British sports cars from the 1950s and 1960s generally followed a simple recipe. The majority of those classics didn’t possess high horsepower engines, but they made up for this shortfall by being light and nimble. The Sunbeam Alpine is a perfect example of this philosophy, and if the photos and listing are an accurate indication, getting this 1961 example back on the road should be a relatively straightforward assignment. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder MattR for referring the Alpine to us. It is located in Canby, Oregon, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. All you need to do is hand the owner $7,500, and this Sunbeam could be yours.
The Alpine was produced by the Rootes Group and marked a significant philosophical change for the company. Their bread-and-butter offerings had predominantly consisted of staid and conservatives sedans. The Alpine represented the company’s attempt to lure customers away from the sports cars offered by the likes of Triumph and MG. They achieved some success in this aim and were able to sell around 12,000 vehicles in 1961 alone. This vehicle is finished in Carnival Red, and while it isn’t perfect, it would seem to represent a relatively straightforward cosmetic restoration. There is a dent in the passenger side rear quarter panel. This is adjacent to the tail-light and will require a repair and a repaint. The rest of the panels seem to be straight, with no significant dings or dents. The owner supplies some limited photos of the floors and frame, and these appear to be free of anything beyond some light surface corrosion. The hardtop that you see fitted to the Sunbeam is not included in the sale, but there is the option to purchase this separately. There is a convertible top, but it is said to be in a sad state of repair. Replacement tops can be found, and prices vary between $430 and $650, depending on the choice of material. The glass looks to be in good condition, but some of the external trim and chrome would benefit from a trip to the plater.
As stated earlier, the Alpine was designed and built along the same lines as vehicles offered by its competitors. That meant relatively small motors with modest power outputs. In this case, we find a 1,592cc 4-cylinder engine, fed by a pair of Zenith downdraft carburetors. This engine produces 86hp, which finds its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. It doesn’t matter how you look at it, that isn’t a lot of power to play with. However, with a total vehicle weight of a mere 2,000lbs, it didn’t have to shift much mass. This Alpine appears to be mechanically complete, and it seems to be original. The engine can be coaxed into life, but it only runs for a short period before it stalls. The car has been sitting for 4-years, so it would benefit from a complete fuel system clean, along with a thorough mechanical check. The beauty of classics like this is that their engineering tends to be elegantly simple. That makes them ideal candidates for enthusiasts to tackle themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few weekends in a home workshop had the Sunbeam singing and roadworthy once again.
This Sunbeam has one little character trait that some people might have some issues getting used to. Someone has stuck the steering wheel on the wrong side! There is no doubt that this will be a bone of contention for some people, but it need not be. Even if you’ve never driven a “right-hooker” before, adapting to the change is surprisingly easy. I will admit that there will be the occasional early moment when you go to shift gears and accidentally wind down the window. However, that will soon pass. The interior of the Alpine is serviceable, and I think it would look acceptable with a deep clean. The seats could use new covers at some point, and these are easy to find for about $450 a set. If you wanted to make the interior sparkle, a full upholstery set would add around $325, while a carpet set would cost $365. The dash looks good and should need nothing.
A Sunbeam Alpine is not going to be a big-ticket item if it finds its way across the auction blocks. You can find tidy examples for around $14,000, but they run out of steam before you get to $25,000. You get the occasional exception, but that is the general rule. These are an ideal classic to tackle in a home workshop, and this one would seem to represent a straightforward project. When you consider the potential values that I’ve quoted, and when you consider the work that is required, this looks like it has the potential to be a good buy at the asking price. It is certainly worth a closer look.
Me thinks he’s gonna end up adding the hardtop to the deal to sell this. this looks like a 20 footer paint wise. If you’re thinking of buying this, think about losing those Zenith carbs and getting a single Solex or Webber. Nice to see original three eared gas cap and dog dish hubcaps.
Trying to pull out into oncoming lane to pass a box truck can be extremely dangerous in a rhd car.
I have driven LHD cars in South Africa, a RHD country, with no problems whatever. All you have to do is be patient and careful. When I came to USA in 1989 I drove LHD cars on the “wrong” side of the road to me, and also had no problems until turning left, on my first day in America, from a red light and wanting to go straight into oncoming traffic. You very soon get used to doing it correctly.
Fortunately, its highly unlikely that you would be passing anything. We had one of these “back in the day” that we tried to turn into an SCCA weekend racer. Bugeyes would blow it off with little effort. Sportscar Graphic Magazine tried tuning one — It responded best to having a “smaller” exhaust pipe that provided better exhaust gas scavenging. Every little bit helped.
But it still retains the classic sportscar look. Its nice to see one that is mostly complete.
Now THIS is a significant find. First year for these, and IMHO the best looking. By `64 the Tiger had Ford’s 260V8, which made these run! But this Appears solid, and well worth the expense to restore. Those fins are classic!!
A little show biz trivia…
On the TV show, “Get Smart”, Agent 86 drove a similar Sunbeam Tiger.
In “Butterfield 8”, Liz Taylor drove an identical Sunbeam Alpine..
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I always liked this “Get Smart” predecessor. I always look at the engineering ideas which is what really makes cars different and have different characteristics.
This car does not have a rack & pinion like you might expect. On these cars, the steering drag link is up and behind the engine (on top of the firewall). You can sort of see the pitman arm (lever, steering link, pivot arm, or whatever you want to call it) on the left side of the engine. It pivots in the center. The front of it connects to the spindle.The back end of the pivot arm connect to the drag link and a similar arm on the right side of the car. The right side in this case connects to the steering box but still has the pivot as well. I’m not sure how to re-engineer the steering to get a Coyote in there.
I just spotted the “Get Smart” Tiger, on a precious Barn Finds.
https://barnfinds.com/big-motor-little-car-1965-sunbeam-tiger/?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter+(Daily)
Previous. Not precious. LOL!!
Yes, indeed. I’ve had some right hand drive Bentleys and it takes some getting used to so one has to go carefully until your perspective adjusts.
I’d buy this in a minute, and i agree with the Weber carbs, but I have no room. They are fun cars, elegant design, easy to park and maintain. And it’s a roadster. What’s not to like?
This is actually a Series II Alpine, which is probably a good thing. The SI had a 1494cc motor, which was prone to problems and there were a number of improvements incorporated into the SII cars, including the larger 1592 engine. The fact that the car doesn’t stay running is may just be the result of paint flakes clogging the fuel line or fuel pump, a relatively simple fix, at least in the short term. The long term repair is to clean and coat the fuel tank. As for the right hand drive, it isn’t a terrible conversation to move the steering wheel and all needed parts should be readily available. You might even be able to trade with someone in the UK, since a lot of rust-free US cars make the trip back home.
As @Junkman noted, the price seems a little high for a car in need of work, although it would probably be a good deal with the hardtop included. As long as it is as solid as it looks in the photos, it would be a great entry into the marque. The Alpine community is very welcoming and provides great support for anyone who wants to keep their car on the road, whether that is as a totally stock example or via a more modern drivetrain. See: http://sunbeamalpine.org/
AND…James Bond’s car in “Dr. No!”
That’s right! Before his Aston Martin.
A bit of regional esoterica: Given the right driver, these were all but unbeatable in Alaska SCC ice-racing events. Most sports cars at the time (Sixties, we’re talking) were low-slung and stiffly sprung, which is not the recipe for good behavior on ice. ASCC rules also outlawed any tire chains or studs. The Alpines, with a relatively high CG and softer springing, would lean in bends even on ice, allowing the car to drive around instead of sliding so long as the driver knew how. One of the club’s best drivers had a well-tuned and fettled Alpine that NEVER went into the snowbanks, except on purpose to avoid an accident.
One thing to watch out for – The Clutch slave cylinder and master cylinder should be carefully inspected, along with the brakes. Brake fluid attracts moisture, and cars that have sat for long periods of time tend to have internal corrosion in the brake ( And hydraulic clutch ) systems. A slave cylinder failure can easily cost you a complete overhaul of the transmission, which was expensive even in the sixties. ( Personal experience ! ) Don’t even think of putting wire wheels on – they may look sporty, but are a pain to maintain, and if you drive at all hard, they will probably need to be “trued” annually.
I had a LHD ’63 back in ’68 and it used equal parts of oil and gas and had trouble keeping up on the interstate. Nonetheless, I loved the car.
I purchased a year-old Alpine in 1966. I traded in a year-old Alpine in 1966. In the 2 1/2 months that I owned this gem, the synchronizers stopped synchronizing, the heater switch stopped working, a windshield clamp for the roof fell off and the Prince-of-darkness Lucas electrical items were occasionally AWOL(the generator died, for instance) It was great fun to drive when it was working, but those times were all too rare. I learned the hard way that British cars are crap and no British cars I’ve seen since then have been able to prove me wrong.
Well Bernie, you started pretty well near the bottom by buying a Sunbeam of that era as most British cars were crap around that time. They were all cheap and cheerful, badly built etc. because of the Unions and fighting between the manufacturers, however, since those days they have improved immensely. I have owned more than one hundred Brit cars over the last 40 years and haven’t been dissapointed with any of them.
Not one has disappointed you? I had started a reply that, I admit, wasn’t at all pleasant, but I decided to take the high road. I’ll just say thank you for your opinion and just keep driving those crown jewels of which you speak.
This car was involved in a minor rear end collision, right taillight assembly is broken and the fender pushed in, the area around the trunk latch is damaged, as well as the bumper. Front bumper is too high, should be below the turn signal lights [probably why the left lens cannot be installed].
That said, this appears to be a solid car, however being a RHD it’s gonna be a very difficult sale here in the USA. Nice example of the early “high fin” Alpine. This might sell back to the UK, as it appears to be a solid rust free example. And if it did come out of the UK, there will be NO import tax to bring it back into the UK.
Good ol’ eagle eye McCoskey. Great job, Bill.