1966 Sunbeam Alpine

High bid of $8,500 at 2015 Mecum : Monterey. (did not sell)
The Sunbeam Alpine was produced from 1953 to 1955 and then from 1959 to 1968. When introduced in 1953, it was the first vehicle from Sunbeam-Talbot to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1935 takeover of Sunbeam and Talbot by the Rootes Group. The final version was the Series V, produced from 1965 through 1968. It was powered by a five-bearing 1725cc engine breathing through twin Zenith-Stromberg semi-downdraught carburetors offering 93 horsepower. In total, 19,122 examples were produced.

This Sunbeam Series 5 Alpine Roadster sat in storage for three decades. It is fitted with a 1.3-liter crate engine that currently has 300 miles on the odometer. It has a 4-speed transmission, new brakes, new bearings, new interior, and the original doors and hood.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2016

The Sunbeam Alpine was introduced in 1953 and its arrival was historic, as it was the first vehicle to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1920 merger of Sunbeam, Talbot, and Darracq. It was a derivative of the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Saloon, and thus (in modern times), is often referred to as the Talbot Alpine. It was the work of Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth who was working on a rally car.

The Sunbeam Alpine was powered by a four-cylinder engine that displaced 2267cc and mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Hydraulic drum brakes could be found in the front and rear and had a Burman variable-ratio steering setup. The Mark I and Mark III were in production from 1953 through 1955; there was no Mark II. Around 3000 examples were produced during this time and each was hand-built at Thrupp & Maberly. Most were exported to the USA as left-hand drive models. It is believed that around 200 examples still exist.

A redesigned version appeared near the close of the 1950s. It was designed by Kenneth Howes and Jeff Crompton and given a two-door roadster configuration. Production lasted until 1968 with around 70,000 examples produced.

The final version was the Series V which began in 1965 and continued until 1968. It had a larger 1725cc engine, with five main bearings and twin Zenith-Stromberg semi-downdraught carburetors. The automatic gearbox that was offered since 1964 as an option was now no longer available.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2008