Humber Hawk Series IVA

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As British as Big Ben, the Humber Hawk was introduced in 1945 as Rootes’s mid-range four-cylinder luxury saloon and was to remain in production in one form or another until 1967.

A steady seller, it was offered alongside its six-cylinder sibling, the Super Snipe, proving particularly popular with middle-class professionals. Quality engineering, a luxury interior and quietly imposing styling all combined to give these upmarket machines their fully justified reputation as cars for the discerning motorist.

Completely restyled in 1957 with a new unitary construction body, the ‘new Hawk’ also gained servo-assisted front disc brakes and a 4-speed all-synchromesh column-change gearbox. The engine was a dependable 2.3-litre straight-four which could bowl along happily at 70mph all day, with a top speed of 85mph.

First registered in April 1966, this last-of-the-line Hawk Series IVA incorporates all of the improvements made to the model over its long lifespan. It has had just three owners from new, according to the V5C, the first of whom owned it right up until 2016. Finished in black with a red vinyl interior it appears to be in generally good order throughout and was reputedly used as a police car in two episodes of the ITV crime drama ‘Heartbeat’ in the 1990s.

Very little used in recent years, an online MOT history check shows that it has only covered some 2,000 miles since 2006, the odometer currently showing 61,573 miles. Documentation includes a current V5C, an old style V5C, an MOT valid until May 2019, three past MOTs and a few invoices for routine service items. This stately old Humber now needs an enthusiastic fourth owner who can give it the more regular exercise it deserves.