Description
A new arrival at Oldtimer Australia is this rare and rather charming 1954 Sunbeam Alpine MKIII Roadster.
The ‘Certified Copy from Factory Register’ (Heritage Certificate) on file provided by the Rootes Archive Trust Centre confirms that this car left the factory with a two door Alpine Roadster body type. It was built in right hand drive configuration for export, with its body constructed by Mulliners of Birmingham and it was equipped with a four speed manual gearbox with a column mounted gear change.
The certificate records the original colour scheme as Alpine Mist with a Bright Red interior and a (assumed) Black hood, the same striking colour combination the car carries today.
While the factory records do not provide an exact manufacturing date, they record that the car was sold on the 19th November 1954 and dispatched on the 25th November 1954. Its destination was Rootes London Ltd. Piccadilly, from where it was destined for export.
It is understood that the car was sold new in Australia. Its early history is not known, however, it is understood to have been a long term Canberra car. The current owner acquired the car some 40 years ago in Canberra from its lady owner.
The car had already been restored prior to being acquired by its current owner. At some point in its earlier life, the original engine was replaced with one from a slightly later 1956 Alpine Mk III Roadster. At the same time, the original column shift gearbox arrangement was converted to a floor mounted gear change.
This Sunbeam Alpine Mk III Roadster has been a cherished part of the current owner’s life for many years, creating countless fond and enduring memories along the way. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and the time has come for him to part with his beloved car.
Today, this car is best described as a well presented, ‘driver quality’ example. The car looks absolutely spectacular in the photos, however, the paint does have a few defects. The paint is at least 40 years old and its presentation is consistent with a car that has been used and enjoyed by its owner.
The external trim and particularly the bright work is similarly well presented. The lights, lenses, and glass are all in a good condition with no cracks evident.
The car has a soft top which is in a good condition, though the current owner says it has been sparingly used and he could not recall the last time it was up.
The interior of this Sunbeam Alpine presents very well and is nicely complemented by the car’s Alpine Mist exterior. The bright red upholstery is a particularly striking feature and remains in very good condition. The seats show no obvious signs of cracking or tearing and remain supportive and comfortable. The grey carpets and red door cards also present well, contributing to a very smart and inviting cabin.
The dashboard is wonderfully simple and very much in keeping with the sporting character of the Alpine. It presents well, with the instruments and switchgear neatly laid out and readily accessible to the driver. All of the instruments appear to be in good working order, with the exception of the fuel gauge.
The large steering wheel, floor-mounted gear lever and period instrumentation complete what is a charming and very traditional 1950s British sports car interior.
The boot is clean and tidy and is also home to a lovely period correct picnic basket, complete with an all important – and still unopened – bottle of Scotch whisky!
Under the bonnet sits the 2, 267cc four cylinder engine. The engine bay presents well, showing the signs you would expect from a car that has been used and enjoyed rather than simply displayed. Importantly, there is no evidence of any oil leaks.
The steel wheels are painted in the correct body colour and fitted with the correct hubcaps. They present in good condition and are shod with Hankook Centum K702 tyres, size 185/ 80R15.
When the car arrived with us, it had not been used for quite a few years. Encouragingly, all that was required was a new battery and some fresh fuel. It took a few attempts to start initially, but once the engine fired it quickly settled into a smooth idle. With each subsequent start it became progressively easier.
If the car has been sitting for a few days or more, there is a simple starting procedure to follow. The carburettors first need to be manually primed using the lever on the fuel pump located on the left hand side of the engine block. After a few pumps, simply pull out the choke, switch on the ignition and start the engine. Once running, the choke can gradually be pushed back in while a little throttle is used as the engine warms up.
Given the car had been unused for some time, we were initially cautious about the condition of its mechanicals and decided to begin with a short test drive around the block. We were pleasantly surprised by just how well the car drove. It felt solid and composed on the road, the brakes pulled the car up straight and the gear change was good, improving further the more the car was driven.
With our confidence growing, we subsequently took the Alpine out for its photo shoot, completing the approximately 15 km return journey without issue. It was a particularly warm Queensland day, yet the temperature remained steady at around 170°F throughout the drive. The oil pressure gauge also indicated good oil pressure.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable car to drive. It feels solid, comfortable and surprisingly capable on the road, with all the charm and character you would expect from a 1950s British sports car.
We are confident that with some light recommissioning and fettling this rare Sunbeam Alpine can be reliably used and enjoyed. Whether it is a relaxed Sunday morning drive or a British car gathering, this charming and seldom seen roadster is sure to attract plenty of attention.
Accompanying this car is a tonneau cover, side windows, a spare wheel, a period picnic basket, an owner’s manual and two workshop manuals.
Perhaps the Sunbeam Alpine’s greatest claim to fame came courtesy of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 classic To Catch a Thief. In the film, Grace Kelly famously drives Cary Grant along the spectacular roads of the French Riviera in a Sapphire Blue Sunbeam Alpine Roadster.
We think this car represents fantastic value for money and offers an interesting and far rarer alternative to the more commonly seen Jaguars, MGs and other British sports cars of the period.
Highlights:
- One of only 300 Mk III Alpine Roadsters built.
- Offered from an incredible 40 years of current ownership.
- Desirable original Alpine Mist over Bright Red colour combination.
- Rare right hand drive export example.
- Charming and seldom seen 1950s British sports car.
Price AUD $34, 950
Background
The Sunbeam Motor Car Company dates back to 1905, even though the first Sunbeam car built dates back to 1902. The British company soon developed a reputation for building good quality sporting cars. Sunbeam dabbled in motor racing and built a number of successful racing cars and land speed record cars. Unfortunately, the advent of the first World War was the beginning of the end for Sunbeam. The company was taken over by Darracq in 1920 and whilst they kept building Sunbeam motor cars the end was imminent. Sunbeam was placed into receivership in 1934 and sold to the Rootes Group.
Rootes started building cars under the Sunbeam-Talbot brand in 1938, producing a number of different models through until 1954. The first cars, the 3. 0 Litre, 4. 0 Litre and 10 were effectively restyled versions of the Hillman Minx and Humber Snipe. Post World War II Sunbeam-Talbot introduced two new models, designated the 80 and 90. A major improvement on these new models was the introduction of an overhead valve engine giving the cars significantly better performance. The Sunbeam-Talbot 80 series cars were powered by a 1. 2 litre 4 cylinder engine developing 47 bhp. The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 series cars were initially powered by a 2. 0 litre 4 cylinder engine developing 64 bhp and later a 2. 3 litre 4 cylinder engine developing either 70 or 77 bhp depending on the tune. These cars were luxuriously appointed and the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 also had reasonable performance, so much so that they were often rallied in period with some success. A Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk II, driven by Stirling Moss, Desmond Scannell and John Cooper, took second place in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally. A Sunbeam Mk III, driven by Per Malling and Gunnar Fadum was outright winner of the1955 Monte Carlo Rally.
In 1953 Rootes decided to drop the “Talbot” name from Sunbeam-Talbot with the launch of their new open sports car – the Alpine. Later renamed as the Alpine MKI.
Interestingly for some reason Rootes skipped the MKII and went straight to the MKIII which was introduced in October 1954, at the Olympia Motor show. It was only available as a roadster and remained in production through until 1955.
The Rootes Archive Trust Centre confirms Sunbeam Alpine production numbers as follows:
- MkI – built in 1953 with 311 home market cars and 819 export cars built for a total of 1, 130 cars.
- MkIIA – built in 1952 with 152 cars built in total.
- MkIII – built in 1954 (83 cars) & 1955 (217 cars), for a total of 300 cars.
In 1959 Sunbeam introduced a ‘new’ smaller sports car which was also called an Alpine, which was a great success. With the help of Carroll Shelby the Alpine evolved into the Tiger which was effectively a V8 engined Alpine. Sunbeam also built the Rapier from the mid 1950’s through until the late 1960’s which was another success story. The last Sunbeam Rapier was built in 1976 and the brand was then discontinued.
