Humber15

01

Origins

Humber emerged from armaments work in 1919 building what it had always built: cars of middle-class substance, and the 15.9 hp models typified the marque's post-war identity — well-finished, conservatively engineered machines for the professional man, a class above the mass-produced and a class below the flamboyant. Coventry construction quality and dignified coachwork were the product; excitement was neither offered nor requested. Through the twenties Humber's range earned steady custom until the Rootes brothers acquired the firm at decade's end, making it their combine's prestige tier — a role the marque played into the 1970s. The 15 era matters as foundation: the trusted, slightly stately character Rootes bought was built in these years, one unhurried, well-upholstered mile at a time.