Humber Imperial Saloon Automatic

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An upmarket version of the Humber Snipe, the original Imperial was launched in 1939 and was effectively an owner-driver version of the Pullman Limousine but without the sliding partition fitted to that car.

Not on general sale to the public, it was restricted to military/government use as a staff car during the war years and was more or less dropped from the range afterwards, the Imperial name not being revived until 1964 when it was briefly used on a top-of-the range version of the Humber Super Snipe, disappearing for good in 1967.

The latter day Imperial, as here, was intended to match BMC’s Rolls-Royce-engined Vanden Plas 4-Litre R. Based on the 1964 Super Snipe MkV, it shared that car’s 3-litre straight-six engine with twin Zenith Stromberg carburettors and a Harry Weslake-tuned cylinder head which was good for 138bhp. The four-door saloon bodywork was coachbuilt by Thrupp & Maberly of London.

The standard specification included a vinyl roof, fully reclining front seats, automatic transmission and Hydrosteer power steering. The Imperial also featured Armstrong Selectaride electrically adjustable rear shock absorber settings, a separately controlled rear passenger heater and various luxury touches such as individual reading lamps, ashtrays and cigar lighters for the rear passengers.

First registered in May 1965, this Imperial has had five owners from new, the vendor buying it in 2011 to join his collection. In running order when acquired, it has been on display in a small private museum since and will doubtless require a degree of recommissioning before it can be put back into use, the last MOT having expired in March 2012.

Only around 3,032 Super Snipe MkV models were made in total, of which very few were to Imperial specification, and it is doubtful that more than a handful survive today, making this a rare beast indeed. 

At the time of cataloguing we had not been able to view the car or its documents, and interested parties are invited to do so before they make their bids. We will upload new photos of the car to our website as soon as it arrives.