“THE SNIPE"

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 882, 28 January 1930, Page 5

“THE SNIPE"

REMARKABLE NEW HUMBER EXCELLENT ROAD WORK “Snipe” is the name chosen for the new 25-70 h.p. car just produced by the Humber Company. It is appropriate, for the car is very quick and certain “on the wing.” This car is now on view at Northern Automobiles, Ltd., Auckland agents for the Humber, also another new car, the Humber 16-50 h.p. This chassis is similar to the “Snipe” except that the six-cylinder engine is smaller. There is about these new cars a distinct air of speed; the lines are low, and the single panel screen is arranged so that it can be folded flat forward if the car is used on a hot day. The radiator is new and there are many refinements on the engineering side. ENGINE DETAILS The engine of the Snipe is based upon the previous 20-65 h.p. six, but is largely redesigned and the cylinder bore increased to E 0 mm. The sevenbearing crankshaft is larger and stiller, the oil pump larger, and the sump holds two gallons of oil. Overhead inlet and side exhaust valves are employed, the camshaft is driven by a twin roller chain, which also attends to the auxiliary components. Ball-ended rockers and cup-topped push rods are used, ,and are fed with oil through channels in the rockers. Externally the engine is very clean, the exhaust pipe is carried down at the front to avoid heating the front compartment floorboards, and on this side of the engine is a notable change —the provision of a mechanical

petrol pump driven from the camshaft. This replaces vacuum feed. On the right of the engine is to be found something both new and interesting. It is an aluminium casting, below the middle of which is a vertical carburettor. This casting is fairly high up on the engine, and from the ends of it two pipes curve downwards to enter the cylinder block and feed each set of three cylinders. The casting has double walls, and the petrol is distributed through the centre passage, while between the walls is a water spacing. The jacket thus formed is coupled up to the radiator. Next comes another distinct departure from previous Humber practice: the sub-frame has been abolished and the engine and gear box form a single unit attached to the main frame by four trunnions with Silentbloc bushes. Entering into the casing round the flywheel is an electric starting motor with a self-contained 2 to 1 drive, which ensures that the engine shall be spun round rapidly when cold. ROAD PERFORMANCE Without question the performance of the new Humber Snipe is exceptionally good. The car has a splendid range of speed on top gear and revels in hills. Yet there is nothing "coarse” about it, no feeling that sheer power has been made the ultimate object. Indeed, the engine is remarkably smooth, and remains smooth up to the limit. It is most fascinating, for the range of cruising speed lies between 40 and 65 m.p.h.; that is to say, on an average main road with little traffic about, the car appears to be touring along peaceably at any speed within these limis. The maximum is considerably higher, but not many people care to drive so fast for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, it must not be thought that the Snipe is intended only for fast driving; far from it. The car can go along quietly at quite low speeds and without any necessity for gear changing. There is in this new Humber a remarkable combination, namely, that of a car with a very flexible performance on top gear and an unusual flexibility for hill-elimbfng on that ratio. But, further, it possesses a third speed which runs perfectly quietly, so that it is difficult to detect whether the car is on third or top except by noticing the increased rate of revolutions of the engine. From the driver’s point of view the controls are in keeping with the performance. For example, the. gear box, besides being absolutely quiet on third and above the average for silence on top and second, provides a particularly easy change, and the gear lever moves without the application of much force. The clutch takes up its work in the way that a plate clutch should do. Taking it as a whole, the new Humber Snipe is, from a modern point of view, by far the best car yet produced by the well-known factory, and its road performance brings it directly into the front rank of present-day productions.