Humber - Humber Hawk
Of the four models of Humber available post war, the Humber Hawk was the only 4 cylinder model in the range. The Humber Hawk of 1945 was the badge engineered 2 litre Hillman 14 available just prewar, with little difference, while the Mk2 of 1947 having virtually no difference either. The Humber Hawk Mk3 , available from 1949, was a new modern body designed by well known American Raymond Loewy (also famous for the Studebaker), the monocoque system saving a huge amount of weight (plus steel which was in short supply post war). The Humber Hawk Mk4 introduced for 1950 had a new 2.3 litre engine, while the Mk5 Hawk had some minor bodywork details altered plus a bigger clutch added, because the old clutch was now marginal. For the Humber Hawk Mk.6 (1954) and Hawk Mk6A (1956) there was the new overhead valve version of the same engine which resulted in an extra 12bhp, while at the same time the bodywork was extended at the rear to allow for more boot space.
For 1951 the Humber Hawk Series numbers were starting to get large. So with the new Hawk being a completely new redesign, it was called the Humber Hawk Series 1, with bodywork it would share with the Humber Super Snipe. During the rest of the Humber Hawk production, which ended in 1968, there was Series 1A in 1959, Series 2 in 1960 (disc brakes), Series 3 in 1962 slight body alterations, Series 4 for 1964 with more bodywork alterations with the final model being the Series 6A introduced in 1964.
Tyre sizes for the Humber Hawk models :
- The earliest Humber Hawk models (Mk1 and Mk2) had 16" wheels, and the Blockley tyre size to use would be the 185VR16 tyre.
- The later Humber Hawk models from 1948 through to 1968 all had 15 inch wheels, initially fitted with 6.40x15 tyres, which is radial equivalent 185R15 tyre size. Blockley produce an excellent good speed rated steel belt construction and period correct looking 185VR15 tyre - full details below:
