1953 Sunbeam Alpine Mk 1 -Bring A Trailer Preview SOLD
This 1953 Sunbeam Alpine is one of 801 left-hand-drive Mk I examples built between 1953 and 1954, and it is said to have been purchased around 2010 as a project car in Florida and then imported to British Columbia, Canada. The car was then sold to an Alberta resident who oversaw a refurbishment from 2015 and 2020 prior to selling the car in 2022 to a friend, who is the current owner. Refinished in red over tan upholstery, the vehicle is powered by a 2.3-liter inline-four linked to a four-speed manual transmission. Features include body-color 16″ steel wheels, chrome hubcaps, a canvas convertible top, a heater, lap belts, a Stromberg carburetor, and an electric fuel pump. This Alpine is now offered in Canada by the seller on behalf of the owner with a binder of refurbishment records and photos, a jack, a leather hood strap, a racing roundel, a wicker picnic basket, and Alberta registration in the name of the current owner.
Based on the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 sedan and introduced in March 1953, the Alpine roadster was designed as a rally special and was hand-built by London coachbuilding firm Thrupp & Maberly. The model’s name was a nod to Sunbeam-Talbot’s successes in the Alpine Rally, which it built upon with four Coupes des Alpes entrants and a Coupe des Dames in the 1953 rendition of the event.
The bodywork was refinished under previous ownership and is believed to have been painted in stages, resulting in the rear fenders and cowl appearing to be a lighter shade of red than the other body panels; the seller discusses this and other imperfections in detail in the video shared below. The car has a chrome grille, trim, and bumpers with front and rear overriders. Additional equipment includes dual side mirrors, a louvered hood, and a single exhaust outlet. A paint chip is noted on the lower portion of the driver-side door.
Red-finished 16″ steel wheels wear chrome covers and are mounted with 185R16 Coker Classic whitewall tires. A spare tire located in a storage compartment below the trunk is accessed behind the license plate. Suspension consists of independent coil springs up front, semi-elliptic leaf springs out back, a front torsion bar, a rear transverse stabilizer, and Armstrong lever-type shocks at all four corners. Stopping is accomplished via hydraulically actuated twin leading-shoe finned drum brakes.
The tan canvas convertible top has a zippered plastic window. The soft top is missing the last two fasteners on the right-hand side, and the seller notes that the top is difficult to secure and may require stretching to fit correctly.
The cabin features low-back bucket seats upholstered in tan vinyl that extends to the door panels and encircles the cabin along the dashboard top, door caps, and the leading edge of the rear cowl. Color-coordinated carpeting lines the floors, and the metal dashboard is painted to match the exterior. Additional features include a heater, a locking glovebox, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a passenger-side grab handle, a center armrest, door-panel pockets, lap belts, and rubber doorsill coverings.
The banjo-style steering wheel features a Bakelite rim that shows signs of cracking. Instrumentation includes an arched 120-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature, amperage, and oil pressure. A 6k-rpm tachometer is stationed on the underside of the dash. The five-digit odometer shows 51k miles.
The 2,267cc inline-four features three main bearings, overhead valves, an alloy valve cover, and a single downdraft Stromberg carburetor. An electric fuel pump has been installed, and the seller notes that the engine shows signs of leaking at multiple points. An oil service and an adjustment to the gear linkage was performed in preparation for the sale.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a floor-shifted four-speed manual transmission with clutch-pedal chain linkage.
A collection of refurbishment photos will accompany the vehicle.
The vehicle is being sold on its Alberta registration, which serves as the ownership document in Alberta, Canada.
LAWRENCE ROMANOSKY
Phone: 403-607-8625
Email: Lromanosky@me.com
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