While Sunbeam Alpines and Tigers make regular appearances on Barn Finds, the Talbot model is rarely covered. As a matter of fact, the last time an Alpine post was published was in June of 2021 when I covered a 1950 Mark I, a post that I have long since forgotten about. OK, ten months is enough of an interval to cover another, and this time it’s a 1952 Mark IIA. Discovered by Matt R in Miami, Florida, this Sunbeam is available, here on craigslist for $8,350.
Officially known as a Sunbeam-Talbot 90, approximately 20K were assembled between 1948 and 1954. The Mark IIA’s were the last of the run and spanned the years 52-’54. Two body styles were offered, both a four-door sedan or saloon (most saloons that I’ve been in only have two doors, a front and a back) and a two-door convertible or drophead such as our subject car. By 1955 Sunbeam-Talbot, a merger that commenced in 1935, was reduced, in name anyway, to being just Sunbeam.
This Sunbeam has been slumbering for 40 years and it does look as if it just got out of bed, it’s a bit disheveled. The driver’s side shows better than the passenger side where it appears that some body repair has occurred. The body, overall, is not in bad shape, however. The seller adds, “STRAIGHTFORWARD RESTORATION VERY RARE HERE IN THE US AND INTERESTING, SOLID BODY WITH MINIMAL RUST“. Straightforward restoration sounds a bit like famous last words… The prominent grille has a minor boo-boo but the rear bumper shines like new. The folding top is hard to discern, it and its frame are present but as to condition and workability, that remains to be seen. Florida has a whole lot of stuff out of the northeast, and this Sunbeam is no exception as the New York inspection sticker reads 1983.
The 77 HP, 2.2-liter in-line four-cylinder engine will turn over but it doesn’t start – no worries though as the car “rolls and steers well“. I don’t know a Sunbeam engine well enough to know if this example is complete but it is obvious that the upper radiator hose, at the least, is missing. The sole available gearbox was a four-speed manual unit.
The interior is a surprise as the upholstery looks newer than 1952. There’s no reference to its condition but it’s not hard to imagine that there was some renewal that occurred sometime before the big snooze. There are some miscellaneous pieces in the back seat and maybe included in those items are the missing door cards. The seller tells us that this is a solid, original and complete car except that the speedometer is missing – how odd, maybe it got boosted for another Sunbeam project.
As the seller states, this is “a rare find for the U.S.” and that may be true. Will that translate into value, however? I think that’s unlikely, how about you?
Talbot is pronounced with a hard “T”.
We had one at our local car show in Eureka,CA.
It’s a 1951,in really nice shape.
The car show is coming up again,on June 18th,
at the Woodley Island Marina,on the grass.9 AM – 2PM,
$15.00 entry fee (to enter a car) – lunch included.
That’s a Volvo Amazon convertible next to it?
Yeah – the guy bought it that way.
Not sure what’s been done to it since.
Mom and dad had one.
The original looks pretty as a picture, but the work this one would need, would scare me off.
We’re seeing a lot of cars in similar condition these days being sold as “projects”. I’m thinking most would not be viable. In this case, the convertible is worth more than the sedan/saloon variant, but it looks like this one needs everything. The number of hours and the time involved doesn’t bear thinking about. A shame.
I owned one for three days back in the sixties and it was a lovely looking car but also about the most ponderous car that I have ever owned, so by the time you have spent lots of cash on this one you will still have a very lazy, good looking convertible that will take you forever to get to where you are going.
I have about 5 of these Sunbeam Talbots both the coupe and drop head versions. All i can say is that these cars are very well built with a lot of thought going into its manufacture.
I have been working on these cars for the past 50 years and some of them are in a partial dismantled state. Recently someone ( may be more than one person ) came into my storage building here in MN where i have them stored and started stealing parts from these cars. They took the intake and carbs and other parts from one i was doing a head gasket replacement and also took many chrome and Alumnium parts from the other sunbeam cars i had in the same building. They also took some 1948 Triumph 1800 car parts as well. The list is too long to mention here. These parts are very hard to come by and i was told that the thieves either sell them for aluminuim value or just sell them on Ebay and other sites for almost pennies on the dollar. i wish someone would be on the lookout for some of these stolen Sunbeam parts and inform me if they see them.
I also went to craigslist and found that this sunbeam ad has been deleted by the author. either he sold it ( not too sure about that ) or he got spooked about all the attention he and his car was getting on barn finds
Ty: what a shame people trespass into your property and steal parts. Would it be worthwhile to place some chainlink in places? Makes me angry to hear about the stealing, probably by tweakers looking for drug money
You can do a search on eBay for the parts you had stolen and save (press the little heart button) the search to automatically email you when new ones of that, or a similar variant are listed, which is dependent on your keywords.
I own an early 90 (1949)as best I can tell from the serial number. It is a drophead and have owned it for 30 yrs. I need a source for parts on a local basis, but have been using England when possible. What I need in the worst way is a set of seat skins that would be good enough for a pattern.
Thank you,
Tommy Mason
looks abt in same condition as me (both born date: ’52). Just wish they hada ‘top up’ pic. Me? pretty balding BUT… not
topless…
Love the RHD for over here. I’d B ‘stylin’ as I’d have shoulder & above in BLK.
Below – in Grey w/Pin Stripes (traditional blazer/grey flannels biz suit). Interior? obviosouly red …
Had I a warehouse full of collector cars and parts, I sure wouldn’t hesitate to put in cameras. I own a few “trail” cameras to mount on trees in the woods to record game movements. Seems to me that would work too. wouldn’t catch the thieves in the act, but you’ld have evidence for tracking them down and prosecuting.
As for trail cameras, they are available with wi-fi that will alert you and begin recording as soon as movement is detected, hopefully giving you some precious minutes to speed dial the local police & get the perps arrested.
Having a car or anything stolen is a traumatic event. I once had a car stolen and stripped of its most valuable parts. I can’t imagine what use someone would have for Sunbeam-Talbot parts here in the US, other than possibly ebay or craigslist. I hope you can recover at least some of them.
Greg. If you think having ONE car stolen is a traumatic event how about having TWELVE cars stolen over a period of thirty years? At least I got seven of them back in various stages of disaster but hey, “Welcome to Sunny South Africa.” Just one of the many reasons that I now live in UK.
Solosolo,
At least you had 7 of them recovered. While I’ve never had a car stolen, I have experienced 2 major lightning-induced building fires. The first in 1973 destroyed 5 cars;
1920 Packard 1/2 ton truck, 1946 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 alloy coupe, 1965 Pontiac Parisianne convertible, 1955 Packard Caribbean convertible, and the only 1956 Packard Caribbean sedan.
The second in 1995, destroyed 12 cars;
1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Hooper saloon, 1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 James Young limo, 1935 Rover type 12 Tickford drophead, 1941 Cadillac convertible, 1948 Packard Six Taxicab, 1948 Packard Super convertible, 1949 Packard Custom Convertible, 1963 Studebaker GT Hawk R-2, 1963 SAAB 850 Monte Carlo, [former SAAB team racer], 1966 Pontiac GTO w/all options, 1969 Chevy Malibu SS 396/4-speed, 1973 Triumph TR-6,