[Humber-One-Ton Tom]

Hi Clive, nice to meet you too. The FV1620 looks really nice, a better standard than I can aspire to at the moment with stuff as life with kids doesn't leave much time for Humbers or in fact anything. They are boys, and they see a rive in a military vehicle as a good thing, so that helps...

It's funny that you mention the Dinky versions. That;'s what got me started on this, I dug a Humber 1-Ton up in the garden, than as time went on, I had an Austin K9 and saw other types that matched the classic Dinky range, so the Humber became notable for it's absence on the scene - the toy is pretty common, unlike the real thing. This mystery, plus the fact that from the toy I could see that the Humber was a damn fine looking vessel - I think one of the best looking British trucks ever produced - with the long nose and US style low windscreen, but also those lovely, big chunky wheels at each corner that ensure that it looks better than any of the classic US '50s picy-ups - not to mention great 'military' detailing - hatches and big ironmongery to offset the pretty '50s styling and make sure you don't forget that this is a military machine through and through, unlike the converted 4WD removal trucks that the MOD were later forced to adopt because of cost saving. The Humber is a great size too, proper 'big truck' feel to drive but really easy to park and does not take up the whole street like an RL or something.

A lot is said about the poor performance, espcially from the Australian tradition where 4.25 litres is no big deal (hey guys, we were still driving 900cc cars back then!)- a big, heavy, complicated truck to move a small payload - but I really think that to make sense of the thing you need to go back to the original CT concept that these were designed for - in that context a vehicle that will operate in the most harsh conditions and will NOT fail, and WILL get you up the beach even if the landing craft stops short, WILL get you home and will be infinately repairable with no component that cannont be completely stripped and re-built - I cannot think of many vehicles that would match the Humber as long as it is well maintained. Sure, some weaknesses, the back axle, etc. but it barely got past prototype stage before it was axed - and the rusty body, but they had lived their service lives before the rust became a big deal.

So of it is compared with conventional trucks to do conventional jobs, yes it will come second place, but it can do some stuff that a conventional truck just can't do. The failings of this vehicle (and it's little brother the Champ) were all really about attitude and perception of the user. They specified a Champ. and then decided that they wanted a Landrover instead, and then tried to use the Champ as a Landrover...well it makes a pretty poor Landrover for a lot more effort.

As a last aside, as far as I can see the Dinky toy is actually a model of prototype LYN69, not of the actual production vehicle.