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Sunbeam Alpine - comfort does not rhyme with sport

Name: Sunbeam Alpine 1960
Brand: Sunbeam

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Created on March 16, 2023

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - a Series 1 model in "Glen Green"

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Series 1 to 3 still had lavish tail fins. They were trimmed in 1964

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - with its fish mouth and tail fins, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Ford Thunderbird

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Well, where is it, the third gear?

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Nomen est omen of course in the sunshine

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - compared to the competition, it is much more fashionable and comfortable

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - it is also comparatively restrained acoustically

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - a summery car even in winter temperatures

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - It lacks the determined look of a TR3 or Austin-Healey. The Sunbeam looks almost fearful

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - enameled emblem and lettering in single letters on the front

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - parking light in the headlamp and round indicators on Series I to III

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - The letters on the trunk are further apart than on the front

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - The spoked wheels were always painted silver ex works. Chrome was only available as an accessory

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - lettering on the front fender

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - recessed fuel filler cap in the right tail fin

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Five Jaeger, one Smith, one Lucas. Ammeter and oil pressure gauge with orange needles are from a later model

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Instead of a glove box, there's just an open compartment and a grab handle

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - The dashboard was initially painted silver, then black from 1963 onwards

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - The gearshift is very slanted, but is easy to operate

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - two Zenith carburetors supply the four-cylinder with fuel

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - the flat air filters just fit under the hood

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 79 hp at 5300 rpm

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Lettering like an embossing tool on the valve cover

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - nameplate with detailed lubrication plan

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - Presentation at the London Motor Show 1959

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - with hardtop at the Frankfurt IAA 1959

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - Departure for the test drive on Goodwood Test Day

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - Test drive on Goodwood Test Day

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - impressive example of a British car design

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - early press photo

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - with open softtop and hardtop

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - charmingly presented hardtop version

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - Dashboard of the right-hand drive version

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - Presentation at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - Cockpit of the left-hand drive version

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - View of the interior during test drives

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - Trunk and spare wheel

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - A look under the hood

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Sunbeam Alpine (1960) - View of the engine at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - with 86 hp at 5000 rpm

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Sunbeam Alpine (1961) - for the gentleman and the lady

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Sunbeam Alpine (1963) - pretty and elegant convertible

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Sunbeam Alpine Gran Turismo (1963) - luxury version with hardtop and wooden dashboard, but without folding top

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Sunbeam Alpine (1963) - 1.6-liter engine, now with only a single Solex carburetor and 82 bhp

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Sunbeam Alpine GT (1963) - Coupé version with 77 instead of 82 bhp

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Sunbeam Alpine Gran Turismo (1964) - as Series 4 just as powerful as the Sports Tourer

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Sunbeam Alpine (1965) - at the Brussels Motor Show 1965

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Sunbeam Alpine (1964) - Series 4 with truncated tail fins

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Sunbeam Alpine (1965) - rather unsuitable for families of four

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Sunbeam Alpine Gran Turismo (1964) - vertical tail lights and lower fins

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Sunbeam Alpine GT (1964) - Series 4 with the new hardtop and angular front indicators

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Sunbeam Alpine Sports Tourer (1964) - a car for young couples

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Sunbeam Alpine Sports Tourer (1964) - The dashboard explained

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Sunbeam Alpine (1964) - optionally with automatic transmission from Borg-Warner

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Sunbeam Alpine (1966) - Series 5 model, recognizable by the angular door cut-out and the missing lettering at the front

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Sunbeam Alpine (1966) - Automobil-Revue test car

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Sunbeam Alpine (1966) - in the short test of the Automobil-Revue

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Sunbeam Alpine (1966) - The new 1.7-liter engine, shown at the 1965 London Motor Show

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - flattering drawing

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - drawing of the hardtop version

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Sunbeam Alpine (1959) - Transparency drawing

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Ford Thunderbird (1957) - model for the Sunbeam Alpine

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Summary

It was prettier than a Triumph TR3, more powerful than an MGA, cheaper than an Austin-Healey 3000, more advanced than a Morgan - and more comfortable than all four put together. Nevertheless, the Sunbeam Alpine failed to achieve great success. And even today, many enthusiasts of English roadsters still do not regard it as a true representative of its genre. In most cases, they simply compare it with the wrong cars. This article tells the richly illustrated story of the Alpine Sunbeam and explains why it deserves a second chance.

This article contains the following chapters

Stylistic help from America
Sporty and light
Five series
A misunderstood pioneer?

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When the demand for small sports cars from the old world rose to unimagined heights in the USA in the mid-fifties, the English Rootes Group also wanted to benefit from the Americans' desire to buy. The risk of falling flat on its face was very small. The opportunity to boost the company's financial reserves with a small, modern sports convertible alongside the sale of conservative saloons, on the other hand, was very great. After all, the two-seater products from the British Isles were particularly popular on the other side of the Atlantic. Following the discontinuation of the unsuccessful first Sunbeam Alpine based on the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 in 1955, work began on its successor in 1956. Since MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey were already established giants on the US market and it was almost impossible to displace them with a conventional plug-in roadster, a unique selling point had to be found as a selling point. Of course, this was quickly found. After all, the very thing that the Americans loved most was lacking in most English sports cars: comfort. Despite this, the favorite shocker naturally had to look racy and drive fast. In short: it was to be a car that would not only cut a fine figure for Grace Kelly in Nice, but also for John Ashley in Hollywood - and of course all amateur racing drivers at the airfield at the weekend.

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