Humber Snipe Imperial

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By 1932 the famous Humber marque had been taken over by The Rootes Group which had also swallowed up Hillman.

Under their influence, Humber were soon producing a range of cars powered solely by six-cylinder engines and the brand became established as the upmarket end of the Rootes empire, the cars being used almost exclusively by civic dignitaries, government bigwigs and top-brass military personnel. Field Marshal Montgomery was inordinately fond of his Super Snipe staff car which he called ‘Old Faithful’ and Winston Churchill was often to be seen in the back of his Snipe Imperial Limousine, FLY 179.

Rootes soon dropped their range of inlet-over-exhaust-valve engines and introduced a robust, ohv 3,498cc engine for their Snipe and Pullman models. By 1934, synchromesh gearboxes had arrived and two years later, an all-new Snipe was launched with a modern, curvaceous body and independent suspension which was the work of Barney Roos, an American who had worked for Studebaker – his influence on the new model being plain to see. Engine capacity had increased to 4,086cc which pushed power to 100bhp, this fine unit being used in all of Humber’s range-toppers, including the gargantuan Pullman Limousine.

Just to confuse matters, Humber then decided to use the Snipe name on some of their smaller models, renaming the car we see here as the Snipe Imperial. Its powerful engine, independent front end, contemporary styling and luxurious appointments made it one of the finest cars available at the time.

Although built in 1937, this Humber Snipe Imperial wasn’t registered until July 1938. Brightwells sold it in 2013, the car having been in the same hands for around 12 years, although unused since 2009. Once back on the road, it continued to offer luxurious transport, being pressed into yet more wedding service until 2014, when it was put back into storage once again. Described as in running order, it will doubtless benefit from some light recommissioning before venturing forth once more.

An ideal vehicle for wedding use, or as a luxurious long-distance tourer, this impressive and powerful late ‘30s saloon looks exceptional value, its previous owner having informed us that it is one of only six Snipe Imperials still known to exist. A finer way to travel to the Goodwood Revival this summer with a bunch of mates on board, we struggle to imagine!