A few weeks ago I wrote a story on a 1967 Sunbeam Tiger, so it seems fitting that today I have the opportunity to write about the car that the Tiger is descended from. Located in Sarasota, Florida and listed here on Craigslist is this 1963 Sunbeam Alpine. This little soft-top comes with a clean title and is priced at $5,000. A big thank you must go out to Barn Finds reader Patrick S who brought this little Alpine to our attention.
This little Alpine appears to be a Series II, which means that it was built before the end of February 1963. There are limited photos of this little car, but what we have coupled with what the seller tells us paints a fairly good picture. The seller claims that this Alpine is rust-free. That’s great news because English soft-tops of this era were renowned for their rust issues. One thing that does appear to be missing is the radiator grille, but we can always hope that it’s hiding away inside the car somewhere. The paint is claimed to be the factory paint, and that faux ’57 Chevy stripe is vinyl and can be easily removed. The seller states that there are some parts that the new owner will need to buy to finish the car off, but doesn’t elaborate on what these parts are.
The majority of the interior seems to be in usable condition, well as near as we can tell under the items that have been left sitting in there. What we can see of the seats looks fairly encouraging, while the dash and pad appear to be in good order. The door cards appear to be missing, but we can only hope that they have been hidden away somewhere in the car. There is one big-ticket item that we get no information about, and that’s the soft-top. The seller makes no mention of it, and I can’t see any sign of it. This may not be a huge issue because tops are available new and are priced between $350-$600 depending on the desired material.
If the rust-free claims weren’t good enough then it just keeps getting better. That is a brand new motor resting in pride of place. If this is a period correct engine then it will be the 1,592cc engine pumping out 80hp. It may not sound like much, but in a light car like this, it could propel the Alpine from 0-60mph in 13.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 98mph. The seller states that the Sunbeam runs and drives, but doesn’t indicate how well items such as the transmission or brakes operate.
If this little Sunbeam is as solid as the seller claims then it sits in about the right price bracket for a project grade car. The car has a couple of important positive attributes that would potentially make it more desirable than some other project cars. If it is rust-free then that coupled with the new engine gives the new owner a head-start to building a great little car. This is the right time to buy a little car like the Alpine. Just think, spend the upcoming Winter in the shed tinkering away so that as soon as Summer arrives you can hit the road and enjoy the glorious sunshine.
Although a better picture would be nice, the side graphics adds a bit of whimsy to this little soft top. It may not be something I would leave after a restore effort but, it would be fun while you drive until then.
I would like to see a full-on side shot with the 57 Chevy graphics. If it looks halfway decent, I would keep that on the car until the very end of the restoration. Whimsical for sure.
These are nice cars to drive – more of a sporting intention than an outright sports car.
Hopefully, the car really is rust-free, as the seller claims. Is that possible in Florida?
I think the early one had a multi bar grill and this one had a single chrome strip across the opening as did the tiger and the mk II tiger had a ice cube tray grille.
i think. this engine was 3 main bearings and the 1725 had 5 mains…65 on i think
Also came with a emergency crank that WORKED…i used to start my 61 frequently with the crank . The tiger even had the clamps in the trunk for the crank and the hole in the front where it would be inserted. The v8 did not have alignment or the adapter on the pulley for the crank engagement.
Appears to be a nice little car! Would be nice to see the side against the wall tho! I really like the Tiger the best tho! Driving a Tiger has been on my bucket list for a long time!
Driving the Tiger is a White Knuckle experience. Nose heavy and overpowered, not a good balance. This non Tiger should drive better.
The later body style with the small fins is prettier. An LS swap would cure the nose heavy issue but lose the period correct aspect.
Not a bad deal if it is what he says it is. I really dig that car.
The guy who was Alaska SCC president for several years had the next version with the trimmed fins and somewhat stronger engine, but what was notable was how he cleaned up in ice racing. Studded tires of any sort were strictly forbidden under our rules, which turned out to mean that bags of power and stiff suspension were counter-productive; the Alpine’s relatively high CG and softer springing allowed the kind of downward weight transfer onto the outboard wheels that most sports cars of the day just didn’t have, and the gentler power delivery helped as well.
Yeah, I prefer the later Alpines too, but they’re all really sweet cars. Floorpan came from the short-wheelbase 2-door Hillman Husky wagon, also a nice little car – I have had three of those, but never an Alpine. I think this might be priced a bit high for its needs, but if it were in the neighborhood I’d sure go look.
I remember back in the ’60’s, all the glitz was focused on the Tiger. We rarely saw Alpines, and if we did, we were disappointed and would think, “what’s wrong with that guy”?Fact was, and still is, the Alpine was a better car. Almost nicer than a TR4. The poor Alpine had to live in the shadow of the Tiger, when it should have been t’other way ’round. Much more user friendly.