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H&H Classic Auction @Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
24th of July, 2024 13:00
1966 Sunbeam Rapier Series V
No Reserve
Registration No: KWE 690D
Chassis No: Bthe details belowHH0
MOT: Exempt
Just 56, 000 miles from new
Supplied new to a Maria Eunice Cheslyn Healey of Sheffield
Starting readily and running well during the recent photography session
Offered with a large history file including MOTs back to 1970
Announced at the London Motor Show of 1955, the Sunbeam Rapier was the first of a new range of Rootes cars that was to include the Hillman Minx and the Singer Gazelle. A complete departure from the Sunbeam MKIII it replaced, it was a modern-looking two-door, four-seater Coupe with such standard equipment as leather trim and overdrive. The bodies were built by Pressed Steel, shipped to Thrupp & Maberly in London for painting and trimming, and then moved to the Rootes plant at Ryton-on-Dunsmore for final assembly. Though initially a little underpowered, the Rapier had inherently excellent handling and was quickly adopted for rallying. Indeed the launch of the Series II version took place at the end of the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally in which Peter Harper's Works Rapier had finished fifth overall. Over its twenty-one year reign, the model progressed through five series, the swansong being the Series V derivative introduced in 1965. Though visually almost identical to its predecessor, it was notable for its larger, five-bearing engine of 1725cc capacity. Just 3, 759 Series Vs were built, making it the rarest of all versions of the model.
Manufactured in 1966, the Series V Rapier offered was supplied new to a Maria Eunice Cheslyn Healey of Sheffield, being first registered on the road on the 23rd of February that year. Finished in Light Blue paintwork with a White roof, the Sunbeam features complementary Light Blue interior upholstery and carpets. Covering minimal mileage throughout its ownership, the Rapier is now offered to market having just shy of only 56, 000 miles from new on the odometer. Purchased by the vendor's late father in 2018, the Sunbeam has been used occasionally, and started readily and ran well during the recent photography session, with the vendor noting that ‘KWE 690D’ drives very well, although the overdrive is not currently working (believed due to an unconfirmed wiring/ solenoid issue). Offered with a large history file that contains a large selection of MOTs dating back to 1970, the buff logbook, numerous previous invoices, workshop manual, sales literature, and current V5C document. Temptingly offered without reserve, this matching chassis and engine numbers Rapier is a usable low mileage example.
