1949 Humber Pullman Limousine Trivia

Humber Motors Ltd.

Founded 1868 by Thomas Humber a bicycle manufacturer.

1898

Commenced producing a three wheeled motorised tricar.

1901

Commenced producing four wheeled motor cars from two
factories one in Beeston, Nottingham and the other in Coventry.

The Beeston unit produced cars known as “Beeston-Humbers” which were
a larger and more expensive model. Financial problems closed this factory
in 1908.

The Coventry factory produced a wide range of cars from the hugely successful 600cc “Humberette” (a number of which can still be seen plying their way down to Brighton on the Veteran Car Run each November) to several large and imposing 6 cylinder models making Humber the second largest car manufacturer in Britain by 1913.

1925 Humber purchase Commer a commercial vehicle manufacturer and start producing lorries and vans under the Commer and Karrier brand names but with some parts integrated from the cars and visa-versa.

1928

Humber purchase Hillman Motors.

1931

The Rootes brothers buy a majority shareholding in the group thus making the
independent company defunct. The names Humber, Hillman and Commer would continue to be used and the vehicles designed in-house until the 1960’s although an
ever increasing degree of homologous parts would be utilised until by the end
Humber, Hillman, Commer, Karrier Lorries and Singer, Sunbeam, and Talbot the other main manufacturers in the group would be Just “badge-engineered versions” of each other.

The Original Humber Motor works building in Coventry still stands having withstood
the blitz on the city during WWII and (so far) the machinations of the ever present
“property developer”.

1967

Rootes group collapse, taken over by Chrysler Motors USA.

1967-1978

Owned by Chrysler Europe.

1978-2007

Ttaken over by Peugeot, British makes phased out. Most factories closed, remaining one (Ryeton) produces Peugeots.