Lot Ended
Description
1956 Sunbeam MkIII Supreme
Fabulous
example with just 19,000 miles from new; desirable floor change; overdrive; on
the Post-War VSCC eligibility list; desirable sports saloon
Launched in 1948, the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 was a sporting car built by
the Rootes Group in Ryton, Coventry and was the last car to bear the
Sunbeam-Talbot name.
The body was completely new and available as a
four-door saloon or two-door drophead coupé. The saloon featured a ‘pillarless’
join between the glass on the rear door and the rear quarter window and went
through three versions before production stopped in 1956.
From 1954, they
dropped the double-barrel name and simply became the Sunbeam Mk III, although
the badge on the front refered to them as Sunbeam Supreme. Power was up to 80bhp
and the cars were good for 94mph - well into sports car territory. They were
were very successful in International Rallies, driven by Shelia Van Damm amongst
others.
RXK 97 must be one of the best preserved, lowest mileage examples
of these desirable, under-rated and under-valued sports saloons. Dating from
1956 ,the last year of production, this matching numbers car belonged from new
to 3 generations of the same well-to-do family on the Island of Jersey. The
island is only 9 miles long and the car was there for 61 years, hence the
astoundingly low mileage. The mileage showing of 19,195 is warranted genuine,
and has been confirmed to the vendor by a friend of the family who lives on
Jersey and knows them and the car. It is also supported by various items of
Jersey paperwork included with the car.
Purchased direct from Rootes Piccadilly showroom in April 1956 by a
lady named Tottie Cooper, it was sold under the Home Delivery Export Scheme
whereby if exported within a given period a car could be bought free of all
purchase tax.
Accordingly, the car was registered in London with the
number RXK 97,which was soon replaced by the Jersey number J 15815, which it
carried until reimported to the UK in 2017......luckily it proved possible to
get the DVLA to reinstate the original London RXK 97 number.
By the early
1970s the mileage had increased to around 17,000, at which point the car
was retired from daily use , dry stored on the family's estate for most of the
time and just brought out occasionally. From around 1993 it was fully stored
until repatriation.
The car was thoroughly recommissioned during 2018/19,
when the following work was carried out: a top-end engine rebuild to deal with low compression due to
sticking valves, replacement of all hoses, water pump and radiator, overhaul of
fuel, ignition and charging systems including a new fuel tank, battery and
exhaust. All filters and fluids were replaced and the braking system was renewed
. Four new radial-ply tyres were fitted, but the original 1956 spare remains in
the under boot tray. Bumpers etc were rechromed and the carpets renewed, but
otherwise the interior remains fully original and shows a delightful patina,
with a fully working and non-leaking sun-roof fitted.
The
recommissioning also included replacing the original (and rather vague) column
change gearbox with a later Rootes all synchro overdrive box with the desirable
floor change conversion, a very common and desirable modification on these cars.
However, the original gearbox and change mechanism are with the car and could be
reinstated if desired.
As the car has the 3.9:1 ratio rear axle,
overdrive provides a delightfully long-legged and economical cruising gait at
full motorway speeds. In everyday motoring the car is brisk enough to keep up
well with modern traffic. Also with the car is the original EKCO radio and
powerpack, the ashtray displaced by the floor-change and the blanking plate from
where the (originally optional) rev-counter is now installed. The outer
Rimbellisher wheeltrims had been mislaid, so the vendor has managed to secure a
set, again with the car. A Rootes Archive Heritage Certificate detailing the
car's manufacture is also included.
All locks, controls and gauges work properly, although the fuel
gauge is erratic, and the clock, like almost all classic car clocks, is
recalcitrant. An excellent heater is present and unusually for a 1950s saloon,
the car does not overheat. Also present is the original "Tudor" vacuum
operated screenwasher system. The correct tools and starting handle are still
fitted in the tray on the inside of the boot-lid. Both chassis and bodywork are
in top condition with excellent shut-lines and paint, the car being finished in
its original colours, with some of the paintwork believed to be original. Even
the 1956 "overseas visitor" sticker remains in the windscreen!
The vendor
tells us that out on the open road, this Sunbeam motors really well, covering the
ground effortlessly and giving mpg in the high 20s. It feels taut and is
completely rattle-free as befits a car with such low mileage and which has never
been restored or taken apart. It is also always an instant starter both hot and
from cold.
These charming and compact 1950s saloons are on the recent
list of post-war sporting cars that are now eligible for VSCC membership and
competition, an added bonus. RXK97
was driven more than 170 miles to the sale with no problems (possibly its
longest journey since delivery new?) and is only now reluctantly for sale due to
the vendor's loss of garaging space. This gives a lucky purchaser a rare
opportunity to buy at a moderate figure a true "timewarp" car in top condition,
possibly the best example of this Monte Carlo rally-winning model currently
available and probably the lowest mileage example in existance.
For
more information - contact matthew.parkin@brightwells.com
* All charges are subject to VAT