1961 Humber Super Snipe

This fifth generation of the Super Snipe ended up having 5 different Series, with today’s example being a Series III. Announced in October 1960, the Series III Super Snipes were the first British cars to fit two pairs of headlights. The car’s floor structure and suspension systems were highly modified from the previous Series in order to improve the car’s high-speed stability. The front of the car received a lower hood line to increase visibility out of the front windshield. Furthermore, the nose of the car was brought out 3.25 inches further to allow for optional air cooling, a feature highly requested in the North American market, unsurprisingly. The overhead valve straight-six engine was given improved bearings, a quieter fan that also provided better cooling, and a redesigned lubrication system.

The car is done in wonderfully light glossy gray. For the most part, the exterior is clean, but there are some areas worth pointing out. Down both sides of the car, it appears that a piece of trim is missing, presumably chrome. Chrome trim around the windshield doesn’t line up close to the driver’s door. At the bottom of the driver’s front quarter panel, there appears to be some bubbling in the paint. There also seems to be some bubbling occurring underneath the chrome door handles as well as the chrome piece that normally surrounds the license plate. The trim around the rear windshield is also having issues lining up with itself towards the passenger side. On the passenger door, there is a scuff and beneath that there seems to be another small area with paint bubbles. The paint is evenly applied, glass is clean and free of cracks, and the hubcaps are in decent shape. This Humber may be a little rough around the edges, but none of the damaged described is really all that bad.

The interior was done with green leather and cloth. Quality is decent all throughout interior, and no particular area looks in rough shape. All 4 door panels are clean, the leather looks slightly weathered, but none of the wooden inlays show any chips. The forest green carpets lie flat for the most part but do fit awkwardly around the pedals. The front bench is in good condition, the cloth appears to be unharmed, and although the leather shows no holes or tears, it is creased in some areas. The wooden dashboard has aged appropriately over the years. The roughest area of the dash is the glove box. It doesn’t need to be replaced, but refurbishing could certainly help raise the quality. All of the gauges are clean and easily readable. The black Bakelite steering wheel is in fair shape and shows no damage. Things are about the same in the backseat. The door panels are clean, the bench has been preserved nicely even if it’s a little dirty, and the carpets lay flat. The white headliner above hangs tight and shows no stains.

We are excited to report that the undercarriage of this Humber shows no damage. The frame and floorboards are solid, all of the suspension components are in order, and the exhaust shows minor discoloration which is expected given the age of the vehicle.

Thanks to the documents available to us, we gather that the seller bought this car sometime around October 2012.

Unfortunately, Humber never saw massive success and ultimately sold themselves off to be absorbed by Chrysler in 1967. Nevertheless, the Humber Super Snipe was an adorable British compact cut from the same cloth as the Ford Cortina, but never achieved the same level of racing pedigree. Today’s example has a clean interior and only requires a minor amount of love and attention to get the outside back to 100%. Thanks to its clean undercarriage and unique interior, we believe this Super Snipe will have no problems achieving its $6,000 - $10,000 estimate.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.