Founded as a bicycle maker in 1868, Humber later became associated with Harry Lawson's British Motor Syndicate, from which it purchased the rights to various unlikely automobile designs dreamt up by American E J Pennington.

Freeing itself from Lawson, the reconstituted company commenced motor car production in 1900 with the unconventional (front-wheel drive, rear-wheel steered) M D Voiturette.

A more conventional range of De Dion-powered light cars soon followed, which was notable for its use of shaft drive in an era when chain was the norm for such vehicles.

Four-cylinder 12hp and 20hp models, designed by Louis Coatalen, had been added by 1903.

The year 1923 was a significant one for Humber, marking as it did the adoption across the range of new inlet-over-exhaust engines (replacing the earlier sidevalve units).

Introduced in 1926 as replacement for the 12/25, the 14/40 was powered by a 2,050cc four-cylinder engine closely related to the 20/55's six, whose bore/stroke dimensions ...