1957 Sunbeam MKIII
Warranted 18,000 miles from new

Registration No: RXK 97
Chassis No: A35042389RSO
MOT: Exempt

Motor Car Location: Henley-on-Thames

• Supplied new to Mrs Tottie Cooper of La Haute, Jersey and retained by her family on the island until 2017
• Off the road from 1994 to 2019 having seen sporadic use during the previous decades
• Extensively and sympathetically recommissioned including a partial engine overhaul, bare metal repaint to the lower half, new carpets and rejuvenated brightwork etc
• The lowest mileage and most original Sunbeam MKIII we have had the pleasure of offering - go find another!

H&H are indebted to the vendor for the following description:

"Although the Sunbeam had been used more recently by the Cooper family than its similarly liveried Bentley R-Type stablemate, a compression test on the engine was less satisfactory. Partially dismantled, the four-cylinder unit had its valves re-seated and top compression rings only replaced (two were partially seized in grooves).

Otherwise, recommissioning included replacement of all hoses; overhaul of fuel, ignition, braking and charging systems; changing all fluids and filters; installing an aluminium fuel tank: fitting 4 new tyres, new battery; re-chroming bumpers, over-riders; replacing hub caps.

The interior retains its original leather upholstery but now sports fresh carpets. A bare metal repaint was carried out to the lower half.

The car drives well with all gauges indicating correctly. The Sunbeam and the Bentley make for a fine pair and have not been apart from one another since the MKIII was delivered new to the Cooper family in 1957!"

Vendor Condition Ratings:

Bodywork: 'Very Good'
Engine: 'Excellent'
Electrical Equipment: 'Excellent'
Paintwork: 'Very Good'
Gearbox: 'Very Good'
Interior Trim: 'Very Good'

Model Background:

Launched in July 1948, the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 was essentially a reworking of the company's pre-war 2-litre chassis design. However, the newcomer's adoption of overhead valve gear leant it a surprising turn of speed. Quick to capitalise, the Rootes competition department hastened the model's development. Thus, the 90 MKII of 1950 boasted not only a new chassis with independent front suspension but also a capacity increase to 2267cc. By the time the Sunbeam MKIII arrived four years later (Talbot badging had since been dropped), power and torque were up to 80bhp and 122lbft respectively. In combination with a column-mounted four-speed gearbox, this resulted in a 95mph top speed and spirited acceleration (attributes that came to the fore when a MKIII won the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally outright).