1926 Sunbeam Three-Litre

John Marston and his Wolverhampton-based Sunbeam factory was a latecomer to motor car manufacture, but quickly established a reputation within the motor industry. Their first conventional car was largely the work of T.C. Pullinger, who convinced Marston to purchase a complete chassis from the French Berliet concern. In November of 1902, at the Crystal Palace, the company marketed its Sunbeam 10/12 model. In 1907, two years after the Sunbeam Motor Car Company had been formed, the company introduced its first all-British model, the 16/20.

Over the years that followed, the company continued to establish itself a formidable reputation prior to World War I. Through racing and road-going production, their reputation would continue to grow in the years that followed WWI.

As the first production DOHC equipped car, the Sunbeam Three-Litre was designed by Louis Coatalen and refined for production by Georges Roesch. In 1925, the Three-Litre Super Sports came in 2nd at Le Mans (with a broken chassis) and proved dominant of the Bentleys. Chassis 4131F is a 'Colonial Spec' car that incorporates some unique cosmetic and functional features including an oversized radiator, stronger road springs, and larger headlights. The car is equipped with cycle-type fenders and Sunbeams 'Super-Sports' body in Dark Smoke Blue livery. The car was sold as a new car in 1928 to a dentist from Newcastle, Australia. The car was first restored in the late 1950s while still residing in Australia. In 1960, Sam Insull Jr. of Geneva, IL, acquired and imported the car. Over the past 36 years of present ownership, it has been continuously used and maintained. The engine was restored in 1990 and the car was sent to England in 2010 for a comprehensive chassis and coachwork restoration including a return to the original livery and specifications.