13th Apr, 2011 14:45
The Pavilion Gardens
1959 Sunbeam Rapier Series III
Estimated at £10,000 - £12,000
Lot details
Registration No: TRX 111
Chassis No: BS3002674HSOOD
Mot Expiry: March 2012
Announced at the London Motor Show of 1955, the Sunbeam Rapier was the first of a new range of Rootes cars that was soon to include the Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle. A complete departure from the Sunbeam MKIII it replaced, it was a modern-looking two-door, four-seat Coupe. Standard equipment included leather trim and overdrive and the cars were finished in a selection of attractive two-tone colour schemes. The bodies were built by Pressed Steel, shipped to coachbuilder Thrupp & Maberly in London for painting and trimming and then moved to the Rootes plant at Ryton-on-Dunsmore for final assembly. Though initially a little underpowered, the Rapier had inherently excellent handling and was quickly adopted for rallying. Indeed the launch of the Series II version took place at the end of the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally in which Peter Harper's Works Rapier had finished fifth overall. The Series III Rapier is generally regarded as the definitive version and was introduced in the September of 1959. Though individually minor, the detail tweaks to the exterior considerably altered its appearance. Inside, the newcomer featured redesigned seats and interior panels, pile carpets and a walnut fascia. The under bonnet changes included a new aluminium eight-port cylinder head, increased compression ratio, redesigned valves, sportier camshaft and new water-heated inlet manifold, which combined to increase power output to 78bhp.
The Series III Coupe offered left the line in 1959 and is Green with a Green interior. `TRX 111' was supplied new to a Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialist in Maidenhead and accumulated some 9,000 miles before being purchased by its second and most recent keeper. The former owners apparently carefully stored the Sunbeam following the arrival of a company car, using it only as a showpiece. An amazing, apparently very low mileage, time warp classic.
PLEASE NOTE: The vendor dropped off the following paperwork for this lot late on Tuesday April 12th: original owner's service book, original owner's handbook and period P.Olyslager Motor Manual for the Sunbeam Rapier Series I, II, III and IIIa.
Registration No: TRX 111
Chassis No: BS3002674HSOOD
Mot Expiry: March 2012
Announced at the London Motor Show of 1955, the Sunbeam Rapier was the first of a new range of Rootes cars that was soon to include the Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle. A complete departure from the Sunbeam MKIII it replaced, it was a modern-looking two-door, four-seat Coupe. Standard equipment included leather trim and overdrive and the cars were finished in a selection of attractive two-tone colour schemes. The bodies were built by Pressed Steel, shipped to coachbuilder Thrupp & Maberly in London for painting and trimming and then moved to the Rootes plant at Ryton-on-Dunsmore for final assembly. Though initially a little underpowered, the Rapier had inherently excellent handling and was quickly adopted for rallying. Indeed the launch of the Series II version took place at the end of the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally in which Peter Harper's Works Rapier had finished fifth overall. The Series III Rapier is generally regarded as the definitive version and was introduced in the September of 1959. Though individually minor, the detail tweaks to the exterior considerably altered its appearance. Inside, the newcomer featured redesigned seats and interior panels, pile carpets and a walnut fascia. The under bonnet changes included a new aluminium eight-port cylinder head, increased compression ratio, redesigned valves, sportier camshaft and new water-heated inlet manifold, which combined to increase power output to 78bhp.
The Series III Coupe offered left the line in 1959 and is Green with a Green interior. `TRX 111' was supplied new to a Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialist in Maidenhead and accumulated some 9,000 miles before being purchased by its second and most recent keeper. The former owners apparently carefully stored the Sunbeam following the arrival of a company car, using it only as a showpiece. An amazing, apparently very low mileage, time warp classic.
PLEASE NOTE: The vendor dropped off the following paperwork for this lot late on Tuesday April 12th: original owner's service book, original owner's handbook and period P.Olyslager Motor Manual for the Sunbeam Rapier Series I, II, III and IIIa.
Auction: The Pavilion Gardens, 13th Apr, 2011
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