Humber Hawk Series 1A

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The Humber Hawk Series 1 was introduced in 1957 as Rootes’ mid-range four-cylinder saloon.

A steady seller, it was sold alongside its six-cylinder sibling, the Super Snipe, proving particularly popular with the middle-class professional. Its virtues of quality engineering, oodles of leather trim and latterly, contemporary American-influenced styling, helped give the range-topping Rootes products their fully justified reputation as cars for the ‘discerning motorist’.

In true Rootes tradition, each significant update to the design were given a new Series number, this 1960 Series 1A had changed gear ratios and minor trim changes.

First registered in January 1960 it was suppled by West End Garage in Elgin. The first owner was Ronald Stephen who was family friend of the Vendor. The second owner was the Vendor’s father. Having always admired the Humber he had asked Mr Stephen to give him first refusal, and when offered it in 1968 he hitchhiked to Elgin to collect it.

There are a total of 26 MoTs on file covering from March 1965 up to March 1992. There is no mileage on the early certificates, the first mileage recorded is in June 1969 when it was 45,821. The mileage shown in March 1991 is was recorded as 34,272, which shows it had been “round the clock” which must have occurred in 1979. The MoT trail stops in 1993 when the Humber was parked up as some jobs needed to be done.

As usual time passed, and it wasn’t until 2010 that he decided to get it going again. and some recommissioning was done including new tyres, clutch and ignition switch, which resulted in a new MoT in 2012 showing a mileage of 34,920. Sadly, having got the car on the road, he discovered that driving it was now a little beyond him with the column gear change and no power steering and he only added 21 miles before the MoT expired in 2013. Subsequently the car went into the garage with a mileage reading 34,941.

There are various bills on file from 1968 to 1983, old tax discs, Workshop manual and 1963 Motor Manual together with a Buff logbook that confirms the story.

Recently awoken from its slumber the Humber is now in need of some recommissioning again and we have not attempted to start the car. Offered at No Reserve this is likely to be a straight forward and most satisfying project.