Photos provided by the vendor

Highlights

Highly appointed and increasingly rare retro classic
Impressive bright green paintwork
Attractive interior with walnut veneers
1725cc engine with four-speed manual transmission and overdrive
Less than 359 examples on the road, according to ‘How Many Left?’
Registered in Ireland

The Appeal

Boasting impressive period styling, with sharp angles and quad headlights, the third generation of the Spectre is perhaps one of the best performing, handling and internally appointed cars ever built by the historic British marque. They’re superb all-rounders, and still very capable retro classics. With a broad enthusiast community, and parts availability still plentiful thanks to Humber’s standardisation, they make a great ambassador for 70s automotive history.

This example carries Humber’s bright iteration of green, with black and chrome contrast trims making for a distinctly 70s and truly striking classic that’s guaranteed to command many an admiring glance.

The History and Paperwork

Purchased by current owner in October 2022
Recently serviced
Originally painted in a much darker Irish Green (code 162)
Repainted to a close facsimile of Grasshopper Green (code 159)
Full respray carried out in early 2023
Indicated 79,528 miles, however, this is on a five-figure odometer and can’t be verified
MOT exempt - last tested in 2017, less than 1000 miles ago

The Interior

Original part-leatherette yellow seating with nylon panels
Seats in fair order with some marks and light blemishing
Small tear in the rear seat
Door cards in good order with light signs of wear
Thick-pile olive carpets with some wear, including a small tear alongside the clutch pedal
Walnut veneer dashboard shows light wear with slight fading around the instruments
Lacquer is in decent order with some light rippling and scratching
Tactile instruments in good condition with some light rub to their print
Realistic cassette radio player
Original factory options including:
- Heating/demisting/ventilation system
- Heated rear window
- Lockable glove box with mirror and courtesy light
- Adjustable steering column
- Full sound system
- Signature electric clock ahead of the switchgear
No reports to faults to any of the internal instruments or options
Boot is in good order and is complete with a spare wheel

The Exterior

Impressive repaint into ‘Grasshopper Green’ with black vinyl roof
Paintwork looks to be in good order with no bubbling, corrosion or peel we can discern
Chrome presents brightly with minor patina
Black vinyl roof cover is in good order with minor creasing and bubbling to the rear pillars
Headlight lenses are fracture free, though we note a clouding to the centre right-hand lens
Windows appear to be free of chips and cracks
Arches appear to be in good order, as does the suspension
Car is sitting on a full set of period wheels, shod in a matched set of Hifly tyres
Wheels are in good order, though the painted accents are beginning to rub away
Underneath, the car is in very good order for a British car of its vintage
We can discern some flaking to the chassis coating
Save for this and some very minor surface corrosion, the underside is clean and well-presented

The Mechanics

1725cc four-cylinder engine
Four-speed manual transmission
J-type Laycock De Normanville overdrive
McPherson suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear
Engine bay is in good order
Engine is mounted at a slight angle to accommodate the lower bonnet
The vendor reports the car has been recently serviced
No reports of any mechanical faults throughout the car

Summary

Beautifully presented, and a nicely specified development from Humber’s model history, this bright green Sceptre is a lesser-spotted classic that makes for a truly impressive time capsule from its period.

Notice to bidders

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