1966 Humber 11

In October 1964, the final Humber Super Snipe Series V version of the Saloon saw an upper body restyle with a flat roofline and rear window, six-light side windows and a larger, taller windscreen. Twin Zenith Stromberg 175CD carburettors were fitted along with a Harry Weslake tuned cylinder head, increasing the power to 137. 5 bhp, and synchromesh was fitted to all ratios in the gearbox. Major modifications were made to front and rear suspensions and they required less maintenance. Intended to match BMC's Rolls-Royce engined Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R, the Imperial shared the basic specification and performance of the Super Snipe with the addition of a vinyl roof, fully reclining front seats, automatic transmission and hydrosteer power steering as standard. However, a manual three-speed transmission could be ordered. The car also featured electrically adjustable rear shock absorber settings, a separately controlled rear passenger heater and optional West-of-England cloth-trimmed seats as well as many smaller amenities such as individual reading lamps. The distinguished coachwork is by Thrupp & Maberly and the sales brochure describes the Imperial as one of the world's most luxurious cars, 'a new conception of executive luxury'. A very good alternative to a 1960's Rolls-Royce

This 1966 Humber Imperial was purchased by the vendor in 2022 from a licensed mechanic who carried out a nut and bolt restoration including a bare metal respray.

Condition

·  Very rare, only 66 on the road; probably one of best in UK

·  Before me, completely rebuilt by professional mechanic in 2019-2021 including bare metal respray

·  Starts first time

·  Runs perfectly. Have taken it to Salisbury and Dorset; didn’t miss a beat.

·  Good tyres

·  The car is ready to use as is or you could fettle it to make perfect.

·  Some re-chroming of the grille and rear bumper and some attention to the seats to bring it to the concourse level of condition

The Mechanics

·  See above

·  New radiator hoses

·  New front shock absorbers

·  New tyres

The Interior

·  Newly fitted carpets to the car and boot

·  Finished in blue with blue vinyl roof and light blue leather interior

Improvements

·  Re-chrome rear bumper and radiator grill

·  Could dye the seats but I like the patina

Works Done

·  Bought in October 2022

·  Full service and safety check by specialist

·  MoT until 10 October 2025

·  Full automatic transmission rebuild by company specialising in Borg Warner gearboxes in November 2022

·  Electronic ignition with new parts

·  Regular suspension greasing

·  Kept under cover

·  Used only on dry weekends

Documentations

A file containing:

·  Limited documents from previous owners

·  V5C registration document

·  MoT test certificate which expires in July 2017 and old MoT test certificates

·  Magazine articles comparing the Imperial with the Princess 4-litre R

·  Full rare workshop manuals

·  Service history with old service invoices

·  Renovation documentation

Reason for selling

Reduction in classic car collection due to not being used enough

Willing to consider sensible offers.