Humber Scepter (1963-1967)
| Humber | |
|---|---|
 Humber Scepter Mark I.
|
|
| Scepter | |
| Production period: | 1963-1967 |
| Class : | upper middle class |
| Body versions : | limousine |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 1.6–1.7 liters (60–63 kW) |
| Length: | 4203-4242 mm |
| Width: | 1607 mm |
| Height: | 1448 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2565 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1095-1113 kg |
| successor | Humber Scepter Mark III |
The Humber Scepter from 1963 to 1967 (also: Scepter Mark I and Scepter Mark II ) is an upper middle class sedan that the former British car manufacturer Rootes sold under the Humber brand. With the Hillman Super Minx and the Singer Vogue, it has two largely identical sister models, from which it differs primarily in terms of design and technical details. Within this model family, which is a typical example of badge engineering, which was widespread in Great Britain at the timeis, the Scepter was the most expensive and best-equipped car. He competed with models from Rover , among other things .
Model history
The Rootes group, to which the brands Hillman , Humber, Singer and Sunbeam belonged, was represented in the middle class from 1956 with the so-called Audax series. By way of badge engineering, Rootes offered the Audax as Hillman Minx , Singer Gazelle and Sunbeam Rapier . With Humber, the top brand of the Rootes group, there was no Audax offshoot and no other model comparable in size.
For 1961, Rootes designed a new type of vehicle that was larger, heavier and more expensive than the Audax series. According to the original plans, the new cars should replace the previous Audax offshoots. However, since these were still selling well and generating regular profits for the group, the management decided at the beginning of 1961 to continue producing the old models and to offer the new ones under a different name in parallel. In this way, the Hillman Super Minx was initially created to complement the Audax -Minx and the Singer Vogue, which was positioned above the Gazelle. As a third model, a Sunbeam variant was originally planned, which was to be marketed as the Rapier Mark IV. “At the last minute” - and after Rootes had already produced pre-series vehicles with Sunbeam emblems - the decision was made to market the third model not as a Sunbeam but as a Humber. The reason for this was the comparatively high weight of the car, which did not meet the sporting demands of the Sunbeam brand. Associated with this was an expansion of the Humber program to include the middle class, which the brand had not previously served.
After the Singer Vogue came onto the market in July 1961 as the first member of the new model family, the cheaper Hillman Super Minx appeared in October 1961. The Humber version made its debut more than a year later in January 1963. At that time, both the Hillman and the Singer were already available in a technically improved Mark II version. Humber adopted these changes for the scepter from the start.
While the Singer Vogue and the Hillman Super Minx were each built in four series, the Humber Scepter was only available in two series (Mark I and Mark II). The Humber did not go along with the stylistic modifications of 1964, which led to the Singer and Hillman's Mark III. Its second version (Mark II) came out in 1965 at the same time as the fourth series of the Singer and Hillman.
In 1967, Rootes replaced the Humber Scepter with a variant of the Rootes Arrow of the same name , which is also known as Scepter Mark III or "New Scepter".
Model description
body
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The Humber Scepter was only available as a four-door sedan. Unlike the sister brands, there was no station wagon (only from Hillman and Singer) and no convertible (only from Hillman).
The body is self-supporting . Its shape was created under the direction of Ted White in Rootes' design center. Raymond Loewy , who had still worked on the design of the previous model in the Audax series, was no longer involved in the scepter. The Humber Scepter shares the main body panels with the sister models of Hillman and Singer. However, the Humber design differs in some details from the Super Minx and Vogue.
The windshield , which is larger than that of the Hillman and the Singer and extends high into the roof, is independent . In English usage it is called the wraparound windshield . It is based on the forward look designed by Virgil Exner for the American Chrysler models from 1957 onwards. It can be found on all Sceptres of the Mark I and Mark II series.
The design of the twin headlights differs considerably from one another in the two series. The same applies to the radiator grille.
Like Hillman and Singer's early sister models, the Humber Scepter has a rear panoramic window . While the Hillman and the Singer got a trapezoidal roof structure with an almost flat rear window with the introduction of the Mark III versions in 1964, the Humber retained the rounded roof with the panoramic window until production was discontinued in 1967.
As with the Hillman and Singer models, the Humber has horizontal tail fins at the rear that are inclined inward at the trunk end. The stylistic model for this was Chevrolet models from the late 1950s. A special design feature of the Humber are chrome-plated triangular bezels for the rear lights. On request, a two-tone paint job could be ordered, which visually emphasized the design of the car flanks and the tail fins. The oval lights on the scepter itself are the same as those on the Hillman Super Minx. The wide chrome surround of the rear window is an independent design feature of the Humber. It runs out in a horizontal chrome strip arranged at the upper end of the fenders.
drive
The scepter is powered by a four-cylinder in-line engine installed lengthways at the front, the basic design of which was developed by Hillman and which first appeared in 1953.
Like its sister models, the Scepter Mark I has a 1592 cc version of this engine. It uses the variant also used in the Sunbeam Rapier Mark IV, which at 80 bhp (60 kW; 82 PS) is significantly more powerful than the engines built into the Hillman Super Minx and Singer Vogue. Early 1.6-liter models had two Zenith downdraft carburetors, while engines built from 1964 onwards were equipped with a double Solex downdraft carburetor. Other changes compared to the Hillman and Singer engines are a water-cooled intake manifold, modified valve timing and stronger valve springs to ensure that the valves close properly at high speeds.
In the Mark II presented in 1965 (as with the Mark IV variants of the sister models) an engine variant enlarged to 1725 cm³ is used, which, like in the Singer Vogue, produces 85 bhp (63 kW; 86 hp). The variant of this motor used in the Hillman Super Minx, on the other hand, is 20 bhp weaker.
Power transmission to the rear wheels is carried out as standard in both series by a manual four-speed gearbox, the first gear of which is not synchronized on the Mark I models built up to September 1964. It is operated with a central gear lever. An overdrive for third and fourth gear operated by a lever on the steering wheel was part of the standard equipment in the Humber. The overdrive lock for first and second gear can be switched off manually. A BorgWarner automatic transmission with three forward gears was available in both series at an additional cost. The Smith Easydrive automatic, initially available in the Hillman and Singer, did not exist on the Humber.
landing gear
At the front, the Humber Scepter has independent suspension on double wishbones with coil springs and a stabilizer, while the rigid rear axle is driven by longitudinal leaf springs. Additional stabilizers reduce the understeer, which is very pronounced in the sister models from Hillman and Singer. Disc brakes are used at the front as standard . The recirculating ball steering is not servo-assisted.
The individual series
Mark I (1963-1965)
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The Humber Scepter Mark I was built from January 1963 to autumn 1965. It has the smaller four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.6 liters and an output of 80 bhp (60 kW; 82 PS).
The double headlights of the Mark I, framed in a chrome-plated oval, correspond to those of the Singer Vogue. The radiator mask documents that the Scepter was originally intended to come onto the market as the Sunbeam: It corresponds to the Sunbeam Rapier Mark III and has no formal references to conventional Humber radiators. The wide, chrome-plated side panels above the bumpers, which contain additional air inlets, are only found on the Scepter.
The standard equipment of the Scepter Mark I clearly exceeds that of the sister models from Hillman and Singer. The Humber was delivered as standard with heating, ventilation and blower, displays for the engine speed and the oil pressure, electrically operated windshield wipers and a reversing light.
The purchase price for the Humber Scepter was £ 997 in 1963. It was 30 percent more expensive than the Hillman Super Minx (£ 768).
By autumn 1965, 17,011 Humber Scepter Mark I were made. In addition, there were an unknown number of kits for the CKD production.
Mark II (1965-1967)
The Scepter Mark II, introduced in autumn 1965, differs technically and stylistically significantly from the previous Mark I. It is powered by the in-line four-cylinder engine with an output of 85 bhp (63 kW; 86 hp), which has been enlarged to 1725 cm³. With this, the Humber Scepter lost the position of the most powerfully motorized variant of the three sister models and was similar to the Singer Vogue in the drive area. The rear section remained stylistically unchanged; But there were significant innovations at the front end. For reasons of rationalization, it was now based on the construction of the Hillman Super Minx. As with the much cheaper Hillman, the front fenders end in a canopy under which the turn signals and position lights are located. In some press publications this design feature is called "cat ears". As with the Hillman, a single round headlight is installed underneath. They are installed lower than the Mark I and, according to the manufacturer, offer a better light output. The lining of the radiator opening extends over the entire width of the car. It consists of horizontal chrome-plated struts with a square radiator grille in front of the center. Another pair of headlights is embedded in this mask, giving the impression of double headlights.
By the end of production in the summer of 1967, 11,985 Humber Scepter Mark II were made; In addition, some CKD kits were made.
production
The raw bodies of the Humber Scepter had Rootes - like those of the sister models of Hillman and Singer - manufactured by the independent body manufacturer Pressed Steel Company in Cowley , Oxfordshire . Final assembly took place at the Rootes facility in Ryton-on-Dunsmore near Coventry .
The Humber Scepter in the press
The contemporary British motor press criticized the concept of badge engineering in connection with the Humber because the automakers were more concerned with keeping various brands alive than with developing the cars themselves. Regardless, the Humber Scepter received good reviews. Small Car magazine saw him as a "brilliant, remarkable newcomer". She thought it was as tough as a Volvo and as quiet as a Rover.
variants
Eight cylinder version
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On a trial basis, Rootes equipped at least six Scepter sedans with a US eight-cylinder Ford engine (Windsor series) with 4.7 liters displacement, which was used in series production at the same time in the Sunbeam Tiger open-top sports car . This variant was intended as a competitor to the Rover P5 , the top version of which was equipped with an eight-cylinder V-engine taken over from General Motors . However, there was no series production of the Humber with a V8 engine; it is believed that the Chrysler group, which at the time was already a shareholder in Rootes, rejected the use of a competitor's engine. A prototype was preserved.
Humber Vogue in Australia
The Australian branch of the Rootes group in Port Melbourne produced a model called Humber Vogue from 1962 to 1965 in addition to the Hillman Super Minx. It was the technically and stylistically unchanged Singer Vogue, which was sold in Australia under the prestigious Humber brand for marketing reasons. A sports version of this vehicle was also available with the more powerful engine of the British Humber Scepter.
Sunbeam Venezia
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The floor pan of the Humber Scepter and its engine formed the basis for the two-door sports car Sunbeam Venezia , which Carrozzeria Touring in Milan built in small numbers from 1963 to 1965. A total of around 145 Venezia coupés were built with Humber technology. After Rootes had withdrawn the order prematurely, Touring produced about 50 more Venezias on its own account, which were based on the floor pan of the Hillman Super Minx. According to a former Rootes developer, the group had briefly considered marketing the Venezia as a coupé version of the Scepter (possibly as the Sunbeam Rapier IV). In fact, the Venezia was never officially included in the UK Rootes program, nor was it factory-sold in the UK.
literature
- Graham Robson: Cars of the Rootes group: Hillman Humber Singer Sunbeam Sunbeam-Talbot. Mercian Manuals, Coventry, 2007, ISBN 978-1-903088-29-6 .
- David Rowe: Rootes Cars of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s - Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam & Talbot. A Pictorial History. Veloce Publishing, Poundbury, 2016, ISBN 978-1-84584-993-1 .
Web links
- Humber Scepter. In: Rootes1725cc. (English, data, images, documents).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Heon Stevenson: British Car Advertising of the 1960s. McFarland Publishers, Jefferson (North Carolina), 2015, ISBN 978-1-4766-1130-3 , p. 188.
- ^ A b c d Graham Robson: The Cars of the Rootes Group. P. 87.
- ^ A b Graham Robson: The Cars of the Rootes Group. P. 88.
- ^ Graham Robson: The Cars of the Rootes Group. P. 113.
- ^ David Rowe: Rootes Cars of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. P. 79.
- ^ Post Vintage Humber Car Club: Humber Chassis Numbers. In: humber.org.uk. Retrieved May 14, 2021 (overview of the chassis numbers of the Humber Scepter Mark I).
- ^ A b Graham Robson: The Cars of the Rootes Group. P. 89.
- ^ David Rowe: Rootes Cars of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. P. 81.
- ^ Stefan Heins: Italo-Brite: History of the Sunbeam Venezia. In: Oldtimer Markt , issue 8/1996, p. 46.
- ^ Graham Robson: The Cars of the Rootes Group. Pp. 161, 164.
- ↑ Doug Blain: Is Stick-On Prestige Costing Britain Too Dear? In: Small Car , issue 9/1963, p. 8 f.
- ↑ Small Car , Issue 12/1963, pp. 24-33.
- ↑ Pedr Davis: The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring. Macquarie Library, Sydney, 1986, ISBN 0-949757-35-7 , p. 226.
- ^ Stefan Heins: Italo-Brite: History of the Sunbeam Venezia. In: Oldtimer Markt , issue 8/1996, p. 42 ff.