Humber

GB, 1898 to date

(1) Humber Ltd, Beeston, Notts., 1898 – 1908

(2) Humber Ltd, Coventry, 1898 – 1946

(3) Humber Ltd, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, 1946 – 1970

(4) Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, 1970 to date

Thomas Humber’s bicycle firm, established in 1868, became a part of H.J. Lawson’s intended automobile empire empire and as such was responsible for production of the abortive Pennington tricars. Humber car manufacture started with an experimental front wheel drive design, while motor tricycles and quadricycles were also produced. These led to a line of 3-wheeled forecars which persisted up to 1905. Little came of Humber cars M.D. voiturette with 2-speed gear, but their more conventional 1901 offering had a 4½hp De Dion engine, De Dion-type transmission and shaft drive, as well a a single-spoke steering wheelwhich remained one of the Humber car company’s trademarks in the early years and anticipated Citroën practice by more than half a century. A 12hp 2½-litre 4-cylinder Humber car followed in 1902, but in 1903 two more ambitious vehicles appeared, a big Humber 20hp four and a 3-cylinder version with mechanically-operated inlet valves, as well a Britain’s first successful effort at a popular light car. This Humber car was the 5hp Humberette with a De Dion-type engine of 613cc and a 2-speed gearbox with two steering-column levers. All these Humber cars had shaft drive – Humbers eschewed the chain. In 1904 the Humberette was made in a more powerful form and up to 1908 two separate lines of Humber car were produced in the factories at Beeston and Coventry, the Beeston cars being the more expensive. 1905 saw a miniature Humber car, a four rated at 8/10hp, but with a capacity of 2 litres, which was developed the following year into a 10/12hp Coventry-Humber car selling at £315; Beeston’s offering that season was a 3½-litre T-head four selling for £472 10s. The 1907 versions of the Beeston-Humber car had a capacity of 6.3-litres and pressure lubrication.

The 1908 Humber car range was quite extensive, ranging from a bid for the lightcar market with a 1½-litre 8hp vertical twin, pressure-lubricated and with Humber’s own design of detachable wheels, at £195, up to a big 5½-litre six Humber car, also Coventry-made, at a modest £450.

Financial difficulties led to the closure of the Beeston factory in 1908, but Coventry went on making the T-headed Humber cars, all of which had 4-speed gearboxes by 1911. In 1912 new L-head models came out, the 11hp having a 1.7-litre monobloc engine, three forward speeds and splash lubcrication; there was also a new Humber car, a cyclecar named the Humberette, with a 998cc air-cooled engine but otherwise on full-scale car lines, which was made up to the outbreak of World War 1. 1913/1914 models cost £120, with £15 extra if watercooling was specified. Though Humber cars had supported the first Tourist Trophies, an unusual departure for 1914 was the preparation of a Humber car team of 3.3-litre twin ohc 4-cylinder machines inspired by the Henry-designed Peugeots for that year’s event.

After the war the Humber car company concentrated on solid family cars, noted for their excellent workmanship and all-weather equipment, as well as their conservatism. Side-valve engines were used up to 1922 in Humber cars, but inlet over exhaust layouts appeared in 1923, in which year there was also a new small Humber car model, the ‘Humber 8/18’ with 12-volt coil ignition at £275. Front wheel brakes had arrived by 1925, although Humber cars adhered to the foot-operated transmission brake for several more seasons. The company sold over 4.000 Humber cars in 1927, thanks to the 1.056cc ‘Humber 9/20’, an excellent 2-litre 4-cylinder ‘Humber 14/40’ and a new 20/55hp Humber car, the first six in a Humber car for many years.

The Humber cars were restyled in 1929, and the following year the effect of the Rootes takeover was seen in the new line of sixes, the 2.1-litre ‘Humber 16/50’ and the 3½-litre Humber Snipe and its long-chassis stablemate, the Humber Pullman. 1930 was also the last year for the 9hp Humber cars and thereafter the Humber car company’s staple products were upper-middle-class family cars of over two litres’ capacity, although a 1.7-litre ‘Humber 12’ appeared in 1933 and formed the basis for the long-stroke 4-cylinder Rootes engines still being manufactured in 1966 as a Humber car. Also at the end of 1932 overhead inlet valves were dropped. In 1936 the 6-cylinder Humber cars acquired transverse independent front suspension, while the biggest sixes were now of 4.1-litres’ capacity. Only 6-cylinder Humber cars were offered in 1938, and hydraulic brakes appeared on 16hp and 21hp Humber car models in 1939, and were also found on the first Humber Super Snipe – a ‘compact’ evolved by mounting the 4.1-litre engine in the smaller chassis, which was excellent value at £398.

Snipe-based Humber cars served the Allied Forces with distinction in World War 2 and the new models introduced in 1945 were really hold-overs of Humber car parts from 1940, with hydraulics now standardized, together with a new four in the shape of a 1.9-litre side-valve Humber Hawk based on Hillman’s Fourteen of 1938/1940. In 1950 a Humber car (the Super Snipe) took second place in the Monte Carlo Rally. The Super Snipe and Pullman acquired overhead valves in 1953, and the Hawk a year later, while 1956 Super Snipes could be had with automatic transmission. Unitary construction was used on a redesigned Hawk in 1957, and two years later the Super Snipe (after a short period in abeyance) re-emerged as an altogether smaller 2.650cc Humber car, also with unitary construction. This was soon replaced by a 3-litre development with disc front brakes. 1962 Humber car models had the four-headlamp pioneered in America in 1957. A small luxury Humber car came out in 1964 in the shape of the Humber Spectre, based on Hillman’s Super Minx, but with overdrive standard equipment. During 1967 all the big Humber cars were dropped, to be replaced on the British market by the Australian-built Plymouth Valiant. Since 1968 the only Humber car offering has been the 1.7-litre Humber Sceptre, a prestige version of the Hillman Hunter. The 1973 Humber cars had twin-carburettor 79bhp engine, and there was a choice of a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox with overdrive on the two upper ratios of automatic transmission.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Stoewer

D, 1899 – 1939

(1) Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeuge, Stettin, 1899 – 1916

(2) Stoewer-Werke AG vorm. Gebr. Stoewer, Stettin, 1916 – 1939

The Stoewer car factory developed out of the Stoewer ironworks and was among the pioneers of the German car industry. After manufacturing motor cycles, tricycles and quadricycles for two years, Stoewer turned to cars in 1899. The first Stoewer car had a rear-mounted 2-cylinder engine. 4-cylinder Stoewer cars followed in 1901, and electric Stoewer cars were also produced. Best known were the 2-cylinder Type T Stoewer car (2.280cc and 3/12PS), the 4-cylinder Stoewer P4 (3.052cc and 11/22PS), the Stoewer G4 (1.500cc and 6/12PS) and the 6-cylinder Stoewer P6 (8.820cc and 34/60PS), evolved in the 1905-1907 period all Stoewer cars with shaft-drive. The Stoewer B1 of 6/16PS and the Stoewer B6 of 9/22PS which appeared in 1910 were also built by Mathis under licence. The G4 Stoewer car was the basis for the Stoewer B5, which Stoewer car in 1912 became famous by setting up a record at Brooklands with 67.7mph. The new range of Stoewer cars which appeared in 1913 was also based on successful earlier cars. They were the Stoewer C1 (6/18PS), Stoewer C2 (10/28PS) and C3 Stoewer car (6-cylinder and 19/45PS). Shortly before the outbreak of World War 1 the Stoewer car range was headed by the F4 Stoewer car with a 4-cylinder, 8.8-litre 33/100PS ohc engine. After the war an enormous Stoewer car appeared, the Stoewer D7, using a 6-cylinder 11.2-litre 42/120PS aero engine, as well as some conservative sv 4- and 6-cylinder Stoewer cars with rear wheel and transmission brakes. Front wheel brakes appeared on Stoewer cars in 1925. Stoewer introduced 8-cylinder Stoewer cars in 1928. These were the Stoewer Superior, Stoewer Marschall, Stoewer Gigant and Stoewer Repräsentant with engines ranging from 2-litres and 45bhp to 4.9-litres and 100bhp. The Stoewer car firm re-entered the economy class in 1931 with the V5, a front-driven Stoewer car with a V4 1.188cc engine, followed by the front-drive models R140 (1.369cc), R150 (1.488cc) and R180 (1.769cc). Another 8-cylinder was the front wheel drive Greif V8 with a 2.488cc engine, which was replaced by the conventional 6-cylinder 3.609cc Arcona Stoewer car in 1938. In 1934 the 1½-litre 4-cylinder Stoewer car and 2½-litre V8 Stoewer car were shown at the Brussels Salon by Monsieur Dewaet under the name D.S. (Dewaet-Stoewer). The Greif Junior was built under Tatra licence with an opposed 4-cylinder 1.474cc engine. It succeeded the Röhr Junior. In the middle of the range was the Stoewer Sedina with a 4-cylinder engine of 2.4-litres.

Production of private Stoewer cars was given up at the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. The Stoewer car factory was destroyed during the war and production of Stoewer cars was not resumed.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON   

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com