For every make and model you come across – no matter how obscure – there is someone who loves it to pieces. They have restored it or otherwise preserved it, and tracked down all of the rare parts needed to keep it on the road. We may only see one of those examples every decade or so, but when you do, it’s hard not to appreciate the level of effort involved in preserving it. Today’s example is an exceedingly rare 1969 Sunbeam Alpine GT, a car of which only a handful can exist still in the U.S. Find this incredibly well preserved example here on eBay that comes with a bevy of spare parts.
The car is currently bid to $1,026 with no reserve. The Alpine GT is known as a Rapier in Europe, and bears a striking resemblance to the Plymouth Barracuda. Of course, unlike the Barracuda, if someone drops a brick on that rear glass, you will be hard up to find a replacement. This very same car has turned up in the past based on this older listing from Bring A Trailer before it became an auction site. While there is a key difference in that the car had black rockers in the BaT listing and painted lower body panels here, both cars bear old-school Oregon license plate, so it seems likely that it’s the same car.
The seller claims he bought this Alpine GT from the estate of the second owner, who apparently owned it for 50 years. That would make me curious if the car didn’t sell in 2013, and remained with that caretaker even after the original listing on BaT. Regardless, you can tell that whoever the caretaker was, they loved this Alpine. Photos in the listing not only show an impeccably preserved interior with wood trim that is either a replacement panel or has somehow survived the test of time. And by the way, for an obscure, low-volume model in the U.S., what a cockpit!
The Alpine GT was not a huge success in the U.S. or anywhere for that matter, despite some decent test data from when it was new. At the time, it delivered a fairly sporting ride, with 94 horsepower on tap and a 0-60 sprint of a little over 12 seconds. Top speed was just shy of 100 miles per hour, and thanks to an oversized fuel tank, it also returned decent MPGs. The photos for this listing should inspire confidence that you’re buying a little known model that is likely near-extinct in terms of parts support from the right seller, as it seems like it comes with a lifetime of spares. Cars like these have a limited pool of buyers, but for the people that want one, there’s little doubt this is the example to go for.
I always thought it unfair to compare this to the Barracuda, the Barracuda was a gussied up Valiant, the Sunbeams were actually very nice, higher end cars. I don’t think the dash is wood, some Di-Noc(?) covering, but older Sunbeams I believe did have a wood dash, it still looks sharp. I actually remember a few of these, and thought it so odd it wasn’t a Tiger, our only association with Sunbeams at the time. The authors initial statement is true, for everything imaginable, someone might collect it. This is the way to do it with the parts, however, again, 143 viewers, but 2 bids, going up in $5 increments, so at least 2 people still want it. Great find, I’d love to have it.
But… The Barracuda could be had with V8s
Howard. The dashboard cracking reminds me of the same situation on the Lotus Elans of late 60’s. I had a couple and they looked just like this. They were wood but whatever they used for the laminate was ‘typical British’. The earlier Elans had full wood dashes but no laminate, hence no cracking!
It was called French Polishing where they would lay many coats of clear lacure over the timber, eventually it would start to peal
I believe Sunbeam was under the Chrysler umbrella in 1969, so maybe that’s where it got the Barracuda influence. I like the looks anyway. I wonder if it would be possible to have that 4-banger replaced with a small-block V8? Make it a fixed head Tiger. On the other hand it would be more valuable if kept original….
These are pretty neat cars, but I’m curious to hear how the ”oversized fuel tank” can impact the MPG? If anything, carrying more fuel equals more weight which would hurt the MPG, no?
Ha! Good catch, I wondered that too. Apparently, the car has an 18.1 gal. tank, but has nothing to do with the mileage, which at about 22mpg, and wasn’t outstanding. What they were going for was range, not MPG. Oddly, one of the few cars I read that did NOT offer the O/D and would have helped mileage considerably.
Beyfon – ‘Perception= reality’ when the tank size increases and the driver does not know how to figure mpg. The equation only explodes when they run out of gas or read an auto review.
The car is in beautiful shape, but it’s a trailer Queen. If I owned I’d be scared to drive it these daze with everyone looking at their phones while driving.
Would love to have this in the stable. Would look good next to the Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger that I currently have. This one is a gem! Wrong coast but if purchased for the right money I could be a player.
This one even has the dealer plate on the trunk!!
For what it’s worth: this is not a GT. The GT had the same 1725 cc engine but with an aluminum head, twin stromberg carbs, and an aluminum finned oil pan. It was rated at 95 HP, while the Alpine had 75 HP.
Not to take anything away from this car as it is a fine example. One very similar to this one sold on BAT a few years ago for around $10K.
I spent a year restoring a 1969 GT. Got to be on a first-name basis with a Rootes supplier in Brighton! Person who bought it had one when he was young: he had it shipped to London. I think it is still on the internet as an example.
BTW: the dash was solid wood with a walnut veneer. The B pillar had a small chrome “GT. “
My mom had one of these whe. I was 17
It was a fun little car but repairs and trying to find any parts sucked
That’s a standard Alpine Coupe. The GT version had the hotter twin carbed 94hp engine. It would have a GT emblem instead of the Sunbeam crest on the vinyl panel between the rear passenger window and the rear 1/4 glass. I have 2 GT’s and they are a fun little bomb around car. Especially when people pull up from behind and your can see them mouth Sunbeam? Isn’t that a toaster.
Same car. They really did some decluttering. Looks much nicer. Same Bales Motors plaque. Southern Indiana dealer across from Louisville. Not sure if they’re still around.
Never understood why these weren’t more of a success in the states. I remember in the early-mid 70s a high school friend’s family had a well used one as a 2nd car / grocery getter. It was several years old by then and had it’s share of “bailing wire and masking tape” fixes but I still thought it was great (of course at 15/16 I thought access to any car was great).. spent much time in it and thought the wood dash gave it style… I think owning this today would be a bit of a challenge… as I doubt one could just log on to Rock Auto and get parts…
On what planet does a larger fuel tank give more miles per gallon?
Tiger Tom had one of these that he put a Mazda rotary engine in it and drag raced it. It was knownas the Roto Rooter.
I doubt it’s the same car as was on BaT. Too many differences – rockers, chrome wheel arch trim, side reflectors, wiper panel etc. This one has the bottom-spec Alpine trim with plain hubcaps, the BaT one has the much more desirable top-spec Rapier trim with detailed hubcaps. Even if restored, I’d be surprised if it was de-specced.
I had a Alpine Series 1 roadster at the end of my college years. Rented a Rapier once on a trip to Ireland. I wonder at the advisability of the trailer hitch…with all those 94 horses on tap, you can’t be pulling that much behnd you.
This. It was here and had a white top. Every one of these I’ve ever seen had the sunburst/turbine style wheelcovers except this one.
https://barnfinds.com/two-owners-since-new-1969-sunbeam-alpine-gt/
Wow, I am in the Bay area and am waffling about jumping on a jet to Portland. This needs to go to a good home,
Chrysler bought the Rootes Group starting in 64 and by 67 owned it all. It only took them a few years to completely kill it.
These Alpines had very little in common with the earlier Alpines.
They had a terrible reputation at time for reliability. They were British cars with American styling.
SOLD for $6,200.
19 bids.