Humber 9/20

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From the dawn of the motoring age until the end of the 1970s, Humber cars were a very important part of the British motor industry.

At first, high quality cars were produced at Beeston in Nottinghamshire and in Coventry; later production was concentrated in Coventry and a popular range of luxury light cars was developed which lasted into the late 1920s. As prosperity increased after the Great War, the firm introduced larger and more luxurious models and throughout the 1930s the catalogue came to consist overwhelmingly of large and stately cars.

The smaller Humber cars of the 1920s represented the epitome of upper middle-class expectations and every successful doctor, broker or bank manager aspired to the cachet of this solid and respectable marque. Typical of the breed was the delightful 9/20 of 1925-28. Powered by a 1.1-litre inlet-over-exhaust four-cylinder engine, the 9/20 was beautifully made and trimmed. “A luxurious and comparatively large £280 saloon which, with an engine rated at only 8.3hp, is capable of over 50mph,” was how Light Car & Cycle Car summed it up in a contemporary road test.

First registered in December 1928, this particular 9/20 Fabric Saloon was acquired by the Stondon Museum in 1998. Equipment includes a Lucas King of the Road brass lamp set, luggage rack, original roof lights and reeded bezel Jaeger instruments. The V5 shows just three owners since 1928 and it also comes with 10 old MOTs from 1966 to 1993, the mileage rising from around 95,000 in 1977 to around 97,000 when acquired by the museum. A most attractive looking car that appears to be in good condition all round with a pleasingly patinated brown leather interior, it is sure to be of interest to any Humber collector.