1959-68 SUNBEAM ALPiNE

an excellent rootes sports car With some of Britain’s Biggest tail fins

Rootes gave its Audax cars mini fins in ’56, but it was the 1959-on Sunbeam Alpine that marked the firm’s greatest tail embellishments. It’s also a good excuse to put this much-underrated sports car in the spotlight.

Do we care that it used lots of parts from the Rapier saloon and the floorpan from the, er, Hillman Husky? Not at all. The Alpine was superbly built, handled well and looked great. Fin fans loved the top-tipped rear styling, which wasn’t tamed until the Series IV models of 1964, by which time the engine had been increased in size from 1494cc to 1592cc. Later MkV models had a 1725cc engine.