(first posted 4/30/2012) Bryce delivers once again, posting these cool photos to the Cohort. Here’s something you’re not likely to see in North America: the Humber Super Snipe. I am not making that name up, though it does sound like a fictional car from an episode of The Avengers: “Hurry, Colonel Whipsaw is escaping in his Super Snipe!”
The Super Snipe was the top of the line offering of Rootes Group, of Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger fame. According to my dad’s copy of the 1964 Auto Universum, it featured a 132.5 hp inline six cylinder engine with 160 lb ft of torque, and synchronized three-speed manual transmission. An automatic transmission was optional. The models featured in these photos are among the last Super Snipes made if I am not mistaken, being Series III, IV or V models since they have quad headlights. I am winging it here; if anyone would care to enlighten us on the differences, please do!
The last ones came off the assembly line in 1967. Chrysler had purchased the Rootes Group shortly before the last Super Snipes were made. I am unsure if Chrysler decided to end production, but it’s a possibility.
Interiors appear to be suitably luxurious, in a Vanden Plas kind of way. And what is more British than fold-down rear picnic trays?
I think these cars are pretty sharp. The full-width grille and quad headlights seem to have a bit of American influence.
From the back, these cars look like a Rover P5, though the later versions like the white one shown above have an airier greenhouse. Nice clean lines, and very British! Apparently these cars were very popular in New Zealand, judging from all the fine examples captured. Thanks for sharing, Bryce!
I know where there’s two of these out in Saskatchewan and another up in northern B.C. Great looking cars, but a bottomless hole of a moneypit to restore, methinks…
A British ’58 Studebaker!
Actually, more like a British ’58 Buick. Which is the kind of class the Humber sold in.
I was going to say Checker Marathon, but 8/10 scale.
Checker Marathon in 8/10 scale with a good bit more style. But I am reminded nonetheless…
These are series 3 or 4 Super Snipes, good solid, well built cars. The sort of stodgy motors the bank manager or mayor might have been driven about in back in the ’60s. I believe the series 1&2 had single lights, the series 3 was the first British production car to have quad lamps. The series 3&4 were the most attractive, the series five (discontinued in ’67?) had a rather awkward flat roofline.
I’ve seen a few here Recently including an estate. There was to have been a Chrysler V8 version which never got past the prototype stages (it still exists).
People must have taken care of these cars as there seem to be quite a few left. Rather like the VDP 4 litre, another barge I admire. Jimmy
Yes, Chrysler did end production of the big Humbers. A vinyl topped 6 window “touring sedan” was badged “Imperial” at the end. They were replaced in the UK market by the Australian VE VIP Valiant sedan and wagon, and a susceptibility to rust ended that venture a short time later, but not before the Charger hit London. Before discontinuing the Super Snipe Chrysler did consider re-engineering the shell with the 273 V8, a few of the prototypes survive with at least one in Melbourne.
The V8 humber in Melbourne if it’s the silver one with the 318 and floor change it’s not a genuine V8 I own the only V8 prototype super snipe and up until 2008 owned sir Reginald’s V8 Imperial pre production 6 prototypes but sapped 5 in the factory and 6 pre production model and scrapped one in the factory after it was involved in an accident while towing a trailer with a new avenger on it going for testing unfortunately someone was killed in the car that hit the trailer so rootes scrapped the humber and avenger hope this is helpful as little is known about the V8 ‘s
The Super Snipe was always the top Humber model, and the Hawk was a cheaper 4-cylinder version. This last generation was face-lifted several times, like most Rootes Group cars. The first 4-headlamp cars kept the wrap-around front and rear screens of the original, but the final facelift replaced these with flatter screens that were less attractive. These were the most American styled of British luxury cars.( Ford and GM models looked more American but were much lower class ). A relative used to run Snipes and I would sometimes ride in them as a child. He owned a finance company so he could afford cars in this class.
One Mr Raymond Loewy had a not inconsiderable impact on the look of 1950s Rootes Group cars, not sure who was responsible for the subsequent updates. I’d guess it was a committee.
I know a few people that have these, although I don’t pay a lot of attention to them as they are not my type of car. I was surprised to read 3 speed transmission – mind you there was an overdrive that would normally be specified, however the vast majority of cars would have had an automatic transmission (BW35 I think).
The earlier “Mark” Super Snipes had a 4 speed, together with a 4 litre side-valve 6cyl. There was a ‘non-Super’ Humber Snipe pre-WWII. For those that don’t know, a Snipe is a type of bird.
The cars shown at the rear (and the silver car in the first photo) are series 5 or 6, the brochure photo is the only one that shows the earlier rounded roofline. These cars were the equivalent of something like a Buick, a car for bank managers or mayors, very ‘traditional’ with a high emphasis on comfort and quietness. They have a large silencer/muffler on the intake ahead of the air cleaner, for example.
The ‘trouble’ with these was that in typical British fashion they ran too long, and by the time they were considering V8 transplants the whole car was well out of date. The Aussie Valiant replacements didn’t really work as the economy car roots would still show through.
Chrysler actually built some prototype Supersnipes with V8 engines other enthusiasts have built there own but I read of one of the originals still in use on the road
So would these be in the same class as the Rover P4/P5 models (which were favored by British government officials, including prime ministers)?
“Super Snipe” is a great name… in fact if nothing else, most Rootes Group cars had fantastic names – “Avenger, Imp, Sunbeam Alpine”, etc. I thought I saw a strong resemblance to the larger Rambler models from the late 50s, but then I Googled those and it looks as much like a Rambler as it looks like any other American car from 1958…
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Humbers actually were imported to the US for awhile after WWII, but I’ve certainly never seen one… never even heard of one on this continent for that matter. Neat car – love how the rear fold-down trays are clearly sporting the fine china.
Sean,
The Super Snipe was officially sold in the US, but not very well promoted. Rootes chose to emphasise the economical Hillman and the sporty Sunbeam.
Back when I was in my teens (mid/late-1960’s), one parishioner at the family church had one. In Johnstown, PA, Lord knows where he purchased it. Johnstown did have a “British car dealer” who sold MG’s primarily. To this day, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen in the metal. I’m guessing a Series 3, as it obviously wasn’t a new car at the time, if anything it was starting to look a bit tired.
Didn’t Rootes also make the Denbeigh? That would include the Chauvinist & the Super Chauvinist.
Company motto: “We mean no harm.”
Nice write up I shot these at the Humber Hillman AGM Ive never seen so many Super Snipes in one place before, They were well reguarded in their day but too expensive to buy and expensive to run to ever really become popular though their tank like construction has made them a demo derby favourite for many years one club member was telling us of driving to and from demo derbys in the winning car. These werent quite top of the range the Imperial had that spot sharing the same cross flow hemi head 6 engine and more appointments inside. Thrupp Maberly was Rootes coach builder rather than VDP and in the 50 Humbers were used for Royal tour cars thats the status they had.
does those cars still working these days?
Undoubtedly. They were driven to this car show, undoubtedly. Folks collect and restore these cars, like so many other old cars. But they are not used as daily drivers.
Of the cars above the blue/white car has been restored, the silver car is original and the beige car registered Sonz belongs to a lady club member and is her daily car, other than high fuel consumption 15mpg @ $10 per gallon these cars are reliable and perfectly useable parts are readily available.
Awesome! I love the Series I-V Super Snipes, with the Series V being my favourite by far – I think the flatter roof and extra side window in the C-pillar make them look more modern. Not too many wagons or 4-cylinder Hawks around any more, but still quite a few sedans on the road – there’s always at least one for sale on trademe. A Series V is on my list of cars to own one day (although if I don’t win a lottery that day may be a way off lol). My favourite thing about them is the name: “Humber Super Snipe”. Mmmmmmm, a substantial sounding name for a substantial (by UK standards) car. Nice!
Tom: thanks for the write-up!
Bryce: thanks for the photos!
I saw one a couple of years ago in front of a tire shop in Hamilton. Very nice shape, I hollered to my family:
“Look guys, it’s a Humber Super Snipe”
But nobody much cared, although they did ask if that was seriously the name of the car. Really nice interiors in these…
Here’s a top-of-the-range Imperial, snapped at Goodwood a few years back. Essentially, it’s a Super Snipe with a vinyl roof and a spiffy interior.
We were always a Rootes family – Minxes, Imps, Hunters – so I’ve had a long-time craving for one of these (at least if Santa doesn’t bring me a P5B Coupe).
Thrupp Maberly did the imperial interiors they didnt come off a production line, since these pics were taken even more big Humbers have appeared they certainly are not rare in New Zealand,
of the cars pictured only the beige SONZ one is off the road for rust repairs that lady now daily drives a Superminx.
I actually drove a Humber Super Snipe wagon a few times in upstate New York, must have been a ’65 or ’66. It had auto, air, etc. Lots of nice wood and rather sluggish. Still, it had that old British character. Glad I didn’t own/maintain it!
D*mnit! The only thing I can find that is even kind of close to this is my neighbor’s series II or series III Jaguar XJ6 in BRG with the five-spoke fifteen inch rims!
Jaguar’s a Johnny-come-lately. Humber’s been around since Eighteen-Ninety-Somethingorother.
Pedigree, don’t you know, old chap!
These are really nice cars, and are a good size for a luxury car too. However, compared to the Rover, they were always an also-ran. These really are the British Imperial in name and in identity. If you drove a Rover, people knew where you fit in society. If you drove one of these, they wondered why you didn’t buy a Rover. Sadly, as classics, they aged less well too. Their lack of popularity meant few sold, and few survive today due to a lack of parts, a propensity to rust, and being built to a cost rather than a no-holds-barred specification like the Rover (which is only surpassed by the w126 Mercedes).
However, the wagon version was I think was the first proper luxury wagon ever made- inventing the niche that the Volvo and Mercedes wagons exploited more fully. I think it is significant that the 145 was launched a year after the Hawk’s demise. Prior to the Humber, if you wanted a luxury car and a wagon, you had to take your Ford Zodiac or Rover 2000 to a coach builder and have them cobble together a bespoke car for you.
“If you drove a Rover, people knew where you fit in society.”
Always wondered if it was a faux-pas to turn up in a Rover. 😉
There were some sold new early-mid ’60s in the Bay Area. I saw a ’63
Super Snipe with black plates and the “British Motor Cars Dist .” San Francisco dealer’s frame. This was around 2007 – in Alameda (it figures!)
I really wanted one of these cars when I was a teenager in late Sixties London, and felt disappointed when the British PMs switched to Rover P5Bs: the Humber had that hint of Battle of Britain swagger – fit for a young James Mason swigging Pimms from the Thrupp & Mayberly back-seat picnic table.That may have been their problem; because the only person who ever looked as though they thought they looked cool in a P5 Rover was Maggie Thatcher. And that’s possibly why so many were run into the ground through 70s and 80s Britain as taxis and hack hire cars because UK bank managers didn’t have the sense of style to carry-it-off tooling about in one; that and the fact that they were just too recognisable in Britain as cars of official rank; while the Rover was once known as ‘the retired Major’s car,’ retired Colonel’s would have had a Humber, of course or an old Rolls – which says it all.
In 1997 I regret to say I passed over the chance to buy an immaculate 1960 Series II for £2000 (in Liverpool). We bought a 1958 Rover 105R instead, and yes, what stopped us was worrying about the lack of spares,and the fact that I really wanted a Series V and simply couldn’t find one in London. As for rust, well, the P5 Rover is a horrendous rust bucket (few sixes survive in the UK) and is rather bland by comparison!
Had to add this. Back cover of Sparks ‘Propaganda’.
Read the Humber Super Snipe’s 2651-2962cc Inline-6 engines were derived from the Armstrong-Siddeley 3435-3990cc Inline-6 in the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire / Star Sapphire, another interesting project again involving Rootes was a 2-litre (possibly 1975cc) 4-cylinder version of the Humber Super Snipe 2962cc Inline-6 for likely use in the Sunbeam Alpine sportscar.
While there were cancelled plans to use the Chrysler LA V8s in the Humber Super Snipe, it is interesting to note the 2290cc 4-cylinder used in the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire 234 (and derived from the 3435cc Sapphire Inline-6) was said to have been used to create a 200 hp 4.6-litre V8. With further plans to develop a 2660cc 4-cylinder from the 3990cc Star Sapphire inline-6, allowing for the displacement of the 4.6-litre V8 to be enlarged to a 5.3 V8.
It makes one wonder whether there were plans to further expand the ties between the Rootes Group and Armstrong-Siddeley prior to the latter ceasing car production (with the latter also said to have been originally set to make the Gordon-Keeble), with Rootes essentially using Armstrong-Siddeley engines at the upper end of their range 2-litres and above (up to 4.6-5.3-litres) with the 1390-1725cc Minx-based engines being replaced by 875-1750cc Coventry Climax derived engines (via the Imp and Swallow projects) at the lower end of the range.
There was a plan to fit Hawk motors to the SuperMinx cars the later models actually have another set of tapped engine mounting holes fitted for the event, in the end they just fitted the Minx engine with the Sunbeam Rapier/Alpine alloy head and called it good till the end of Hillman production.
Quite surprised that a updated OHV version of what was essentially a pre-war engine was considered for the SuperMinx, unless further power could be extracted to create an potent engine more appropriate for its displacement compared to the anemic 78 hp in the Humber Hawk.
Quite interested in finding out more about the 2-litre 4-cylinder version of the Super Snipe 3-litre Inline-6 that was developed under the H2L codename for the Sunbeam Alpine, particularly whether it would have really been a cut above the 1725cc Minx engine used in the Sunbeam Alpine as well as the Holbay Engineering tuned Sunbeam Rapier H120 and Hillman Hunter GLS models.
When I was a teen in early 1960s San Francisco, a black Humber Super Snipe was a frequent sight driving in Pacific Heights in the morning. I would guess that it was being used by an Anglophile on his commute. My only other rememberances about it are that it was always clean and shiny, and that it had single headlights…and its unique name.
Pacific Heights was and is a toney neighborhood. Shiny new Cadillacs, Lincolns and Jaguars were common (at the time, nobody seemed to care much about Mercedes-Benz, and BMW was an outlier). So the Humber was among rarefied company.
I actually saw a Humber Super Snipe in Dallas downtown traffic a year or so back. What struck me about the car was that, although much smaller than the traffic around it, it had a presence of luxury and power – it was just obviously a fine car for a gentleman of money and taste. I had to do a bit of maneuvering to get close enough to read the name on the car, and when I did it made me smile. My first ever successful Snipe hunt! I am hoping that the car will show up at this year’s All British Car show at White Rock Lake so I can get a close look at it…
A colleague at work had a Super Snipe wagon, or correctly, an estate. He brought it out once in a while to work and let me drive it once. Mushy with soft handling but it ran smoothly. It had an inline six cylinder engine and “Saginaw” power steering with I believe a Borg Warner automatic. I think he still has it.
Thank you for posting this Paul. A car I regret not taking more notice of as a child. Not that they were especially common in Canada. Love the greenhouse on the later versions. Thanks to Don Andreina for identifying one for me.
Am I the only one who looks at this and is reminded of a Checker taxi cab?
I remember seeing one painted up like an American taxi back in the ’80s near Enfield.
The petrol tank filler cap is well disguised, being one of the two round rear reflectors.
I see an odd mix of a CheckerCab and Opel Kapitaen.
Nonetheless I like those old brit cars.
Definitely inspired by GM’s North American playbook for 1957 and 1958. Particularly the ’57 Buick four door models and the ’58 Chevy Impala. It actually works quite nicely for me.
I rather like stodgy upright cars, and these carry a certain dignity, even if the name is bit perplexing to modern American ears.
I get a kick out of the British thing for picnic trays in luxury cars. In 36 years of driving, I can think of maybe one instance where such an item may have been helpful for a few family members while were making a meal in a Toyota mini-van from restaurant leftovers before climbing the hill to the Griffith Park observatory in Los Angeles. The weather and circumstances made eating in and around the van a perfect activity, and those eating in the second row of the van would have benefitted from the trays – but, hold the china and fine crystal, please.
I’m fairly familiar with these cars but didn’t know or couldn’t remember if there was ever a mere Snipe, below or preceding the Super Snipe. And indeed there was …. according to Wikipedia they co-existed briefly, but at some point the mere Snipe was dropped. This reminds me how the LTD and Caprice eventually prevailed and the Galaxy and Impala faded away (and of course, the same had happened before with the base model Ford and Chevy when the Galaxie and Impala gained traction). Perhaps Chrysler/Rootes dropped the line because they couldn’t decide on an appropriate name for a successor: Ultra Snipe, Super-Duper Snipe?
These were in the fleet of the Australian Commonwealth Government and were usd as chauffeured transport for Ministers and high ranking bureaucrats. Their death knell in that application was the ’67 Fairlane. Fords remained the staple of that fleet for three decades and only the end of local production of Fairlane models brought that arrangement to an end. Holden Caprice cars were used after that and now it seems to be turning to European cars. The Prime Ministers department has a fleet of 7 (one is kept in every state) BMW Armoured 7 Series, which were delivered just in time for the G20 in Brisbane in 2014 and the security details seem to all drive BMW X5’s or VW Touregs.
It`s not just a Snipe, it`s a SUPER snipe! Somebody in Brooklyn, NY had a green one with red leather interior. Wasn`t exactly wild about that ‘Christmas’ color scheme,but it was a good looking car,but somewhat behind its lime in the late 60s-early 70s. Turns out that the owner `s son is married to a friend of my brother.He also claimed that his father always bought ‘unusual ‘cars. He couldn`t say why, but he did love that Humber.
Mad Men exterior and Downton Abbey interior.
I’ve actually seen three of these here in Virginia – two saloons and one estate.
One of the saloons was an Imperial edition, in a Virginia Beach savage-yard.
Somewhere, I still have one of it’s ‘Imperial’ badges.
I also bought the ‘Sparks, Propaganda’ record album for that great cover photo.
But the music’s awfull.
Happy Motoring, Mark
I am staggered that these were offered for sale in the US and I wonder what was their place in that market?
I remember seeing one of these regularly parked on a street in Hollywood back in the 1990s and early 2000s. I thought at the time that it looked like a miniature Checker Marathon, but with a much more nicely appointed (although more cramped) interior.
Here’s my 1961 series 3.In Victoria canada. It is unrestored. Fine car drives very smoothly.
Has anyone seen the TV show Ireverant airing now…Jan. Feb 2023? Filmed in Queensland, Australia. It features a Humber Super Snipe hearse. Funny show!
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/arthur-calwell
In Australia, a Super Snipe was the government vehicle involved an attempted political assassination.
I remember seeing these and the big 3 litre Rovers on the street (occasionally) as a kid. Impressive chariots, and way above the pay grade of anyone in my neighbourhood, for all that Dad said they were rather old-fashioned.
A question though – back in 1960s Britain, which would be the more highly regarded, the Rover or this Humber?
I never stopped to think about how funny the name sounded. Considering they also had a Super Minx, I guess we should just be thankful they didn’t come up with a Super Imp!
If you’re in the market for one of these, are you on a Snipe hunt? I saw (but didn’t photograph) one of these, in pale green, with British Columbia collector plates, at the 2014 Western Washington All British Field Meet.
I had a ’61 Super Snipe as my daily in Vancouver, BC in the late 90s. It was a bit down at the heels, but still exuded quality. Never let me down, but the perished windscreen rubber would let water seep into the fuses in the rain and various things would stop working, like wipers. Kept it in storage for a few years while working in Toronto then sold it on eBay to a father and son looking for a project.
In the suburb of Melbourne where I live(Chelsea)there were a couple of Super Snipes running around, one of them definitely one of the last ones made in Australia,judging by its original number plate, and a third one that was permanently parked in the driveway.