1926 Sunbeam 20.9 Coachbuilt Saloon

Lot details
Registration No: KA 5371
Chassis No: 2024G
Mot Expiry: Exempt

- Timewarp car that belonged to its first owner, Malcolm Rollo Esq., from 1926 - 1964 and has had just four keepers since

- Engine overhauled during the 1990s with assistance from marque specialist Bill Barrott and wings refurbished that same decade

- Interior little changed since the car left the factory

- Said to 'run lovely on the road with lively performance combined with a decent four wheel braking system'

The 1920s witnessed Sunbeam win the French and Spanish Grand Prixs, finish second at Le Mans, set numerous Land Speed Records and cause Henry Royce consternation regarding the quality and refinement of its products. Introduced in 1926, the 20.9hp was powered by a 2916cc OHV straight-six engine allied to four-speed manual transmission. Reputedly capable of over 70mph (coachwork permitting), the newcomer shared numerous drivetrain components with its glamorous 3-Litre Super Sports sibling. Available in Tourer, Fixed Head Coupe, Folding Head Coupe, Coachbuilt Saloon, Weymann Saloon and Rally Weymann Saloon guises, some 2,560 20.9hp cars are thought to have been made before the model was revised for 1931. Though, today survivors are comparatively few and far between. Contemporary Sunbeam brochures reveal that the 20.9hp Coachbuilt Saloon was priced at a hefty £895 and could be ordered in `Claret, Dark Smoke Blue or Dark Blue' over Black and with `cloth or best quality English leather of suitable colour to match the paintwork'.

According to its accompanying paperwork, this handsome 20.9hp Coachbuilt Saloon has had just five owners from new (the first of whom, Malcolm Rollo Esq. of Rochford House, Tenbury kept it until 1964). Treated to a degree of restoration work during the 1990s including an engine overhaul and refurbished wings, the Sunbeam is described by the vendor as being in `good' (paintwork, electrical equipment) or `very good' (engine, gearbox, bodywork, interior trim) condition. He goes on to say: `This car is a genuine timewarp. It runs lovely on the road with lively performance and a decent four-wheel braking system. The interior is virtually as it left the factory. Recent new tyres. We are only parting with her due to downsizing our collection. She comes with a history file including many letters, old MOTs, buff logbook, V5C Registration Document and a workshop manual'.