Humber Pullman Circa 1951 (Other Cars...)

Name: ANDREWSJK

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Product:	Other Cars...
Date:	28/06/01 (984 review reads)
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Advantages: Huge, Like a Rolls Royce, Haven't seen one for a while !!!

Disadvantages: Old, Where would you park one ??, Haven't seen one for a while !!!!

Nobody reading this should expect a detailed account of an impressive car, this is my personal opinion of impressive motor cars. If you want a detailed account, read someone else's!! I do know the details, but would not like to become an anorak, and Smark1985 wouldn't let me into Cornwall..

I first met these impressive cars about 40 years ago, the owner of the holiday home had one and I remember being knocked off my feet even then. These cars were coachbuilt and huge, you'd need a taxi to go round one.
They were built by Thrupp and Maberly and can easily be mistaken for a Rolls Royce, such is the size and quality.

Humber at that time also used to build military vehicles of course, and as such did not get the recognition for their craftsman-built motor cars that they deserved, and unfortunately the survival rate of the huge fifties and sixties saloons is one of the lowest of any classic.

The engine is massive, and powerful for the period, but as such would be more suited for use as a funeral hearse today, which is probably what most of the really good surviving examples are doing, and as such the acres of shining chrome and leather would do excellent service.

What brought me to remember this impressive vehicle though is that about 5 years ago I heard of somebody in Hull that kept 13 in a potato warehouse, apparently good as old cars need much the same conditions as potatoes : dark, dry and with plenty of air to circulate. He also had literally a mountain of spares, along with 17 other donor vehicles !! Hiring the vehcles was the way of affording their upkeep, and there was a two year waiting list then.

Here is a brief potted history of a few, to describe part of the aura of these dinosaurs of the road :-

1951 Humber Pullman - The only one in the world with an electric glass division.
1951 Humber Super Snipe Mk 111 - Only 10 were known to exist, and he had four of them !! And a 1952 example whic
h was used in the Buddy Holly film "Oh Boy"
1952 Humber Pullman - Nine seater limousine.
2 further 1952 Super Snipes (I'd forgotten about before ), 1used by the Mayor of Jersey and another supplied new to HRH The Queen Mother as her personal transport at Castle May , Scotland between 1952/56.
1954 Humber Pullman builtr for Baroness Rothschild and used as her personal transport in London.

If anybody would like any further details I have them, but before boring you with such lists of details I will finish this short potted recollection by saying that in the collection was one used by Stirling Moss to set a distance record of 15 countries in 90 hours (if this is exactly true is very slightly uncertain , but he certainly drove this car ).

However, to own one now would need a lot of time and resources, so I will end this memory of mine by saying that it takes approximately 4 hours to clean one, and a respray would last about 13 years. I've never owned one, more is the pity but then perhaps a classic car is a dream ??

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