{{Short description|British military off-road vehicle}} {{Infobox automobile | name = Humber F.W.D. | image = Humber Heavy Utility (1942) (owner Andrew Partridge) pic3.JPG | aka = Humber 4×4 heavy utility | manufacturer = Humber Limited | production = 1941–1945 | successor = Land Rover series (in the military) | class = SUV | body_style = 5-door closed<br />truck<br />van | engine = petrol straight-six engine 4.08 l, 85 KM | transmission = 4-speed manual transmission, 2-speed reducer | drivetrain = Front engine, rear-wheel drive/attachable 4×4 | length = {{convert|4293|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|1880|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} | height = {{convert|1956|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} | wheelbase = {{convert|2838|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} | related = Humber Snipe }} thumb|Humber FWD heavy utility thumb|Humber FWD heavy utility thumb|Humber FWD 8-cwt truck
The '''Humber FWD''' is a British military off-road vehicle produced by the Humber company from 1941 to 1945. The primary version was the '''Humber 4×4 heavy utility''', commonly known as the ''Box''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jane |first=David E. |title=British Military Transport: Light Utilities, Lorries, Heavy General Service Trucks |publisher=Almark Publishing Co. Ltd. |year=1978 |isbn=0855243082 |location=London |pages=10–14}}</ref> It was also produced in variants such as a light off-road truck with a payload capacity of 8 cwt (400 kg) and an ambulance.
== History (heavy utility version) == The Humber FWD (four wheel drive, sometimes written as F.W.D.) was designed for the British Army after the outbreak of World War II. Its design was partly derived from the Humber Super Snipe passenger car, incorporating elements such as the engine, independent front suspension, and gearbox.<ref name=":1">{{Harvard citation text|Georgano|1998|pp=12–13}}</ref> The primary version was a heavy utility passenger off-road vehicle, officially designated as ''Car, Heavy Utility, 4x4 (FWD), Humber''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |year=1984 |editor-last=Morse |editor-first=Stan |title=A fully illustrated guide to Light Vehicles of WW2 |journal=Orbis Publishing |volume=29 |pages=574–575}}</ref> It was the only four-wheel-drive passenger car produced in the United Kingdom during the war.<ref name=":0" /> Production began in May 1941 and continued until the end of the war,<ref name=":3">{{Harvard citation text|Conniford|1971|p=16}}</ref> with approximately 6,500 units manufactured.<ref name=":1" />
The Humber 4×4 heavy utility vehicles were mainly used as staff cars, sometimes equipped with radio stations.<ref name=":0" /> They saw service in the North African campaign and Western Europe. Users included the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service, among others.<ref name=":1" /> These vehicles were considered durable and reliable,<ref name=":0" /> remaining in use until the late 1950s.<ref name=":3" /> They were not produced for the civilian market.<ref name=":1" />
The Humber FWD vehicles were also used by the Polish Armed Forces in the West, including as staff cars in the II Corps.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kamiński |first=Andrzej Antoni |title=Pojazdy Polskich Sił Zbrojnych na Zachodzie: 1939-1947 |last2=Szczerbicki |first2=Tomasz |date=2008 |publisher=L&L |isbn=978-83-60597-23-1 |edition=1 |location=Gdańsk |page=317 |language=pl |oclc=956595357}}</ref>
== Derived varieties == On the same chassis as the base off-road vehicle, light utility trucks with a 400 kg payload capacity (Humber F.W.D. 8-cwt Personnel/G.S. Truck) were developed. These trucks utilized the same front body section but featured a cargo bed at the rear.<ref name=":0" /> However, they were produced in limited numbers.<ref name=":1" />
Additionally, light off-road ambulances (Humber Light Ambulance) were manufactured, with bodies built by Thrupp & Maberly, a company known for crafting luxury coachwork for Humber vehicles before the war.<ref name=":1" /> These ambulances could carry two pairs of stretchers,<ref>{{Harvard citation text|Georgano|1998|p=46}}</ref> and over 1,100 units were produced.<ref name=":4">{{Harvard citation text|Conniford|1971|pp=12–13}}</ref> A small number of these ambulances were converted into BBC war correspondents' vans equipped with Type C recording equipment, with plans for a total of 24 such vehicles.<ref name=":4" />
Thrupp & Maberly also built cross-country saloons on the F.W.D. chassis, featuring bodywork styled like passenger cars.<ref name=":1" /> The F.W.D. chassis was further used to produce light reconnaissance armored cars, the Humber Light Reconnaissance Cars.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to the 4×4 off-road vehicles, Humber also produced different 4×2 heavy utility vehicles based on the Humber Snipe.<ref name=":0" />
== Description == The heavy utility version of the Humber FWD featured a closed, five-door metal body<ref name=":3" /> in a station wagon style, with a split rear tailgate. The upper part of the tailgate, containing two small windows, opened upwards, while the lower part opened downwards. The vehicle had two rows of seats: the second row had two seats positioned between the wheel arches, and two additional folding seats were located along the sides in the rear section, facing inward.<ref name=":2" /> The vehicle could accommodate up to seven passengers<ref name=":1" /> (or six, according to some sources).<ref name=":2" /> The rear row of seats could be removed to increase cargo space. A fold-out map table was attached to the back of the front seats.
In later production models, a tent could be deployed in the rear section, extending the sleeping area when the tailgate was open.<ref name=":0" /> Modified versions for general staff officers included a sliding roof, a map reading lamp, and a more comfortable interior<ref name=":0" /> (some sources indicate that later models also featured a sliding roof).<ref name=":3" /> Vehicles used in North Africa sometimes had their fixed roofs replaced with a roll-up canvas.<ref name=":2" /> The spare wheel was carried on the lower rear tailgate.<ref name=":0" />
The Humber FWD had permanent rear-wheel drive, with front-wheel drive being engageable via a two-speed transfer case for lower gear ratios.<ref name=":1" /> According to tests by ''The Autocar'' magazine, the vehicle had a cruising speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) on the road, and a maximum speed of approximately 40 mph (64 km/h) with four-wheel drive engaged.<ref name=":1" />
== Technical data (heavy utility version) ==
* Dimensions:<ref name=":0" /> ** Length: 4,293 mm ** Width: 1,880 mm ** Height: 1,956 mm ** Wheelbase: 2,838 mm ** Track: front – 1,549 mm; rear – 1,543 mm ** Ground clearance: 241 mm * Weight: 2413.1 kg (2 tons 7½ cwt)<ref name=":1" /> * Gross weight: 2946.5 kg (2 tons 18 cwt)<ref name=":0" /> * Engine: ** Humber – gasoline, carburetor, inline-six engine, side-valve, water-cooled, front-mounted<ref name="georg9">Georgano, G.N. (1998), s.9</ref> ** Displacement: 4,086 cm<sup>3</sup><ref name="georg9" /> ** Bore × stroke: 85 mm × 120 mm<ref name=":0" /> ** Maximum power: 85 hp at 3,400 rpm ** Maximum torque: 244 N⋅m (2,160 lbs/in)<ref name=":3" /> * Transmission: mechanical, 4-speed with reverse gear ** Gear ratios: I – 3.7:1; II – 2.48:1; III – 1.46:1; IV – 1:1; reverse – 3.7:1<ref name=":3" /> * Transfer case: 2-speed (high – 1:1; low – 1.477:1)<ref name=":3" /> * Clutch: single dry plate<ref name=":3" /> * Drive: 4x4 (permanent rear-wheel drive, engageable front-wheel drive) * Axle ratios: spiral, 4.88:1<ref name=":3" /> * Suspension: ** Front: independent, transverse semi-elliptical springs, hydraulic shock absorbers<ref name=":3" /> ** Rear: semi-elliptical springs, hydraulic shock absorbers<ref name=":3" /> * Service brake: hydraulic, on all wheels<ref name=":0" /> * Parking brake: mechanical, on rear wheels<ref name=":0" /> * Tires: 9,25 x 16 inches<ref name=":3" /> * Maximum speed: over 80 km/h * Average fuel consumption: 12 miles per gallon (23.54 liters/100 km)<ref name=":0" /> * Turning circle: 13.8 meters<ref name=":0" />
== References == {{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Conniford |first=M.P. |title=Military Vehicle Data. No.6 |publisher=Bellona Publications |year=1971 |location=London}} * {{Cite book |last=Georgano |first=G.N. |title=World War Two Military Vehicles Transport & Halftracks |publisher=Osprey Automotive |year=1998 |isbn=1855324067 |location=London}}
Category:All-wheel-drive vehicles Category:Off-road vehicles Category:1940s cars Category:Humber vehicles Category:Cars introduced in 1941 Category:Cars discontinued in 1945