed thermostatically to control the flow of cooling air. For 1933 the engine was redesigned to have overhead valves producing an extra 5 bhp. Bendix mechanical brakes were fitted. The conservatively boxy 4 or 6 light saloon body with spare wheels mounted on
1593-476: The cities: St Petersburg, Copenhagen, Milan, Athens, Brussels, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Buenos Ayres, Santiago, Constantinople, Algiers, Sfax, Tunis, Alexandria, Saigon, Hong Kong, Port Said and throughout the whole of South America. The chairman of the new monopoly was chairman of Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co and another director was the manager of Dunlop (France). Negotiations between the parties were completed by Ernest Terah Hooley . The ambitious new monopoly
1652-424: The control of the Rootes brothers, was amalgamated with Humber—the combine was not under the control of the Rootes brothers—but William Rootes' marketing skills had been immediately brought into play when Rootes Limited had been appointed "World Exporters". In December 1929 reviewing the 1929 year the chairman told shareholders Humber had now introduced three new models named: 16-50, for the 1928 Motor Show, Snipe and
1711-444: The drastic redesign at that special meeting was followed by another meeting to discuss the amalgamation of Humber and its partly-owned subsidiary Hillman Motor Car Company. Hillman, the chairman explained, made one of the most popular medium priced cars and would provide a suitable partner to the distinctive Humber products. Shareholders were unanimous that the amalgamation should go ahead on the proposed terms. In 1929 Hillman , under
1770-463: The driver had a side hatch, the two-part screen running in tracks fitted to the front seats: sliding both portions to the driver's (right) side allowed the front passenger (left) seat back to be folded for an easier exit. Two Ironside 'specials' of this kind were used by cabinet ministers and members of the royal family, while six minus the privacy screen were used as armoured staff cars. In all 3,600 Humber light reconnaissance cars were built (including
1829-417: The early 1920s and in addition the public were moving from pedal cycles to motorcycles as well as to cars. Rover , Singer , Swift , Triumph and Riley all gave up their manufacture of cycles. In 1925 Humber moved into the production of commercial vehicles with the purchase of Commer . In the year to 1928 Humber's chairman was obliged to report a loss for the second year running. Commer Cars' turnover
Humber Snipe - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-794: The end of the war. In the postwar era, Humber's mainstay products included the four-cylinder Hawk and six-cylinder Super Snipe . Being a choice of businessmen and officialdom alike, Humbers gained a reputation for well appointed interiors and solid quality. The Hawk and the Super Snipe went through various designs, though all had a "transatlantic" influence. In 1960 Rootes was the world's twelfth largest motor corporation by volume, its annual output nearly 200,000 cars, vans and trucks. They employed some 20,000 people. The group had six million square feet (557,000m ) of manufacturing space and owned nine assembly plants outside Britain. They were involved in car hire, hire purchase and driving schools and even made air conditioners. There were about one thousand dealers in
1947-483: The exceedingly good performance of one of the 14-40 cars driven by J W Fitzwilliam and his brother who had just returned from traversing 4,500 miles in central Europe including the worst roads in the Balkans. He then reported the "drastic redesign" of Humber's cars which together with improved appearance and performance and revised prices were expected to improve the products' performance in the marketplace. Mention of
2006-403: The front wings incorporated rear-hinged doors for back passengers. A fabric saloon (until 1930), sports saloon, tourer and drophead coupé were also listed and bare chassis were also supplied to outside coachbuilders. In 1930 on the home market the chassis sold for £410, the tourer £495, coupé £565 and saloon £535. With a 120-inch wheelbase and a total length of 173 inches, the car was, by
2065-551: The front) and lower pressure 9x13 Dunlop tyres. For use in the desert an open tourer was built. Humber produced the "heavy utiility" a 2 ton 7cwt 4x4 drive staff car comparable to the Ford WOT2. It used some Snipe components such as the 4-litre engine. It could operate at up to 63 mph (101 km/h) on roads in two wheel drive but change to lower gearing with four wheel drive and go cross-country at up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). As well as two staff officer body types it
2124-490: The influence of William Rootes' marketing skills following the appointment of Rootes Limited as Humber's "World Exporters" and also a significant similarity to his Hillmans . Almost three years later Humber Limited joined what became known as the Rootes Group as part of a necessary restructure of Humber's capital and ownership in July 1932. Snipes and, later, Super Snipes became Rootes Group's owner-driver big car offerings until
2183-558: The larger Pullman. 1240 were made. "Such Cars As Even Humber Never Built Before" Humber Limited Humber Limited was a British manufacturer of bicycles , motorcycles , and cars , incorporated and listed on the stock exchange in 1887. It took the name "Humber & Co Limited" because of the high reputation of the products of one of the constituent businesses that had belonged to Thomas Humber . A financial reconstruction in 1899 transferred its business to Humber Limited. From an interest in motor vehicles beginning in 1896,
2242-532: The largest Cycle monopolies in Europe" and with the intention of improving the position of Humber (France). The directors expressed the greatest interest in the new industry of motor carriages and cycles for which extensive works were to be erected by the monopoly at Levallois Perret . At the time of the flotation prospective investors were told that agencies were already established in all principal towns in France, and
2301-425: The motor division became much more important than the cycle division and the cycle trade marks were sold to Raleigh in 1932. The motorcycles were withdrawn from sale during the depression of the 1930s. Humber is now a dormant marque for automobiles as well as cycles. Following their involvement in Humber through Hillman in 1928 the Rootes brothers acquired 60 per cent of Humber's ordinary capital, sufficient for
2360-496: The new owner Peugeot. A different company, the Humber Motor Company Limited, was therefore incorporated and registered as a means of pursuing this manufacturing proposal. This proposal was vetoed by the local Bathgate councillors. They preferred the idea of a huge “Sales Mall” development on the site in Bathgate, rather than support an initiative that would have involved continued manufacturing employment in
2419-440: The opening of the new works at Stoke. Humber's profit went from £16,500 in 1905 to £106,500 the next year and £154,400 in 1907. On 12 March 1908 the new works was officially opened at Stoke, then just outside the city of Coventry. New buildings covered 13.5 acres and allowed for the employment of 5,000 hands. The new works was designed to be capable of producing 150 cars and 1,500 cycles per week. Another financial reconstruction
Humber Snipe - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-416: The overall length of the standard-bodied car increased by 2 inches (5.1 cm). The chassis was new with independent front suspension using a transverse spring. A vacuum servo was fitted to the braking system. Body styles available were 4-light and 6-light saloons, a sports saloon and a drophead coupé. The car now featured a side-valve 6-cylinder engine of 4086 cc with a stated output of 100 hp which
2537-529: The screen, recessed direction indicators and two tone paint on the 4-light sports saloon. 1205 of the 1933 models were made. In 1931 a fleet of Snipes was used by the Prince of Wales on his tour of the West Indies . The body and chassis were shared with the smaller engined 16-50 (1930–32) and 16-60 (1933) models. In 1936 the wheelbase was increased by 4 inches (10 cm) to 124 inches (3.1 m) while
2596-509: The standards of the British market, larger and more spacious than the average family car such as the more mainstream Hillman Minx of that time, the Hillman business having been acquired by Humber in 1928. With the success of the Snipe, Humber was seen to be succeeding, "where many had failed, in marketing large cars at competitive prices". There were several minor body updates for 1933 including windscreen wipers mounted below rather than above
2655-520: The total length was still 175 in (4.4 m), reflecting the more streamlined shape which the body, the same as on the Hillman 14, had now acquired. The six-cylinder side-valve engine of 3180 cc propelled the car to a claimed top speed of 79 mph (127 km/h), reflecting a power-output reduction to 75 hp (56 kW). 1938 changes for the 1939 models saw a new cross braced chassis and hydraulic brakes. The Snipe and its sister model become more firmly differentiated from one another, since
2714-502: The whole new organisation was named Humber & Co Limited though Humber's was not the largest component. Thomas Humber agreed to manage the whole enterprise with its works in Coventry and Wolverhampton as well as Beeston. He retired in 1892 at the end of his 5-year contract. Humber expanded into Europe and in 1896 their subsidiary, Humber (France), joined with La Société des Vélocipedes Clément and La Société des Cycles Gladiator obtaining stock exchange listings in order to form "one of
2773-485: Was a resurgence in domestic and export demand for pedal bicycles and in February 1932 Raleigh acquired all the Humber cycles trade marks. Manufacture was transferred to Raleigh's Nottingham works. Raleigh-made Humbers differed from Raleighs only in chainwheels, fork crowns and some brakework. The Ryton on Dunsmore plant which closed at the end of 2006 had originated in 1939 as one of the so-called shadow factories :
2832-537: Was bored out to 75 mm and powered Hillman's Fourteen and even Sunbeam-Talbot's postwar 90 . By the outbreak of war in 1939 the quite fast big-engined Super Snipe with hydraulic brakes was selling well and one model became the Army's famous second world war staff car. Humber's independence ended in 1931 when the Rootes brothers bought a majority shareholding with the financial support of Prudential Assurance . They provided their Hillman shares as part payment. There
2891-530: Was built as an ambulance and a 8-cwt General Service (GS) truck. Around 6,500 were built up to 1945. Before the end of 1945, Humber had announced its post-war model range. Four models were listed, which closely resembled the Humbers offered just before the war. At the top of the range was the Humber Pullman. The other three models shared a body which, while smaller than that of the Pullman, nevertheless sustained
2950-624: Was continued on vans for six years afterwards. In 1986, there was a private initiative to rekindle Humber as a manufacturer of upmarket premium vehicles, employing the recently closed truck and tractor manufacturing facility at Bathgate , in Scotland. This factory had been opened by BMC in 1961, to manufacture their light trucks and tractors. The original plan had been to expand their Longbridge plant for this purpose. The trucks were later marketed as Leyland ‘Redline’ The unused company name of Humber, continued to be still maintained and registered by
3009-779: Was equipped with a No. 19 radio set . From 1940 to 1943 over 3600 units were built. The vehicle was used by infantry reconnaissance regiments and the RAF Regiment in Tunisia , Italy and Western Europe . After the war, some vehicles remained in service with the British units in India and in the Far East . The LRC was used widely by the Reconnaissance Corps and was also used by the Reconnaissance squadron of
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#17327945391913068-400: Was later used in the post war Super Snipe. A top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h) was claimed. 2652 were made. The same chassis and body range was used for the smaller engined Humber 18. Perhaps prompted by concern that the Snipe was outgrowing the wishes of the marketplace, the 1938 Snipe was the smallest-engined Snipe to date, with a wheelbase reduced to 114 in (2.9 m), but
3127-614: Was made in 1909. In 1911 they took over the Centaur Cycle Company. By this time a wide range of cars was produced from the 998cc Humberette to several six-cylinder 6-litre models. In 1913 Humber was second only to Wolseley as the largest manufacturer of cars in the United Kingdom. Revived by the war Humber produced motorcycles and bicycles for the War Office as well as cars. There were postwar slumps in
3186-485: Was not successful, disputes between the partners dragged through the English courts until the turn of the century. A severe economic recession in 1899 then brought about a financial reconstruction and the incorporation of a new company, Humber Limited, to continue the existing business. Humber experimented with motorcycles from their early days, and in 1899 Bert Yates won the first track race for motorcycles in Coventry on
3245-609: Was registered in England in June 2007. Four of Humber Motor Company Limited’s registered trademarks (Sceptre, Hawk, Super Snipe, Snipe) were renewed with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The Humber name and logo are also registered trademarks There is a continuing interest in Humber and the vehicles that it produced. There are very active web-pages frequented by the fans of, and owners of, Humber vehicles. 1919–1939 Rootes Brothers 1945–1967 There
3304-423: Was substantially increased but Commer did not return to profit. The bicycle business improved but motorcycles did not. Humber cars, the product being as the chairman put it of a distinctive class, were more influenced by conditions than were mass-produced vehicles. Humber he described as one of the oldest and best known higher grade cars. The chairman, Stanley Brotherhood , told a special meeting of shareholders of
3363-482: Was surplus labour. Jaguar solved their expansion problem by buying Daimler and its Coventry plant with experienced workforce but Rootes selected a greenfield site by Pressed Steel body works near Glasgow airport in Scotland, at Linwood near Paisley. The new factory was officially opened in May 1963 and the new rear-engined Hillman Imp went on sale the next day but there were difficulties with industrial relations and, soon,
3422-429: Was the second generation of Humber Sceptre, a variant of their Rootes Arrow model. The marque was shelved in 1976 when all Hillmans became badged Chryslers . The Hillman Hunter (another Arrow model) badged Chrysler until production ceased in 1979 when Chrysler's European division was sold to Peugeot and the marque renamed Talbot . The Talbot marque was abandoned at the end of 1986 on passenger cars, although it
3481-519: Was to open sale negotiations with Chrysler Corporation . He died in December 1964. Chrysler took control in 1967. The last of the traditional large Humbers, the series VA Super Snipe (fitted with twin Stromberg CD 100 Carburettors) were sold in 1968, when Chrysler ended production. Several V8 models had been in pre-production at this time, but were never publicly sold. Several of these test examples survive today. Humber's and Rootes' last new car
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