Cars of Coolhaven

In Newcastle, we have a few hours to kill before our ferry departs for IJmuiden. Having been in Newcastle before, I am preparing for a coffee shop, a book, and that’s it. This city isn’t really high on my scale of lovable, charming cities . So imagine my surprise when I run into this charming little beauty of a Sunbeam! And… on a rainy day In the Netherlands, you don’t spot that many Sunbeam cars. Well, to be exact, I have spotted one of them before. Undoubtedly there are some of them driving around, but it is safe to conclude that they are a rare find.

Now is this looker, or what?! I love the headlights, the position of the mirrors, the overall look and feel of the sporty little rust bucket. The roof of this convertible is a bit shot, otherwise this mid-sixties car looks quite good. The original Alpine was launched in 1953 as the first vehicle to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1920 merger of Sunbeam, Talbot, and Darracq. The car was derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Saloon, and has since become colloquially known as the “Talbot” Alpine. It was a two-seater sports roadster which was initially developed by Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth, as a one-off rally car that had its beginnings as a 1952 Sunbeam-Talbot drophead coupé. It was named supposedly by Norman Garrad, (works Competition Department) who was heavily involved in the Sunbeam-Talbot successes in the Alpine Rally in the early 1950s using the saloon models.

Kenneth Howes and Jeff Crompton were tasked with doing a complete redesign in 1956, with the goal of producing a dedicated sports car aimed principally at the US market. The Alpine was produced in four subsequent revisions through to 1968. Total production numbered around 70,000. Production stopped shortly after the Chrysler take over of the Rootes Group. Some 12,400 Mk IV Alpine’s were made.