Buying Guide

Sunbeam Rapier

‘The sporty Rapier was a successful rally car and market trendsetter’

This year marks 65 years since the launch of the Sunbeam Rapier at the 1955 Earls Court Motor Show, a car that was also sold in Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle forms within a year. As a result, most of the advice here also applies to any of these Rootes Group ‘Audax’ models. While the Rapier came in pillarless two-door saloon and convertible forms only, the Gazelle and Minx were also offered in convertible, four-door saloon and five-door estate guises.

The Rapier was the sporty option; by 1959 it was a market trendsetter and successful rally car. In all, nearly 69,000 Series Rapiers were built, about half of which were the acclaimed Series III and IIIA (1959-63).

The Rapier Series I was launched in 1955 in two-door saloon form with twotone paint and a 62bhp 1390cc engine (initially with just a single carburettor), driving the rear wheels via a four-speed column-change gearbox; the change moved to the floor in late 1956.

The Rapier was sold as a luxury car with full instrumentation, two-speed wipers, leather trim and optional overdrive. Three years on, the Series II brought a convertible to the range, a bigger engine (now a 68bhp 1494cc unit) and better steering. A new body design brought more exterior brightwork and rear fins, plus piped-edge or dual-colour vinyl interiors. The convertible had a three-position hood with an unzippable rear window. The 1959-on Series III brought an extra 5bhp courtesy of an aluminium cylinder head, closer-ratio gearbox and front disc brakes (a first for any production car in its sector), a walnut veneer dash and a deeper windscreen. The 1961-on Series IIIA featured an 80bhp 1592cc engine, plus a hypoid rear axle in place of the previous spiral bevel unit. While the Series IV of late 1963 had the same drivetrain, a facelift brought 13-inch wheels in place of the previous 15inch items, redesigned front grilles, a lower bonnet line, plus adjustment for the steering column and front seat back rests. The convertible was discontinued in June 1963.

The final flourish came in 1965 with the Rapier Series V. This sported a 91bhp fivebearing 1725cc engine capable of 95mph, and while there were no styling changes, the electrical system switched to negative earth and an alternator replaced the dynamo. The Series Rapier was succeeded by the Rapier Fastback in 1967, built on the new ‘Arrow’ platform.