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Sunbeam 1500 GT - Budget Gran Turismo for the whole family

Name: Sunbeam 1500 GT 1973
Brand: Sunbeam

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Created on August 29, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

60 1

Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the two-door model was only launched in 1973 after three years of production

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - only 158.5 cm wide

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - had to do without the twin headlights of the earlier four-door GT version

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - rear view with characteristically shaped tail lights

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - compact four-seater

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - fully-fledged four-seater with a length of 410 cm

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - headrests were not yet standard back then

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - outperformed many competitors at the time

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - one exterior rear-view mirror had to be enough

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - a top speed of almost 160 km/h was possible

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the GT reached 0 to 100 km/h in around 14.5 seconds

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - exceptional performance on today's roads

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - still easily keeps up with the traffic today

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - as a GT with 78 hp almost a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - fun to drive without straining

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - weighing less than 900 kg

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - certainly not one of the most eye-catching cars in its class

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - sporty workplace

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - four round instruments with everything you need to know

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - instead of steering column levers on the left and right, there are rotary knobs

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - speedometer not always easy to read and a little optimistic at 200 km/h

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Light switch to the left of the steering wheel, it can be turned

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Sunbeam lettering on the passenger side

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Plastic door panel and crank for lifting windows

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Seat adjustment and release

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Plastic framed IMG_0395

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - longitudinally mounted four-cylinder with 75 hp

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - in-line four-cylinder with cross-flow head

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Rear view mirror front left

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - unthinkable today, rear-view mirror on the front fender

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - chrome rear-view mirror

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - exterior mirror mounted far forward, modern at the time

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the three-door model has a different roof line

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the vinyl roof was standard on the GT

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - aerodynamically this heel was probably not the optimum

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - vinyl roof particularly attractive in a light/dark combination

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - vinyl roofs were popular in the seventies

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Door handle and separate door lock on the right-hand door

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - Door handle left

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - GT stripes and lettering applied

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - lettering on the rear

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - clearly labeled

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the tank inlet leads directly through the trunk, the tank itself is located far back

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Sunbeam 1250 (1970) - new five-seater as 1250 and 1500 - Geneva Motor Show 1970

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Sunbeam 1500 GT - London Motor Show 1970 - BBC reporter in seventh heaven

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Sunbeam 1250 (1973) - new in the range as a two-door sedan from 7,980 francs - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Sunbeam 1250 at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - this affordable four-door car costs less than 8,000 francs

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Sunbeam 1500 (1970) - Chatting on the hood?

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Sunbeam 1300 (1975) - available as a two- or four-door sedan from 8925 francs - Geneva Motor Show 1975

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - brilliantly successful two-door version - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Sunbeam 1300 - with a larger engine, as a 1.3-liter for 8090 francs - at the Geneva Motor Show 1974

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Sunbeam 1300 DL (1976) - a lot of car for 9600 francs - Geneva Motor Show 1976

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Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus (1979) - World premiere, with Lotus engine enlarged to 2.2-liter displacement - Geneva Motor Show 1979

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - height 142 cm, width almost 160 cm

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Sunbeam 1500 GT (1973) - the vinyl roof indicates the more expensive version

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Hillman Avenger (1972) - the last car developed by the Rootes Group before the takeover by Chrysler - Coventry Transport Museum

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Summary

The Sunbeam 1500 GT was the spearhead of a lower mid-range model that the Rootes Group, which had been taken over by Chrysler in the late 1960s, launched in 1970 as the Sunbeam 1250/1500. Although a success, these cars have almost completely disappeared, a good reason to remember them, for example in the form of the 1500 GT sports version. This driving report describes the history of the Sunbeam 1250/1500, which was also called the Hillman Avenger in other markets, and shows it in many current and historical photos. A sound sample is also included.

This article contains the following chapters

Return to the lower middle class
Name confusion
Modern design
Variety of equipment
GT version with more power
GT comes, goes and comes again
Affordable alternative
The even faster Tiger
Even more names and variants
Honest car
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Sunbeam 1500 GT was the spearhead of a lower mid-range model that the Rootes Group, which had been taken over by Chrysler in the late 1960s, launched in 1970 as the Sunbeam 1250/1500. Although a success, these cars have almost completely disappeared, a good reason to remember them. The Rootes Group, which had grown up with brands such as Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam, had small and large cars in its range in the late sixties, but a vehicle for the lower middle class was missing. The first specifications were defined as early as 1963, but the larger Hunter with a 1.7-liter engine was developed for series production first. At the beginning of 1966, the project was returned to in order to launch a new four-door model with a target date of January 1970.

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