Coches Humber: libros - historia, modelos y técnica

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Includes many previously unpublished photographs.

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The marque's eventual demise came in 1976, and Stephen Lewis utilises an array of fascinating rare and previously unpublished images to tell the full story of Humber's post-war era.

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.

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.

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