1951 Humber Super Snipe

By 1946, post-war civilian production resumed, and the Super Snipe was evolved several times. Each iteration steadily became larger, more powerful, and more modern until production ultimately ended in 1957. The Mark I Super Snipe was essentially a 6-cylinder version of the 1945 Humber Hawk, itself a facelifted pre-war car. The Mark III, which is today’s example, was constructed 8,703 times. The car sports a straight-six engine mated to a manual column-shift transmission. Under the body, a Panhard rod was added to the rear suspension limiting sideways movement of the rear wheels, and ultimately allowing for the usage of softer springs.

The outside of this Super Snipe is a flat gray. The car’s condition overall is solid, there is no major damage anywhere. However, there is definitely medium and minor damage. Starting with the chrome bumpers, neither will need rechroming but the front has several wrinkles, and the rear does appear to have some corrosion marks. There are cracks in the paint on both sides of the grille. The fog lights seem to be showing early signs of corrosion, and there are chips along the hood of the car and in the panel gaps as well. There is significant signs of bubbling on both sides of the car, primarily at the bottom of the panels and rear fenders. The trunk has some peppering marks that have scuffed the metal. There are two particularly large scratches on the passenger side rear quarter panel, behind the rear wheel, and in front of that same wheel is a large, deep rash in the paint. As stated earlier, bubbling can be found at the bottom of the passenger side of the vehicle as well, and there are some small chips in the paint on the passenger front quarter panel. Overall, the exterior is solid, but far from perfect.

The inside of this Super Snipe was done with red leather, which has since been sealed behind some sort of protective plastic. At a glance, the inside matches the outside, nothing is damaged beyond repair but everything has been effected in one way or another over the years. The material on the driver’s door panel is coming loose at every side, the armrest has preserved itself very poorly and the window crank probably needs resurfacing. The same can be said of the passenger front door, although the cranks looks to be in nice condition. Reflections from the plastic make it extremely difficult to discern the condition of the front bench, but from what we can see, the red leather bench has survived nicely although there are some deep crease marks. We are unable to tell if the bench has any holes or tears. The carpets also have the same plastic covering, which has probably helped preserve them nicely although they don’t seem to be laying flat in their respective positions. The black leather-wrapped steering wheel is in rough shape and would definitely benefit from a healthy coat of polish. While centrally-mounted speedometer is a cute design choice, it does look rather outdated. That being said, the gauge is clear and all of the numbers within are easily visible. Both rear door panels look much better although material on each is still coming loose just beneath the window. The headliner hangs tightly in place, and is mostly free of stains, but that has not stopped a hole from appearing in the material. Just because there isn’t any major damage to deal with doesn’t mean that this Super Snipe doesn’t have a long laundry list of areas that will need refurbishing.

We are happy to report that this Super Snipe hides no major damage beneath it. The frame and floorboards are solid, the exhaust has very little discoloration, and all suspension components are tidy. Under the hood, little changes. Everything is clean, there are numerous chips in the paint inside the engine bay, but aside from a battery nothing actually appears to be missing.

From the documents available to us, we believe the seller acquired the Super Snipe in July of 2012.

The Humber Super Snipe is a unique and obscure British compact. Produced from 1938 to 1967, the car slowly evolved over a period where car designed changed dramatically from year to year. This in turn allowed for a car with old-world styling to grow and modify itself over thirty years with newer and newer technology. Today’s example is rough inside and out but has no major damage. A lot of things need to be addressed, which would make this car a perfect candidate for a custom job or full on restomod project. Whatever the winning bidder chooses, we are confident this little Humber will have few issues reaching 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.