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ANOTHER GREAT CROWD FOR THE MEETING IN THE WOODS WITH OVER 30 CARS ON THE NIGHT. WE HAD 3 DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE NIGHT AND LOTS OF TEA AND BICKIES
MORE PHOTOS IN THE NEWLY FIXED “GALLERY PAGE”
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Distinctive new styling, Beautiful black leather cloth roof covering, gold coach line on a fantastic looking body, fresh air ventilation and heating, overdrive as standard, a steering wheel that adjusts fore and aft, temperature textured front seats that also recline, performance right up with the 2 litre lads and in some cases better.
A 1.7litre twin carbed 5 bearing crankshaft engine that gives 30 miles to the gallon, 0-50 in under 9 secs, four blazing headlights so you can see where you are going, twin reversing lights, individual rear seats, seat belts to match the trim, a cigar lighter at the front and one at the rear, real walnut finish all over the place, automatic transmission for only 43.00pounds extra, a dipping interior mirror, full instrumentation including a rev counter and oil pressure gauge, illuminated lockable glove box with vanity mirror, coat hooks, hand rails, lockable petrol cap, low fuel warning light, 2 speed wipers with electric screen washers, safety ledge wheel plus 17 cu ft of luggage space, yours for only 1,138.00 pounds, oh the seat belts and white wall tyres are extra.
Well I expect you are wondering how so much cost so little, in 1967 the Humber Sceptre offered luxury at a down to earth price, despite all that from 1963 when the first Sceptre appeared until it was dropped in 1976 Rootes only managed to sell 73,000 cars, no doubt badge engineering accounted for some of the problem, a Singer Vogue with a not quite the same standard of trim was only 983.00 pounds and the basic Hillman 862.00 pounds.
The one thing that puzzles me is the use of 0-50 times rather than the normal 0-60, the Sceptre was never going to appeal to fast drivers.
As you can see I started out writing about the Sceptre, a car that I had admired but the more I delved into the history the more the Hillman and Singer name appeared, with an occasional reference to the Sunbeam, at one point the Sceptre was meant to be a Sunbeam but late in the production run the name was changed. Apparently, a road test was conducted on the new proposed Sunbeam and according to the story the wrong back axle was used which gave a much lower MPG, when told Lord Rootes is believed to have said “in that case it had better be a Humber” There was some strange going’s on at Rootes because for one season the Singer Vogue was sold as a Sunbeam in the UK.
There is a word of warning to anyone who fancies a Sceptre, one of the Humber sites states that spares are difficult to obtain, especially bright work, interior switches, these it is said are non existent, body panels again in very short supply, however there appears quite a few non restorable cars around for spares, hardly an ideal situation, so take care,
As with all classics it is worth contacting the make club, which is the Post Vintage Humber club, it covers all cars in the Humber range.
The original body shell was from the Hillman and the Singer, the engine was the basic
1592cc engine used in all three, a MkII version appeared in 1965, the technicalities were that both Mk’s had Independent Coil spring, Live rear axle with semi elliptic leaf springs.
The MkI had petrol consumption in the region of 23mpg, though I have seen touring consumption of about 30, top speed achieved near enough 90mph with acceleration 0-60 in 17.1 secs.
The original 1592cc engine fitted to the Mark I dated back to 1953, it was a 1390cc unit,
Originally the cylinder head was cast iron but later cars had an aluminium head. There are two zenith carbs and a compression ratio of 9 to 1.
Suspension at the front was independent with coil springs and an anti roll bar, the brakes were unassisted Lockheed drums and steering was a recirculation ball system.
Naturally the interior trim was a cut above the other Rootes models, based on the Hillman super Minx the Sceptre had the very distinctive wraparound rear window, it also sported a different grill and a sloping rear roof line. Inside the facia extends downward to incorporate a gear lever, and a leather gaiter.
There is a good assortment of dials the fuel gauge was picked out for giving dodgy readings, the speedo and rev counter are in shrouded binnacles to prevent reflections, oh yes the top half of the horn ring can obstruct the view of the speedo
After only one year a Series 2 appeared, gone were the greasing points, in came front discs and a revised rear axle ratio. The oil change went from 1500 miles to 3000, the gearbox and back axle needed changing at 6000 intervals
The car is said to have been very little affected by side winds, however cornering was not one of its forte’s, performance considered to be lively provided you use the gearbox and do not hold back on the revs.
1965 saw the introduction of he Mk II, though retaining the same body shell the old 1592cc unit was dropped for the more modern 1725cc, nothing happened until 1967 when the new MkIII was introduced.
As an aside, Rootes actually built a number of Sceptres with a a V8 motor of 289cu by Ford, which were fitted to the Sunbeam Tiger, the performance figures are not available nor are any modifications to the chassis etc, though out of six, one is known to have survived, pity about the others unless someone knows more on the subject.
Of course the 1967 version was based on the Rootes arrow design, I personally think the Sceptre lost a lot of it’s appeal. Hardly mentioned is the fact that you could buy an Estate
But only from 1974, so it had a production run of two years.
For the book, the last Humber rolled off the production line at the Lynwood factory in 1977, the end of an illustrious marques.
Ted Lay tedlay@gmail.com
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WELL DONE TO TOM AND PAULINE AND THE IRISH STEAM ENGINE OWNERS ASSOCIATION THEY HAVE MADE IT TO DURROW CO. LAOIS
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Remember next Tuesday 1st of June is our club meeting in Jenkinstown wood , about 4 mile out the Castlecomer Road from Kilkenny city. Along with the usual tea and biscuits there will be 3 demonstrations. So lets hope it will be fine for us
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We are having a few technical problem with our “GALLERY PAGE” so we will stick a few photos here for the moment
These were sent in from Niall McGrath Many thanks Niall
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I suspect that we have all become so used to Volkswagen turning out Polo’s, Golf’s and Passat’s we tend to forget all the models that went before, and there were many, naturally made with the normal Teutonic efficiency, but not necessarily brilliant sellers by their standards.
Of course the first car that comes to mind is the ubiquitous Beetle, it goes without saying the greatest success story in the history of the auto mobile. Though one should not forget the Golf is well on the way to becoming, dare I predict even more successful, as a certain local cider maker coins a phrase “only time”, will tell. No doubt there are some of you saying so and so has made more of, well if you look at today’s Golf you can still see the original concept.
Success of course brings its own problems, just look at the supermarket shelves some of the products have been around for years, Bovril, Marmite and HP sauce to name a few, provided the quality is maintained the money keeps rolling in, unfortunately the motor industry is not that simple, the public demands better and better quality, faster and faster models, what went a few years ago just won’t do in this fast moving world.
This was the problem Volkswagen had to face, the Beetle was not going to be a best seller for ever, but what to replace it with, idea’s cost money, vast amounts just to produce a prototype, at one stage management at Wolfsburg were watching the life blood of the company drain away.
Luckily the little Polo its bigger brother the Golf and of course the Passat saved the day, do you realise that both the early Golf and Passat’s are now in the classic Car league. Prior to this the company produced what it thought would be a more modern concept of the Beetle.
The type 3 or using it’s better known title the VW1500, which was built between 1961 and 1973, approximately 2,500,000 units rolled out of the factory gates in that time span, true the 1500 closely followed the Beetle with a rear mounted air cooled engine, originally a 1493cc was fitted but before long it was upped to 1584cc in 1965, you had a choice for a year as to which power unit you wanted, the 1493cc was then dropped.
Do you realise the VW flat four or as some call it the Boxer engine was in production from 1936 right up to 2006, and as such is the most versatile internal combustion in the world, it was used in the Porsche 914, at least 13 light aircraft makers used it. The Australians harnessed them to operate the ski lifts at Thredbo in New South Wales, they also got into the Australian Opel mines to run compressed air jack hammers.
The 1500 was the first volume car to feature Bosch pioneered electronic fuel injection, there were some notable differences in the suspension, it was the first to incorporate transverse torsion bars, which were cross mounted in the lower tube so that each bar span
The full width of the car, whilst the upper tube has an anti roll bar connected to the trailing links.
The type 3 was a two door model with a boot at both the back and the front thanks of course to the flat four engine, a twin carb version became available and also an estate version, and later came a TL baged fast back saloon, in truth the type 3 was very modern looking, though the two door concept could well have been it’s Achilles heel, Volkswagen unfortunately did very little work on the car other than minor detail changes like adding 4.5inches to the nose which increased luggage space, The 1500 expired in 1973 after production was moved from Wolfsburg to VW’s new factory in Emden.
Overall it was quite a successful model given it was selling against the Beetle and a more up to date 411 or type 4.
Technical bit, 12 volt electrics, 6.00×15 tyres which I think were crossply, front discs with rear drums, the gear box was automatic with a hydrodynamic torque converter and a planetary gear set, also a double jointed back axle, lastly the petrol filler appeared on the outside obviating the need to lift the bonnet, it was reckoned you could get 26 to 30 mpg and the turning circle was 36ft 6ins.
The type 3 like the Beetle was produced in Brazil, though it must be said the styling was somewhat different to its European counterpart.
The type 4 broke the tradition of the two door saloon, it had four but it retained the famous flat four air cooled rear engine, as a matter of interest apparently this motor is highly tuneable, well according to those who know.
The 411 was produced from 1968, for Volkswagen it incorporated a lot of firsts, Unibody construction, Macpherson Strut suspension with coil springs, a hydraulic clutch for the manual, you could also get an automatic, for some unknown reason the battery went under the drivers seat.
Strangely the 411 had gone before the Type 3 had finished it’s production run, reason being an updated version of the 411 had sufficient changes to warrant a name change so we now have a 412 Type 4, however the life of this model will be for only 2 years.
For the technically minded the type 4 had recirculation ball steering, 4 speed all syndromes gearbox, though you could go for the three speed auto box. Acceleration 0-60 started at 18 secs for the earlier models and gradually improved to 14.5secs on the last models, top speed went from 90mph for the 1679cc engine up to 98mph with the larger 1795cc unit, if you had the auto deduct approximately 2mph, once again there are variations in these figures depending on what book you have or site visited.
Braking was taken care of the usual Front disc and rear drum configuration you also got 12 volt electrics, though by this time most manufacturers had moved away from the 6 volt systems.
One thing that surprised me was the lack of information for both the Type 3 and the Type4, it is almost as the models never existed, for your records the Type 4 was forty in 2008, and should you have one or are thinking of looking there is a dedicated club site on the Internet called Type 3 and 4, it is not connected to Volkswagen, independent is the word and I would recommend any would be owner to contact them as spares do not seem to be plentiful except engine parts.
Another interesting car that came out of Wolfsburg was the failed NSU K70, when VW purchased NSU in 1969 they received the K70 which NSU had developed, so the story goes VW had great interest in the K70’s four cylinder four stroke water cooled unit which was linked to front wheel drive, apparently the K70 was at the time very modern in that the body style was far in advance of Wolfsburgs current models and driving tests showed the car had immaculate road holding abilities, inside was well appointed.
The K70 came with two engine options a 1605cc and 1807cc both overhead cam, with the larger engine speeds of 100mph were achievable and 0-60 times of 10.5, which was very brisk at the time. Naturally there is a twist to the story apart from only 211,000 units coming off the production line in four years, it also clashed with VW’s own model for this sector, our old friend “The Passat”, one other problem no parts were interchangeable making production inefficient, remember the doors of the 1800 Austin.
I would doubt there are many examples of the K70 around, though surprise surprise I found a wreck on Done Deal for 300euro, it had been sold, just in case your appetite has been whetted the K70 came with the usual Front Disc rear drum servo assisted braking, rack and pinion steering , the overhead cams had duplex chains and the carb was a single Solex, radial 165SR14s tyres, on the slight downside petrol consumption was a heavy 20 to 22 to the gallon, but on the bright side you could propel yourself at in excess of 100mph on the larger engine, when no doubt the petrol consumption increases to the point that only the wealthy classic car owner can afford to fill the tank.
Just so that you are kept in the picture whilst all this is going on the Audi comes into the picture, a separate story. Soon that thanks again have a super week
Regards Ted tedlay@gmail.com
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The 13th Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally will again be held at our 38 acre venue one mile from Innishannon Village. It will continue Innishannon’s association with the steam and vintage rally, which has built up over the last 41 years.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation and look forward to a safe and entertaining Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally!
| Sunday June 6th | Main ARENA | |
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| 1:30pm | Millstreet Pipe Band to lead parade of: Steam Engines Tractors Cars Bikes Trucks Military Vehicles Fire Engines |
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| 1:45pm | Ecumenical Service | |
| 2:00pm | Opening Ceremony | |
| 4:00pm | Slow Engine Race | |
| 5:00pm | Queen Of Steam | |
| MONDAY June 7th | Main ARENA | |
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| 1:00pm | Beer Barrel Race Demonstration of Vintage Machinery Musical Chairs for Steam Engines |
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| 3:00pm | Sheep Dog Trials Obstacle Race with Tractors Obstacle Race for Steam engines |
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| 4:30pm | Final Parade of: Steam Engines Tractors Cars Bikes Trucks Military Vehicles Fire Engines |
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| distribution of plaques to exhibitors | ||
Over 1,000 exhibits – The exhibits include huge tractors, threshers, unique cars, motorbikes, oil and steam engines as well as experiencing a working forge. There is also a pet’s corner, always popular with children, a cake sale, numerous stands and stalls with art and craft displays, a dog show, sheep dog trials, road rolling. This is a fun-day out for collectors, enthusiasts and visitors alike with car parking and camping facilities set up in the village. Innishannon itself dates back to the sixth century and is surrounded by an ancient woodland and castle ruins.
Our Rally has two objectives:
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$57,500 (negotiable) |
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| Italia | |
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| Location USA | |
Extremely Rare. This Is Number 301 Of 329 Built. Thought By Some To Be One Of The Prettiest Coupes Ever Built. Not Sure How Many Still Exist But 24 Are Known. I Purchased This Car Nine Years Ago. Paint Is Weak And The Car Could Use A Refurbishment.Source: classiccars.com/88654.car
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| They are a Classic & Vintage Club located in South Kilkenny. We hold an annual vintage show every year in June and a tractor road run every October.All proceeds from our events go to well deserving local charities. Upcoming events On the 10th of October 2010 there is a road run, all tractors are welcome. Have a look at their website www.mulinavatvintage.ie or click Mullinavat on our links list |
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