Description
Top of the Rootes 'Arrow' range of cars, the Humber Sceptre enjoys the 88bhp twin carb engine as developed for the Rapier and has the highest level of trim, including wood facia, door cappings etc..
My car is a fairly authentic example of the model and even the after-market Minilite wheels, while not original, are exactly what an early owner might have fitted to take advantage of the wider radial tyres becoming available in the seventies. The current tyres are Davanti 175/ 70 R13s that have done only 1500 miles and the handling is excellent: much better that the original cross-plies (on skinny wheels) would have been.
Like many classics, my car now benefits from electronic ignition and a thermostatically controlled electric cooling fan, both of which will have a beneficial effect on fuel consumption. For their day, these cars were relatively fuel efficient already of course, with mpg in the thirties. There is also a catalyst in the fuel tank enabling it to run happily on E10 fuel.
The electric cooling fan means the engine is warm and generating warm air from the demister/ heater very soon after setting off.
I've swapped the stalk switches over so that the indicators, horn and flash switch on the left, like modern cars, and with the overdrive switch on the right. I've made the same swap on other classics to make driving a little easier!
The front seat belts have been upgraded to inertia reel ones and a relay has been installed in the lighting circuit so that the lights only work with the ignition on.
I've swapped out the front seats for high-back modern ones with height adjustment in order to gain both comfort and safety but the originals are available and are in excellent condition so could be swapped back if required. Of course the originals had reclining backs and were very comfortable by the 1960s standards but not to the same as modern, adjustable, high-back seats.
The car is very presentable, in excellent mechanical condition and drives splendidly. I've done a couple of thousand miles travelling to car shows and meets around Yorkshire and Lancashire during the last three seasons without any breakdowns or issues.
During my ownership, the brakes have been overhauled including replacement of a flexible hose and seals in the master cylinder. New sills have been fitted and inner/ internals sills, cross-members, ribs, outriggers etc., plus foot-wells and inner wings, have all been professionally rebuilt as necessary. Heavy duty sound insulation and new carpets have been fitted.
All three prop shaft universal joints, the alternator, temperature sender and both seals and chrome trims on front and rear screens have all been replaced.
The rolling restoration is still ongoing and the door rubbers all round still need replacing. Neither the clock nor the floor mounted dip switch currently work and I've been planning to swap the steering column (multi function) switch for one incorporating dip, as on later cars, rather than replace the floor mounted one.
The wood facia and door capping etc. need refurbishing or replacing. All but the facia were replaced by a previous owner but to a poor standard. The facia is original but much of the lacquer has either separated or chipped off. It was going to be my job for this winter.
The exterior paint finish is good for the most part but is chipped or bubbling in a number of places, most of which are covered in the photos. This does need urgent attention to prevent things getting out of hand.
Much of the brightwork is stainless steel or aluminium but there is some deterioration on such as the rear bumper, which is chrome plated. I owned two Arrow cars (a Singer Vogue Estate and a Sunbeam Rapier) back in the late seventies, as well as driving my Dad's Minx automatic, and I recall that they were all a delight to drive, but especially the Rapier with the more powerful engine and the manual-with-overdrive gearbox.
I love that my Humber is still great to drive, even now, belying its 55 year age. Many Humbers sold were automatic and the manual/ overdrive cars are much nicer to drive in my view.
I also love that, being quite rare, when I take it to a show the Sceptre is usually the only one on display, indeed it is usually the only Arrow car on display, let alone the only Humber Sceptre!
