Rootes Group Cars

Ha! Made you look!

My question is: has anyone here actually seen a Super Snipe in North America? Anyone seen a Humber at all? Did these car's ever get hot rodded? I'm kinda curious to know more about these stepsisters of the Sunbeams.

Apparently they only got inline-6 engines (4-litre) from the factory.

Everything I know about them, I read here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Super_Snipe

That's about the most american looking british car I've ever seen. If they did make it to the US, I'd be surprised if at least some weren't hot rodded.

Curtis, i just did a google search & found a few in the US... check this link... there's a reference to one. It's from 2004, but it was for sale at the time & has an email address for the shop. They may have some info for you. Apparently the show was at White Rock lake which is really close to where my folks live up by Dallas.

[www.captainjakes.com]

Guy I work with had a Super Snipe. Sold it a couple of years back. Kids got in the way of him being able to look after it. Never saw it but apparently stock-condition. AFAIK, it stayed in the Vancouver area.

Honey, I shrunk the Checker!

Humber, like Sunbeam, Hillman and Singer were part of the Rootes group of companies. I understand that about the time that the Sunbeam Tiger was introduced with its Ford V8 engine that same engine was dropped into a couple of Super Snipes for members of the Rootes family to use.

I have no idea if any of these cars still exist.

Quote:

that same engine was dropped into a couple of Super Snipes for members of the Rootes family

Cool! That sure would be a great topic for a British V8 article.

The V8 Super Snipes and Imperials still mostly exist - about eight of them IIRC. They used Chrysler V8s, initially a 5.1 litre, then downsized to a 4.5 litre. The straight-six was only a 3-litre, but it didn't have the thin-wall casting of the V8, so it was even heavier than the all-iron 5.1 litre V8. The Snipe - and its Imperial sister - were tough cars, but they rusted like hell and, when on the road, handled badly (very skinny tyres, masses of understeer, etc).

So now you're trying to get us to go on a "Snipe Hunt" Curtis? (for those who don't understand this term [en.wikipedia.org])
I've never seen a Humbler in the US but some must have been brought over at one time or another. Perhaps up north in Canada more likely.

There was a super snipe for sale near wilkboro,NC back in the 80's. I bought the Nash Metropolitan beside it. It was a fairyly interesting car but badly rusted. It is not there now.

Steve

I remember some Super Snipes as a child, there were some that apparently were privately imported in the Phila area.

I saw a group of 3 Humbers for sale as parts cars in Denver around 1993. Unfortunately it appeared that all three were not enough to make one decent car. I understand that they eventually ended up in CA.

The last Humber Supe Snipe I saw was at a car show in NJ two years ago. It was a mostly original car (original black paint and red leather interior) in decent condition.

It's off-topic, but I passed a very nice Imp in traffic the other day. It had a beautiful paint job (dark crimson with metal flake) and its badges were all removed. I don't recall ever seeing one on a road before.

We have one that shows up at the KC All British show every year, light blue and very clean restoration. I found one other in a salvage yard about 10 years ago, I'm sure it's long crushed by now.

The guy that sits next to me at work has a '47 Humber snipe.

They're not very common, but they can be found in the US.

I've owned 4 over the years, and only 1 was a UK import, the rest were US market cars. Any Sunbeam/Hillman dealer could order them, but they usually were special order, rather than something to put on the lot. In 1961 a new Super Snipe cost as much as a new Cadillac. The first one I owned is now in the Museum of British Transport in Ohio, put there by the next owner.

Biggest problem with restoring a Humber is that it was a high end coachbuilt car. Wool carpets, most had Connolly leather seats, loads of burl walnut trim, and most of the body is welded and lead-loaded. Everything is expensive. My current car has a few modifications, mostly for practical and safety reasons, but still has it's original 3 liter engine. Though I have to admit, come the day that the engine needs rebuilding, a swap to a more modern inline 6 is very likely.

Jon Arzt
Omaha, NE

Here is one for sale in Sacramento. Found this on Craigslist.

[sacramento.craigslist.org]

Well, you guys certainly have me very interested to see one in person!

Hey Curtis,

Three of them for sale right now on EBAY.
Yep three!
And oh my god one is a wagon.
And they are cheap.
Too far away for me but maybe someone else?
Just ugly enough too be oh so cool.

Cheers
Fred

a mate ran a petrol station as a young fella i still remember a humber coming in for fuel i went out keen as mustard to fuel it up then walked oround and around back and foward looking for the filler cap until the driver laughed got out of the humber and procedded to unscrew the tail liht reflector ? made me look silly ??????

That is cool i am going EBAY to buy it.