Our intrepid New Zealander Bryce has found all kinds of exotica to post at the Cohort, but maybe this one is about as rare as it gets. How many 1949 Humber Imperial ambulances are left in the world?
Not a whole lot to go on, except that the Imperial was the Rootes Group’s biggest and most expensive offering. The sedans were available as a landaulette and seven-passenger limo, with suitable underpinnings for a big and heavy ambulance. Power came from a 4086cc six, with a claimed 100 hp rating.
The rear door says “THIS VEHICLE IS FITTED WITH TRAFFICATORS” What is a trafficator?
Turn signals.
Weren’t they the little lighted plastic arms that flipped out up near the cowl to indicate turns? I suppose modern eyes are not used to looking there for directional signals.
Those are called semaphores.
The trafficators are the vertical chrome devices just behind the doors. They do flip out to indicate a turn, but I doubt that they are lighted. Hence the warning to watch for them.
All the semaphores I’ve seen have been mounted high up on the “B” pillar. Are they just a British thing, or did American cars have them too?
You are right about placement. I was remembering that incorrectly. So far as I know, this was purely a British thing. No U.S. car I ever saw was equipped with these. If our cars had signals at all, they were blinking lights.
i think it originally could have said Caution No Hand signals trafficators fitted. Hand signals were still compulsory in 73 when I got my licence, as for how rare? this is it.
If it says “Imperial”, I’m in. 🙂 Actually, that is a really cool ambulance. I love the “Ambulance” script on the back.
Not only turn signals, but the kind that swings out of the “B” pillar. Used to see them on imports such as the Hillman MInx and Austin A40’s, etc.
VWs too.
Semaphores(?)
I always wondered about these but I have looked at them closely, what makes them swing up? These seem so much more complicated than just putting a flashing light on the front and rear of the car, what was the last car with semaphores?
Originally they activated with ether a cable or by air/vacuum power. But in the 1920’s electric solenoids started to be used for this job
Inside its still an ambulance my suggestion of bed, fridge, stove didnt go down well,it was quite hard to make it authentic. I shot the fact sheet but its not a good pic
Well done Bryce never seen one of these before, is that your Hillman Minx in there? Looks nice
At first glance I thought it was an Allard ambulance.
It would get you to the hospital quickly, as long as it didn’t crash on the way..
My first glance reaction was “LaSalle.” But that was before I saw “Humber” on the doors.
More likely its based on the Super Snipe commercial chassis it was very popular with funeral directors in GB
It is a Humber Imperial things were based on it not the other way around, The engine does duty in a Commer Superpoise truck this is a heavy duty automobile one club member boasts of winning 4 demo derbies in the same Imperial, He was given the car providing he derbied it so he stripped it out removed all the impossible to get Thrupp&Maberly interior and obliterated anything in its path it says on the side 2 Tons+ they made great limousines The Queen toured Australia in Humbers not Rolls Royces this was in its day an imperial in the Chrysler sense.
This car wasnt mass produced as a car as a mobile chassis yes but Rootes did not build the bodies, Thrupp&Maberly coach built each car or a special body like Ambulance could be built on it the car is the only Ambulance in New Zealand and one more is in Scotland.
, .
(That’s “comma” , “full stop”)
Yeah thats my Minx I like it and it drives well easily keeping up with traffic it cruised to that meeting at 100 kmh and got 29mpg not bad for a 54 yr old car.
The pontoon fenders are huge!
The whole thing is huge these cars were used in preference to Rolls Royces for formal cars small like a Buick doesn’t cut it mpg is in single figures even the much smaller lighter Super Snipe cant get 20 mpg.
If you need new tires for these you might find original type cross-plies otherwise people tend to run truck or SUV tires, they are very large diameter on 15″ rims
All I can say is: Cool! Love it.