1953 Sunbeam Talbot Alpine

The Sunbeam-Talbot MK. 1 Alpine Roadster was produced from 1953 to 1954 and just 1,582 examples were hand-built by the old London firm of Thrupp and Maberly. Nearly all examples were built for export, with around a thousand being shipped to North America. It is believed that around 200 examples have survived.

The Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine was derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 sedan. It was an open two-seater that was built as a rally special by a British Sunbeam-Talbot dealer. It was unveiled in early 1953 and given its name in celebration of the company's successes in the difficult winter-time Alpine Rallies of the early 1950s.

The Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine MK1 had a louvered hood, a narrow vertical bar grille, and two small auxiliary grilles with horizontal bars. The engine was an overhead-valve four-cylinder unit displacing 138.2 cubic-inches and produced 77 horsepower. It was a hand-built car on a semi-unitary steel body and chassis with independent front suspension and a live rear axle. The gearshift was on the steering column. Hydraulic drum brakes were fitted all around.

A true roadster, the Alpine lacked wind-up side glass and outside door handles. The windshield could be removed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2020