In a country of 1.2 billion people with some of the harshest roads on the planet, one incredible machine would dominate for half a century; icon maybe an overused word, not in this case.

It has come to light my Sienna was not an ‘only classic child’ there was more than one produced contrary to original thoughts, long gone now but the photographic evidence survives and so does the man who built it.

With the chassis complete I was able to admire the framework finished in gloss black, now able to offer many more decades of motoring, although the vision was somewhat let down by the rear axle covered in years of thick grime; a guilty oil seal was at fault here.

Humber enjoyed a well-earned reputation for offering up market vehicles over many decades and as the choice of Government officials and the military’s ‘top brass’ the Rootes Group looked to their Imperial to take on the likes of Jaguar in the sales battle.

The name of Thomas Harrington & Sons Ltd is more synonymous with luxury commercial transport, buses and coaches built to order and often unique incorporating the curvaceous streamline look, clad in chrome.

Welding is rarely very exciting but even more boring to read about, thus I will endeavour to keep this part of the story brief; even though it went on for weeks. The ‘outriggers’ attached to the main chassis were additions required to support the small running boards that were part of the original design; 1 inch box section and fairly straight forward to replace. Both sides also had a tube curving, not only upwards but also in towards the chassis; unfortunately both of ours were rotten.

A classic car restorer of note once told me he would always favour an earlier automobile with a separate chassis over the more modern integral construction; ‘providing the chassis is good, the earlier cars can be repaired an infinite number of times whilst once tin worm has done its worst with the monocoque the repair becomes unviable’.