*Premier British make *Eligible for VSCC events *Present ownership for 14 years *Offered with a quantity of spare parts 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, but that year's most significant introduction was the Humberette.

The latter was powered by a 5hp single-cylinder engine and featured two-speeds-plus-reverse transmission and, of course, shaft drive.

It was the first Humb...