CC has recently featured the Rootes Group Arrow range in its better known variations – the Hillman Minx (1500 cc engine) and Hunter (1725cc engine), and the Sunbeam Rapier, known as the Sunbeam Arrow and Sunbeam Alpine GT in North America, but there were two other brands under which the car was sold. One was Singer – the Singer Vogue was a mildly dressed up Hunter and other was Gazelle, a similarly tweaked Minx. These variants didn’t last long–badge engineering could not sustain shallow changes in 1970, even in Britain.
The other version was the decidedly more upmarket Humber Sceptre. Humber was Rootes’s most upmarket brand, without the sporting image of Sunbeam, and essentially limited to the home market. Prior to the Sceptre, the Humber brand had been kept exclusively for a separate range of large, mostly six-cylinder cars like the Hawk and Super Snipe, competing with cars like the Vauxhall Cresta, Austin Westminster and Ford Zodiac, as cars that were bigger than the higher volume, smaller cars like the Victor, Farina saloons or Cortina. These Humbers died in 1967 and were never directly replaced, by which time competing cars were old and the market had basically died. The Rover 2000 and Triumph 2000 signed their death warrant in 1963, if truth be told.
Rootes, arguably, spotted this trend ahead of Vauxhall and Ford, offering a Superminx-based Sceptre from 1963 and this Arrow-based car from 1967. On paper, it had most of the fittings you’d see on a Triumph 2000 or Rover 2000–real wood trim, a high power, alloy head version of the familiar Rootes 1725cc OHV engine, twin rear bucket seats, a full set of instrumentation, a vinyl roof, and twin headlamps, among other things.
It had some things the Rover and Triumph didn’t though–leaf springs at the back, a pretty old engine (so did the Triumph but it was at least a six cylinder), leatherette cloth (which is not leather) trim and styling, which though absolutely fine to my taste, is clearly a Hunter with Rapier headlights. Such things matter in that market.
Something else mattered too – the Ford Cortina, specifically the Cortina Mk2 1600E, which covered practically all of these bases without the image of being an older driver’s car. The Mk3 Cortina GXL of 1970 did it all, with a much more fashionable style as well.
By 1974, Chrysler UK was up to its neck in trouble, and anything able to gain some market share was appreciated. The Chrysler 180/2 Litre range had not made the impression expected or required, so the parts department was called upon to place one of everything from the stores into one car (possibly; I may be abbreviating a little here) to create the Sceptre Estate, based on the Hunter estate and perhaps the first estate car offered in the UK with a deliberate luxury emphasis. This was a bigger step than it might seem now, compared with the plumber’s or large family’s Hunter estate.
The car was among the first, perhaps the first, to offer factory fitted roof rails, at lest in Europe. The interior was as plush as such a car’s could be in 1974, with all the trim and equipment offered in the saloon, and a rear window heater and screen wiper, which were unusual features back then. As a measure of how things have changed, there were no electric windows, central locking, head restraints or five-speed gearbox (overdrive was fitted instead). An eight-track stereo was available though.
This car is a 1975 model, finished in a surprisingly attractive shade of pale yellow, with wood effect trim on the pillars, rather than the vinyl on the saloon. The tailgate had a wood effect trim panel as well, housing the reversing lights.
The Sceptre Estate was always “too little, too late” – maybe it would have worked better in 1968, and there are now very few left around, In total, there are fewer than 20 Sceptres from 1975 still registered in the UK, so to see a Sceptre Estate in this condition is quite something. A good start to the car show season summer.
It may not be a great car, or even the best Arrow, but as a practical classic with bit of distinction and easy maintenance, it makes a strong case. I could even accept the colour; overdrive is a useful feature; it’s practical for carrying (clean) stuff; the wood effect exterior trim is distinctive….
I’d best stop, before I talk myself into something.
Looks a little like a cross between a Volvo and Datsun.
Roger, I love reading your articles because it helps de-mystify the British auto industry for this middle of North America guy.
Question: On the shot showing the instrument panel, I noticed the green line from 1500 to 3500 rpm. Is that an indication of the engines power band or a reminder to not over-rev the engine too much? I’ve never seen such an item on a tachometer.
If I recall correctly the green band on the tach was intended to portray the “optimum fuel economy” range.
Normal driving range all modern diesel trucks are so marked and to optimise fuel economy
A familiar feature to anyone who’s owned a Saab 9000 – as Simon says it indicates the optimum fuel economy range
Hi Jason,
thanks.
The green band is, I guess, the power/torque band, and also the best area for economy. Max torque came at 3300 rpm in these, so there’d be little point going past that unless crusing fast, except that its more fun, of course ;-0.
My Dad’s Hunter had a similar but simpler dash without a rev counter, and without real wood.
Nobody does wood and instrumentation as nicely as the British. Nice article. The wagon looks similar to a Volvo 164 with the rear doors done properly. The rear has kind of an MGB-GT look to it. Is the green line on the tach the “economy” range?
Thanks for another great read Roger.Humbers were the sort of car bank managers and solicitors drove when I was a kid in the 60s.The Sceptre estate was always much rarer than the saloon,I don’t think I saw more than 5 or 6 estates.
The Humber Hawk looked very staid next to a Zodiac or Cresta,an updated model with small block Mopar V8 was planned and a few actually made before they decided to import Aussie Valiants
The Chrysler 2 litre never sold as much as Ford or Vauxhall opposition,as an American car enthusiast I always liked it’s style.
I had one of those Chrysler 2L but with 245cube Hemi power a very quick car if you could get traction, quite difficult to drive on wet roads you really had to baby it they were a factory built drift car before the “sport” was invented.
That sounds more like the sort of car it should have been.
Er, not really,Gem. We got the Chrysler Centura version, with the Hemi six. It was a classic case of sounding good in concept, but less than great execution.
The six ended up being mounted too far forward and it handled notoriously badly.
A compact and light V8 like the alloy Buick/Rover one probably would have made the Centura a pretty nice proposition though!
A friend had one with a 318 and torqueflyte it was worse to drive than my 245 tail happy in the extreme, Centuras drive ok sideways though I could powerslide mine around corners without problems tyre smoke at 80mph accelerating is disconcerting to those being passed though, I guess they scared a lot of Aussies used to tame cars like Toranas.
What a shame I was expecting something similar to the Australian hemi Charger.
Gem there is a reason they had revised front panels – the radiator had to move forward to make way for the extra cylinders.
The V8 mini-saga shows just how bad the UK industry was in those days (because BMC was just as bad) – rather than working on a new model in 1965 or so they were putting a new engine in a 6 year old body. That would have worked about as well as selling a derivative of a flair-free US economy car as a luxury car.
Mind you I’m not sure if they had any options. They were unlucky that they got onto the Valiant before it had a decent luxury version. That will sound strange to US readers, but the car had a very different market position in Australia.
Fascinating car, especially to someone from the other side of the pond like myself. I can’t say I love the styling (it has an odd combination of boxiness and curved surfaces that doesn’t really work for me) but the dash is great and I do like it as a period piece. Plus, as rare as it is, nice to see one preserved.
I guess in the USA, estates/wagons with a luxury emphasis had existed for a while, though never common. Off the top of my head, the ’57 Olds Fiesta and Buick Caballero hardtop wagons occur to me, but there may have been others prior.
Also, in the U.K., there was a Triumph 2000 estate from 1966 on. It was essentially a conversion performed by Carbodies, but was ordered by the factory and sold as a regular production model. The estates were definitely luxury estates in terms of fittings (I remember CAR complaining that the Mk1 estate’s boot was too plush to be a good load hauler) and price.
I thought I would post a photo of a Triumph 2500 estate, note the very small size of the load area.
The title says it all….but thanks for refreshing the memory banks.
Humbers the SuperSnipes are the survivors over here mostly unless really badly worn they never became cheap cars so tended to be maintained in good order, the 4 cylinder Hawks havent fared so well and are quite rare, Cortinas of any model are now very thin on the ground they were very popular new and used and simply didnt last well Hunters are still to be seen as daily drivers around here but Sceptres are quite prized and were not common at any time they were relatively expensive new and consequently not many sold, rust and time has disposed of most of them but Arrows are still in daily use some having clocked up incredible mileages.
Rootes never sold Singer or Humber versions in Australia although there are the odd example around – fewer than the Superminx based models though, or the Vogue that was sold as a Humber here. That was a shrewd move because the cheaper Vogue was a decent competitor for the Holden, slightly smaller but better equipped and still a good performer.
Mind you by 1975 Rootes were gone here and Chrysler were selling rebadged Mitsubishis.
The Hillman Hunter 1725 slant four was quite the rocket when it was first released in NZ in 1967.. zero to 50mph in 9.3 seconds ..still remember that very clearly!
Thank you Roger for this article, and it is so well researched.
The car is mine, I have owned it for 22 years or so (I am a bit of a Rootes fan, and also have a Hillman Hunter GLS). It has its full history, and I was the third owner. The first being a Mr Collins of Essex who was (you guessed it) a recently retired middle manager at the time he bought the car in August 1975.
They only actually made 1400 of the estate variant, and that was between 1975 and 1976. There are very few left now, I tend to watch out for them over the years and as far as I now there might be about six left, that are either on the road now or could reasonably get back on the road.
I think they are a pleasure to drive, with the Stromgberg CD150 carb set up and the relaxed 1725 engine on overdrive. I think they were a classy alternative in their day…
Once again that for interesting article, and I am very glad to have found it!
Hi Ozzie,
Thanks for the kind words, and for keeping the car in the condition it is. I saw it at the Luton Festival of Transport last weekend, and it was one of unexpected highlights for me
My Dad was a Rootes/Chrysler/Talbot driver for over 20 twenty years, with a Minx, a Super Minx, a Hunter, 2 Litre and the 3 (yes 3!) Alpines as well as 2 Imps and an Horizon.
Are you a new reader on CC? How did you find the site?
You’ll see from my previous posts that I still have a bit of thing for Rootes cars, even now, and despite never having owned one myself.
Are you going to the Simca-Talbot-Matra rally at Beaulieu on 11-13 July?
http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/beaulieu-events/club-rally/simca-matra-talbot-rally
I always look forward to the Festival of Transport at Luton, I think it has quite an interesting range of cars. The highlight for me was an XJS cabriolet. Well, I hope it is a highlight because I bought it and will collect next weekend!
I found CC because I was doing an image search on Humber Estates, because I had been talking to someone about an example we knew and I was trying to find a picture of it. Then I saw the picture of mine a little down the page and clicked on the link…to get here (for the first time).
I had no plans to go to the Simca-Talbot-Matra rally because I did not know about it……but thanks for the link, I will look into it. I am a bit disorganised about car shows, I tend to go if I get up in time! Mind you I hope to get to Harpenden Classics on the green and Croxley if I get to do nothing else this year.
Dear Sir ,
Looking for sceptre 1975,and up .
Could you help me find one,
Thanks
213-453-1736
edwart4re@gmil.com
my dad used to have a PAYKAN version of this.that 1725cc engine is pretty tough.amazing cars.simple&reliable.
Pleasecontact me if it’s still available
Thank you
Edward
edwart4re@gmail.com
Quote: “The car was among the first, perhaps the first, to offer factory fitted roof rails, at lest in Europe.”
In the UK maybe — but both the Citroen DS ‘Safari’ and the Simca V8 Marly had factory fitted rails in the late 50s. I believe the Simca 1500 break also had those (in 1964).
Saw a Arrow wagon on a recent trip to Wellington followed it for several miles it was cruising at a comfortable 60mph, nice cackle from a 2inch tailpipe mild lowering evident but still a Hillman still in use.
Do you still have this yellow car?
if yes email me info ,very interested,edwart4re@gmail.com
Thanks
Humbers were pitched higher than the Zodiacs, Westminsters etc. More in Rover territory
“Temperature Textured” front seats – LOL