Humber Snipe

The Humber Snipe was a four-door luxury saloon launched by Humber in September 1929 for the 1930 model year, as successor to the Humber 20/55 and alongside the slightly longer Humber Pullman. It showed the marketing influence of William Rootes, whose firm had been appointed Humber's world exporter, and Humber joined what became known as the Rootes Group in July 1932. The first cars, known from late 1932 as the Snipe 80, used a 3498 cc six-cylinder engine with overhead-inlet, side-exhaust valve gear on a 120-inch wheelbase. A new chassis with independent front suspension and a 4086 cc engine arrived in 1936, a smaller 3180 cc car with the Hillman 14 body followed in 1938, and civilian availability ended in 1940 when the factory turned to military work. A post-war Snipe with a 2731 cc side-valve engine was withdrawn when the range was upgraded for 1948, leaving the Hawk and the Super Snipe.