Market view
Forever in the MGB’s shadow – but many believe that the Sunbeam’s time has finally come
‘They are the most practical sports car of their era’
Is it a sports car, or a drop top with sporting pretensions? The ‘series’ Sunbeam Alpine didn’t follow the then-convention of design for a British sports car – in fact its lines were positively Statesideinfluenced courtesy of its fins, and the svelte Sunbeam made plenty of friends not just in the UK, but among the countless export markets supplied by the Rootes Group.
If the MGA and MGB were best bitter and corned beef sandwiches down at the local pub, the Alpine was more sparkling white wine and canapés at the rowing club, but interest kept the factory busy enough across its five ‘series’ and 11-year production run.
Different Series used different engines, and they grew slightly larger over the years – the Series 1-2 used a 1494cc unit, Series 3-4 a 1592cc, and the final Series 5 the much-vaunted 1725cc.
‘All Series Alpines were fine cars, being perhaps the most habitable, practical and everyday usable sports cars of their era,’ says Brightwells’ Matthew Parkin. ‘ With an excellent driving position, easy access thanks to generous door apertures and loads of space in the boot, they even managed exemplary handling thanks to their notably rigid structure. Great for everyday, about-town driving, they are still a hoot on twisty B-roads.’
Parkin says that Alpines are no longer the bargain they once were, but they can still represent good value: ‘Running restorations can be had from about £4000, but at this level they will be on the scruffy side. You would need to pay £8000 for something decent, but plenty of really nice cars have sold below £12,000, above which you should be expecting something special indeed.
‘ Values don’t vary a great deal across the different Series 1-4, condition being more important than model year, although the later Series 5 cars command a premium mainly due that terrific 1725cc engine which turned the car into a real MGB-beater.’
TA Classics’ Mark Springett believes that rarity helps the Alpine’s cause, but reviving a
scruffy example needs a decent level of dedication: ‘There are never many for sale, but when I have one it goes quickly. They aren’t as easy to restore as an MGB, though.’
The final word goes to CCA’s auction manager, Gary Dunne, who takes a positive view of Alpines: ‘ We haven’t offered many Sunbeams lately, but they are safe entry level auction classics that remain popular, as can be seen by the number of them that go through auctions in general. In the last year or two we haven’t seen a great deal of movement in their values, with sale prices generally within the £4500-£11,000 range.’