Humber Super Snipe
Encyclopedia
The Humber Super Snipe was a car produced by the British-based Humber
car company, part of the Rootes Group, from 1938 to 1967.
with the chassis and body of the Humber Snipe
, normally powered by a three-litre engine. The result was a car of enhanced performance and a top speed of 79 mi/h —fast for its day. Its design was contributed to by American engine genius Delmar "Barney" Roos
who left a successful career at Studebaker
to join Rootes in 1936.
The Super Snipe was marketed to upper-middle-class managers, professional people and government officials. It was relatively low-priced for its large size and performance, and was similar to American cars in appearance and concept, and in providing value for money.
Within a year of introduction, World War II broke out in Europe but the car continued in production as a British military staff car, the Car, 4-seater, 4x2, while the same chassis was used for an armoured reconnaissance vehicle, the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
.
While the post-World War II home market for the car continued as before, the Rootes Group also marketed the car for export. The Super Snipe was relatively successful in Australia, where it was locally assembled from kits, beginning with the Mark IV version in 1952. From 1956 the car was available with automatic transmission
, but the model was discontinued shortly afterwards.
Super Snipes were also assembled in New Zealand for a number of years by Rootes Group and Chrysler importer Todd Motors which later became Mitsubishi New Zealand.
in 1949 and 1950. The smaller-engined Snipe was discontinued. Early Mark II Super Snipes can be distinguished by round fog lamps below the head lamps. These were dropped in 1949 in favour of rectangular side lamps which were continued in the Mark III.
added to the rear suspension. It can be readily distinguished from the previous model by the simpler dome-shaped bumpers and the rectangular stainless-steel foot-treads on the running-boards.
A Mk III tested by The Motor
magazine in 1951 had a top speed of 81.6 mph (131.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 19.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of 17.7 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1471 including taxes.
truck. Chassis and suspension components were uprated to take the greater weight and power of the Super Snipe, those parts ceasing to be interchangeable with those of the Hawk. From 1955, overdrive was available as an option, followed in 1956 by an automatic gearbox.
In 1953 The Motor tested a Mk IV and found the larger engine had increased performance with the top speed now 91 mph (146.5 km/h) and acceleration from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 14.7 seconds. Fuel consumption had increased to 15.5 mpgimp. The test car cost slightly more at £1481, including taxes.
, but with a new 2.6 litre, 2,651 cc, six-cylinder overhead-valve engine based on an Armstrong Siddeley
design with bore and stroke of 82.55 millimetres (3.3 in) and near-hemispherical combustion chambers. The Rootes Group ceased production of the Series VA version in July 1967, by which time the group was under the control of the American Chrysler
Corporation. The last of the handsome big Humbers were assembled by Chrysler in Melbourne
, Australia. Plans to introduce a V8 engine, and for the Chrysler 180
/2L to be marketed as a Humber in the UK did not eventuate.
The new Super Snipe was smaller on the outside, but larger on the inside, with improved performance and more modern appearance, similar to mid-1950s American Chrysler Corporation cars like the 1958 Plymouth Fury
.
s were introduced on the front wheels with 11 in (279 mm) drums on the rear axle.
A Series II with overdrive and power steering was tested by The Motor in 1960 and had a top speed of 94.7 mph (152.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 16.5 seconds. A fuel consumption of 24.6 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1601 including taxes. The basic car cost £1453.
, with a flatter roofline, six-light design and a larger, taller windscreen. Twin Zenith Stromberg 175CD carburettors were fitted along with a Harry Westlake tuned cylinder head, increasing the power to 128.5 bhp, and synchromesh was fitted to all ratios in the gearbox—on the previous versions it had only been on the upper two. Hydrosteer
power steering was available as an optional extra, as was an automatic transmission (Borg Warner Type 35 on Series VA), and metallic paint finishes.
power steering as standard, though a manual 3-speed transmission could be ordered. It also featured electrically adjustable rear shock absorber settings, a rear heater and optional West-of-England cloth-trimmed seats.
Humber (car)
Humber is a dormant British automobile marque which could date its beginnings to Thomas Humber's bicycle company founded in 1868. Following their involvement in Humber through Hillman in 1928 the Rootes brothers acquired a controlling interest and joined the Humber board in 1932 making Humber part...
car company, part of the Rootes Group, from 1938 to 1967.
Pre-war Super Snipe
The Super Snipe was introduced in October, 1938, derived by combining the four-litre inline six-cylinder engine from the larger Humber PullmanHumber Pullman
The Humber Pullman is a four-door limousine introduced by the British based Humber company in 1930 as a successor to the Humber 20/65 hp and long-wheelbase version of the Humber Snipe....
with the chassis and body of the Humber Snipe
Humber Snipe
The Humber Snipe was a four-door luxury saloon introduced by the British-based Humber company for 1930 as a successor to the Humber 20/55 hp at the same time as the similar but slightly longer Humber Pullman...
, normally powered by a three-litre engine. The result was a car of enhanced performance and a top speed of 79 mi/h —fast for its day. Its design was contributed to by American engine genius Delmar "Barney" Roos
Delmar "Barney" Roos
Delmar G. "Barney" Roos was an American automotive engineer who served as Studebaker's head of engineering from 1926 to 1936, specialising in straight-eight engines. He later worked for the British Rootes Group in the design of Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam Talbot cars...
who left a successful career at Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
to join Rootes in 1936.
The Super Snipe was marketed to upper-middle-class managers, professional people and government officials. It was relatively low-priced for its large size and performance, and was similar to American cars in appearance and concept, and in providing value for money.
Within a year of introduction, World War II broke out in Europe but the car continued in production as a British military staff car, the Car, 4-seater, 4x2, while the same chassis was used for an armoured reconnaissance vehicle, the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
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....
.
Super Snipe Mark I to III
In 1946, post-war civilian production resumed and the Super Snipe evolved though several versions, each designated by a Mark number, each generally larger, more powerful, and more modern, until production ended in 1957 with the Mark IVB version.While the post-World War II home market for the car continued as before, the Rootes Group also marketed the car for export. The Super Snipe was relatively successful in Australia, where it was locally assembled from kits, beginning with the Mark IV version in 1952. From 1956 the car was available with automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, but the model was discontinued shortly afterwards.
Super Snipes were also assembled in New Zealand for a number of years by Rootes Group and Chrysler importer Todd Motors which later became Mitsubishi New Zealand.
Mk I
The Mark I was essentially an enlarged version of the 1945 Humber Hawk, itself a facelifted pre-war car. A version of the 1930s Snipe remained available, with the 1936-introduced 2731 cc engine.Mk II
For the 1948 Mark II the body was updated, headlights fitted into the wings and running-boards re-introduced. Transverse-spring independent suspension, first introduced on the Snipe and Pullman in 1935, continued to be used. A few drophead coupés were made by TickfordTickford
Tickford is an automobile engineering and testing company with a history of coachbuilding and tuning and is famous for such products as the 140 mph Tickford Turbo Capri.-Early years:...
in 1949 and 1950. The smaller-engined Snipe was discontinued. Early Mark II Super Snipes can be distinguished by round fog lamps below the head lamps. These were dropped in 1949 in favour of rectangular side lamps which were continued in the Mark III.
Mk III
The Mk III followed in 1950 and was externally very similar but had a Panhard rodPanhard rod
A Panhard rod is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle...
added to the rear suspension. It can be readily distinguished from the previous model by the simpler dome-shaped bumpers and the rectangular stainless-steel foot-treads on the running-boards.
A Mk III tested by The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
magazine in 1951 had a top speed of 81.6 mph (131.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 19.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of 17.7 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1471 including taxes.
Mk IV
The Mark IV of 1952 used a 1950 Hawk Mk IV body shell lengthened by 6 in (152 mm) but with a 4138 cc 113 bhp overhead-valve engine based on one from a CommerCommer
Commer became known in later years as a maker of vans for the British Post Office—particularly the Commer FC which was introduced in 1960 with many body styles, including a 1500 cc van. After engine and interior upgrades it was renamed the PB in 1967 and the SpaceVan in 1974...
truck. Chassis and suspension components were uprated to take the greater weight and power of the Super Snipe, those parts ceasing to be interchangeable with those of the Hawk. From 1955, overdrive was available as an option, followed in 1956 by an automatic gearbox.
In 1953 The Motor tested a Mk IV and found the larger engine had increased performance with the top speed now 91 mph (146.5 km/h) and acceleration from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 14.7 seconds. Fuel consumption had increased to 15.5 mpgimp. The test car cost slightly more at £1481, including taxes.
New Super Snipe Series I to V
In October 1958, a new Super Snipe was introduced and, confusingly, the designation returned to the Super Snipe I but, this time, the variants were identified by a series number. The new car was based on the unitized chassis and body of the four-cylinder Humber HawkHumber Hawk
The Humber Hawk was a large four-cylinder saloon produced by the British-based Humber car company, part of the Rootes Group.-Humber Hawk Mk I & II:...
, but with a new 2.6 litre, 2,651 cc, six-cylinder overhead-valve engine based on an Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
design with bore and stroke of 82.55 millimetres (3.3 in) and near-hemispherical combustion chambers. The Rootes Group ceased production of the Series VA version in July 1967, by which time the group was under the control of the American Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Corporation. The last of the handsome big Humbers were assembled by Chrysler in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. Plans to introduce a V8 engine, and for the Chrysler 180
Chrysler 180
The Chrysler 180 was the base name for a series of large saloon cars produced by Chrysler Europe. Resulting from joining development efforts of Rootes Group and Simca, the car was produced from 1970 to 1975 in Poissy, France, and later in Chrysler's subsidiary Barreiros' factory in Spain...
/2L to be marketed as a Humber in the UK did not eventuate.
Series I
The Series I Super Snipe had a three-speed manual transmission with optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive on second and top gears, or Borg Warner DG automatic transmission. Power steering was available as an option. Also offered was a touring limousine model with glass partition.The new Super Snipe was smaller on the outside, but larger on the inside, with improved performance and more modern appearance, similar to mid-1950s American Chrysler Corporation cars like the 1958 Plymouth Fury
Plymouth Fury
The Plymouth Fury is an automobile which was produced by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms....
.
Series II
For the 1959 Series II, the engine was enlarged to 3 litres, 2,965 cc, by increasing the bore to 87.2 mm (3.4 in). Girling 11.5 in (292 mm) disc brakeDisc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s were introduced on the front wheels with 11 in (279 mm) drums on the rear axle.
A Series II with overdrive and power steering was tested by The Motor in 1960 and had a top speed of 94.7 mph (152.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 16.5 seconds. A fuel consumption of 24.6 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1601 including taxes. The basic car cost £1453.
Series III
The styling of the 1960 Series III is distinguishable by its four headlights and revised full-width grille. The nose of the car had also been lengthened by 3.25 inches (8.3 cm) to accommodate an additional pulley mounted on the front of the crankshaft so that air conditioning could be included as an option, principally for the North American market.Series IV
The 1962 Series IV had a slightly higher-tuned engine giving 124.5 bhp as against 121 bhp. It can be distinguished by its revised rear-window treatment (doesn't wrap around quite as much as earlier models), Snipe bird badge on grille, opening quarter-light windows in the rear doors, and other trim differences.Series V
The final Series V version saw a restyle which was also applied to the HawkHawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, with a flatter roofline, six-light design and a larger, taller windscreen. Twin Zenith Stromberg 175CD carburettors were fitted along with a Harry Westlake tuned cylinder head, increasing the power to 128.5 bhp, and synchromesh was fitted to all ratios in the gearbox—on the previous versions it had only been on the upper two. Hydrosteer
Hydrosteer
Hydrosteer was the name given by Hydrosteer Limited of Luton, England, to its automotive power steering system of the 1960s and early 1970s. Based on a cam and peg system, it was characterised by its fully integrated design and variable steering ratio. Introduced in 1960, it was fitted to several,...
power steering was available as an optional extra, as was an automatic transmission (Borg Warner Type 35 on Series VA), and metallic paint finishes.
Humber Imperial
The Imperial version had a vinyl roof, automatic transmission and hydrosteerHydrosteer
Hydrosteer was the name given by Hydrosteer Limited of Luton, England, to its automotive power steering system of the 1960s and early 1970s. Based on a cam and peg system, it was characterised by its fully integrated design and variable steering ratio. Introduced in 1960, it was fitted to several,...
power steering as standard, though a manual 3-speed transmission could be ordered. It also featured electrically adjustable rear shock absorber settings, a rear heater and optional West-of-England cloth-trimmed seats.
External links
- Humber Super Snipe Series I-III 1957-1962 at Phil Seed's Virtual Car Museum
- Humber Super Snipe Series III, 1961, Restoration by Kev Warburton
- Motorbase entry on the Humber marque