1953 Humber Hawk

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £3,000, then £150 is added, making the total amount payable of £3,150.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

A company buying the car will have to pay VAT on the hammer price, as well as duty + VAT

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this car comes with very little history and incomplete service records.

This Humber Hawk Mk V was built in 1953.

Its chassis number is: A5208533HSO

While we know virtually nothing about it and have not tried to start or drive the vehicle, it is clear to us that this Humber Hawk is in need of attention but is by no means beyond salvation.

We also know, from some letters and documents with the car, that it was bought new in 1953 by Lady Sarah Parker of Holbrook Hall, Shropshire, and then passed to her daughter in the early 1960s.

The car was then sold to a cousin of the Parkers in 1967 and was put into dry storage in 1969, when the mileage was recorded as being 48,000.

We don’t know when it came out of storage but, as its mileage was 50,624 on the occasion of its 2009 MoT, we’re guessing it was just a few years before then.

If that’s the case, then this car has spent far more of its life in storage than it has out on the open road.

We know that today the odometer reads 50,643 miles.

We know that it was bought for the vendor’s collection of static display vehicles in 2012.

From a few feet away this car looks pretty good.

The bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, creases, warps or folds of any significance.

The maroon paintwork looks good in most places.

Move a little closer, though, and some issues begin to reveal themselves.

There is bubbling at the base of both doors on both sides, with the worst of it having turned to flaking on the o/s.

There is bubbling, some stone chips and some very rough-looking paint behind the rear bumper.

There is also bubbling at the base of the o/s/r wing and a split in the paint near the door on the same wing.

The paint behind the front bumper has a very orange-peel-like texture.

The chrome on the bumpers is foxed and pitted but is not too bad elsewhere. The hub caps are OK but there is some rust staining around the rims of the wheels.

The exterior rubber trim around the windows is perished or cracked in various places.

The interior is a similarly mixed bag in terms of condition.

Aside from a split in the base below the seat cushion on the driver’s seat, the leather upholstery in the front is dirty and creased but it’s not torn or otherwise terminally damaged.

The rear seats are much the same. The bench seat cushion needs to be re-attached to its base. There is some mould in evidence at the top of the backrest on the n/s.

The headlining is intact, but grubby.

The interior fabric trim is worn and loose in one or two places.

The door cards are reasonable except for the carpeted lower sections, which appear to have succumbed to the attentions of moths. Elsewhere, the red carpets seem to have fared rather better.

The dashboard, steering wheel and instruments are broadly OK.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t tried to start the vehicle.

The boot contains a spare wheel.

There is some rust and flaking to be seen underneath, particularly in the sills. You’ll want to see for yourself and make your own judgement.

The engine bay is relatively clean and dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The car doesn’t come with a continuous service history or extensive records of work done.

It does, however, have a service record up to 1969, some manuals, handbooks and brochures, old tax discs covering various years in between 1968 and 2011, and a letter from an owner explaining the car’s history to that (unknown) date.

Currently, this car has neither an MoT certificate nor a current V5.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this. Any paperwork shown in the gallery is a facsimile and in no way constitutes any kind of licensing or registration certification.

There is some work to be done inside, outside and underneath but not, we think, a prohibitive amount.

If the engine, mechanicals and structural integrity all tick the right boxes, then this rather noble (certainly in terms of provenance) Humber Hawk Mk V might yet have the underlying quality needed to make it a rewarding restoration project.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £3,000 - £7,000 plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.