Vehicle Description
The Rootes Group was once a powerhouse of the British motor
industry. In the late 1920s, the Rootes brothers, Reginald and
William, expanded their distribution businesses with the goal of
manufacturing the same products they sell. Rather than start small,
they began by buying up a number of well-known British automobile
manufacturers, eventually building a large conglomerate that
included Humber, Hillman, Singer, Sunbeam, and Talbot as well as
Commer and Karrier trucks. Prior to their inclusion in the Rootes
Group, Sunbeam and Talbot had independently made upmarket sporting
saloons and touring cars. When they came under the umbrella of the
Rootes brothers (Sunbeam was acquired from receivership in 1935)
the two marques were combined to form Sunbeam-Talbot. Rootes had
little use for motorsports; however, rallying was a seen as an
ideal proving ground to demonstrate the toughness and reliability
of their motorcars. Rallying at the time was less about outright
speed and more about robustness and reliability - which suited the
Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Saloon quite well indeed. Success in events such
as the Tulip Rally and Monte Carlo Rally (with the likes of
Stirling Moss, �John Fitch and others as drivers) gave company
brass confidence in offering a new sports car. The new car was
marketed solely as a Sunbeam - primarily to avoid confusion in the
French market where the unrelated Talbot-Lago was still offered.
Based largely upon the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 saloon car, the new two
seat sports car wore a smartly styled body that was based upon the
design of the saloon but freshened (reputedly for American tastes)
by Raymond Loewy Studios. The handsome, sweeping body was produced
in steel by Rootes' in-house coachbuilder, Thrupp & Maberly.
Although the car was more than a bit over weight when compared to
its purpose built rivals such as the Austin-Healey 100 and Triumph
TR-2, the 80hp high-compression engine returned respectable
performance and it was rugged and reliable enough to handle the
stress of rallying. More successes came at the hands of Stirling
Moss and others, and the Alpine Sports Roadster served its purpose
as a publicity machine quite well. The original Alpine roadster was
built for only two years, from 1953 to 1955, with just
1,582�examples produced. The name did not appear again until 1959
when a smaller, lighter and more purposeful Alpine was introduced,
based on the Hillman Minx. While the original Sunbeam Alpine was
never a road burning sports car, it is certainly a stylish and
enjoyable automobile with interesting and colorful competition
history. Our featured 1953 Sunbeam Alpine is a good, complete
example that has recently come out of long-term storage. It
presents in fair condition, with some corrosion evident on the body
and floor pans. Importantly, it has not been disassembled and
scattered so if a restoration were commissioned, it would be a
relatively straightforward undertaking. Despite the corrosion, it
is still a good looking car finished in white over a red interior.
The paint is average but presentable and the body is fairly
straight and appears free of any major crash damage or serious
structural deficiencies. The Alpine was notably devoid of most
heavy-handed bright exterior trim and mouldings (even exterior door
handles were left off) and the result is a smooth and tidy look.
What chrome there is on the grille and bumpers is in fair order;
straight and with minimal pitting in the plating. The red interior
is also in good order, and can likely be freshened up and enjoyed
as is, or restored as the next owner sees fit. There is a black
vinyl top in good condition and the frame is intact and in good
order. Over the years, many owners have modified their Alpines in
search of more horsepower (rumor has it that a 289 fits!) with
sometimes dubious results. Thankfully, this example remains stock
and original. The engine is mated to a manual transmission with
column shift.� The car will require a full mechanical
recommissioning before hitting the road. This Sunbeam Alpine is a
good candidate for restoration or conversion into a period rally
car. Rare and attractive, it is an interesting example of what
Brits believed Americans desired in a sporting car, and the model
brings additional cachet of period competition success at the hands
of some legendary drivers.
