1963 Humber Super Snipe
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Year of manufacture1963
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Chassis numberB8203721BWHUO
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Engine numberB8203721BWHUO
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Lot number326
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DriveLHD
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ConditionUsed
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Number of seats2
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Location
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Exterior colourOther
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Drivetrain2wd
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Fuel typePetrol
Description
1963 Humber Super Snipe Estate Car
Registration no. 6101 PF
Chassis no. B8203721BWHUO
Engine no. B8203721BWHUO
Already the majority shareholder in the combined Hillman/Humber concern, Rootes completed its takeover in 1931. Under Rootes' guidance, Hillman concentrated on models with mass-market appeal while Humber was pitched at a wealthier clientele. The Super Snipe first appeared in the late 1930s, finding a ready market within the ranks of Civil Service officialdom and the middle class professions, and continued in mildly face-lifted form post-WW2.
In 1958 the existing Super Snipe was superseded by a new unitary construction car, retrospectively known as the 'Series I'. The Series I's new bodyshell was shared with the contemporary four-cylinder Hawk, but the former's engine was an all-new 2.65-litre six-cylinder unit. Improvements to the Super Snipe appeared almost annually, a 3.0-litre engine and front-wheel disc brakes arriving in 1959 (Series II); a four-headlamp front end in 1960 (Series III) and a slightly more powerful engine in September 1962 (Series IV). Production of these large, luxurious Humbers finally ceased in 1967, the Super Snipe Series VA being the last of the line.
This Super Snipe Estate was first registered on 24th September 1963. The car was purchased from H Taylor & Co Ltd, prepared by R J Shanks & Co of Weybridge and delivered the following day to its first owner, Mrs M D Fentiman of Wentworth, Surrey. Some time later the Humber changed hands, passing to a Mr C R Benson of Merseyside. The car was owned by Mr Benson until April 2000 when it was acquired by David Morgan Training Services of Pinner, Middlesex, passing swiftly to Mrs Jacqueline Suckling of Mayfield on 25th May 2000. While in the Sucklings' ownership the Humber was used as a course car at historic racing events and was a regular sight in the paddock at the Goodwood Revival meeting.
The current owner acquired '6101 PF' on 7th May 2010. There is a substantial quantity of service history (some dating back to the 1960s) and expired MoT certificates on file, indicating regular maintenance rather than any more extensive restoration. The recorded mileage total when the last MoT was issued in June 2015 was 72,022. An ideal support vehicle for historic racing, this rare Super Snipe Estate is offered with owner's handbook, service book, press kit, marketing material, the aforementioned service history and a V5C registration document.