Humber Car Books - History and Models

Humber Cars - The Post-war Years

Humber Cars date back to 1899, when Thomas Humber produced his Humber Phaeton model. The company went on to manufacture various quality motor vehicles, but financial difficulties during the 1920s led to it being bought out in 1928.
The company became part of the Rootes Group, which would also include Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Commer and Karrier. The Rootes brothers were keen to promote the Humber marque as a prestige brand to place it alongside Rover and Jaguar.

This book takes up the story of Humber cars at the end of Second World War, looking at the Hawk, Super Snipe and Sceptre, as well as the marque's association with royalty and government.
The marque's eventual demise came in 1976, and Stephen Lewis utilises an array of fascinating rare and previously unpublished images to tell the full story of Humber's post-war era.

Information

Author:	Stephen Lewis
Details:	96 pages, 23.5 x 16.5 cm / 9.25 x 6.5 in, paperback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2021)
ISBN:	9781445697581

The Rootes Group : Humber, Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Commer, Karrier

The Rootes Group once dominated the British motor industry, and its legacy lives on in thousands of carefully maintained cars - most notably Hillmans, Humbers, Singers and Sunbeams.

In this book, using beautiful images from the Rootes Archive Centre, Richard Loveys details the Group's history and leading car models, from its creation as a car dealership by William and Reginald Rootes, through its transition into motor manufacture, and expansion by taking companies over and developing their car and commercial vehicle ranges.
It was a significant contributor to the war effort in 1939-45, producing large numbers of military aircraft and vehicles, and in its post-war heyday produced such icons as the Sunbeam Alpine and Hillman Imp.

Information

Author:	Richard Loveys
Details:	64 pages, 21 x 15 x 0.5 cm / 8.25 x 5.9 x 0.2 in, paperback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (GB, 2019)
ISBN:	9781784423391

The Rootes Story (Volume 2) - The Chrysler Years

NEW

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the Rootes Group's pivotal role in the 1960s and 70s, encompassing the vehicles they manufactured, the individuals behind them, and the circumstances leading to Rootes' acquisition by the Chrysler Corporation of America and, subsequently, its purchase by the French Peugeot company.

Throughout the narrative, former Rootes employees and management provide essential context, enriching the historical account. The book traces the Rootes Group's endeavors to maintain its standing as a prominent British car and truck manufacturer during the tumultuous decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Facing a shifting consumer landscape and intensifying foreign competition, Rootes grappled to remain competitive.

Despite these challenges, the Rootes Group designed and produced several iconic vehicles of the era, including the Hillman Minx, Super Minx, Singer Vogue, Humber Sceptre, and the memorable yet ill-fated Hillman Imp. The company also excelled in the production of durable and purpose-driven vans and trucks under the Commer, Karrier, and Dodge brands.

The book spotlights the competition achievements of Rootes vehicles, featuring well-known racers like Paddy Hopkirk, Rosemary Smith, and Peter Procter, who share their experiences as works drivers. Rootes' rally driver, Andrew Cowan, recounts his remarkable victory in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon driving a Hillman Hunter.

The book provides an intimate perspective on Rootes, Chrysler, and Peugeot, conveyed through the insights and experiences of former Rootes and Chrysler personnel, offering an insider's portrayal of these companies' boardrooms, design offices, and production lines.

Information

Author:	Geoff Carverhill
Details:	256 pages, 28 x 21.5 x 2.3 cm / 11 x 8.5 x 0.91 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	The Crowood Press Ltd (GB, 2023)
ISBN:	9780719841781

Louis Coatalen : Engineering Impresario of Humber, Sunbeam, Talbot, Darracq

The only published biography of Louis Coatalen, an important engineer and personality in the industry. The story behind great motor racing successes and some failures. New research into family and links across the automobile design world.

Includes many previously unpublished photographs.

Information

Author:	Oliver Heal
Details:	288 pages, 46.5 x 28 x 2.2 cm / 18.3 x 11 x 0.87 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Unicorn Press Ltd (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781912690695

The Rootes Story - The Making of a Global Automotive Empire

This book traces the meteoric rise of the two Rootes brothers, William and Reginald, development of one of Britain's most important motor vehicle manufacturers. The Rootes Group acquired some of the most famous names in the British motor industry: Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam and Singer cars, as well as Commer and Karrier commercial vehicles.

Over the years, some of the models built by Rootes would become household names: the Hillman Minx, Humber Super Snipe, Sunbeam Alpine, Singer Gazelle, Commer Superpoise and Karrier Bantam.
In its heyday in the late 1950s, Rootes was the fourth largest manufacturer of cars and trucks in Britain, exporting to over 180 countries worldwide, becoming a global automotive empire.

In this book, the people and various companies involved with Rootes are profiled, as are the cars and commercial vehicles built by them, with specifications of principal models. Personal insight from employees is given along with valuable contributions from the Rootes family themselves.

Information

Author:	Geoff Carverhill
Details:	240 pages, 28 x 21.5 x 2.3 cm / 11 x 8.5 x 0.91 in, hardback
Illustrations:	361 b&w and 52 colour photos
Publisher:	The Crowood Press Ltd (GB, 2018)
ISBN:	9781785004797

Rootes Cars of the 50s, 60s & 70s - Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam & Talbot - A Pictorial History

The Rootes Group, although only achieving a 10-12 per cent market share, were the sixth largest British car manufacturer: more importantly, during the 1950s, more than half the cars they produced were exported.

With every model produced from 1950 onwards featured in full colour and with detailed information - including colour schemes, optional equipment, technical specifications, plus other manufacturers' cars built using Rootes components - this is the ultimate book for all Hillman, Humber, Singer and Sunbeam enthusiasts.
Cars produced by Chrysler/Talbot and Peugeot after their acquisition of the Rootes Group are also included.

This book includes hundreds of original photographs, taken by the author at many car shows over a number of years, and provides a unique pictorial history of Rootes-manufactured cars.

Features:
- Detailed model-by-model comparisons
- Extensively illustrated with colour photographs
- Includes body and styling differences
- Lists colour scheme options
- Detailed technical information
- Standard and optional equipment details
- Dashboard instrument layouts and photographs
- Includes export models
- Covers cars built using Rootes car components.

Information

Author:	David Rowe
Details:	168 pages, 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 x 5.9 in, paperback
Illustrations:	1083 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing Ltd (GB, 2016)
ISBN:	9781787114432