Paula's Place

Paula's Place

Sunday 10 March 2013

I'm in Love

Sunbeam Talbot Alpine
007's Alpin
The other night we watched one of our favorite films, "To Catch a Thief" as well as a couple of excellent stars in Carry Grant and Grace Kelly there are also lovely outfits by Edith Head; add all that to a good story well told and what more could you want.   That is a view I think most people would share, but for one or two of us there is an added attraction.   A rare cinematic outing for one of my favorite cars, the original Sunbeam Alpine, or more accurately the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine.   This is a special coach built version of the Sunbeam Talbot 90 sports saloon, and the first to bear the Alpine name commemorating success in the Alpine Rally

This is a very different car to one used by James Bond in Dr No. that was the Sunbeam Alpine based on the Audax or Hillman Minx floor pan.   Still a very good and under rated car and one of the prime British sports cars of the 1960s.

You may gather I am a bit of an "anorak" on these cars, if I was to do Mastermind I think my specialist round could be on Rootes Group car of the 1960s and seventies.   My Father worked for the firm and always had one of their products, later when he started to  get Company Cars provided he had a lot of Sunbeam Rapiers, the fast back sports saloon based on the Hillman Hunter .

H120 Rapier
As a bit of a fan I have had several Rootes Group cars, including a couple of Humber Scepters, Several sundry Hillmans including at least 2 Avengers, a few Imps and my first car a 1965 Minx.   I have had 2 Singer Vogues including my beloved Jade and a Chamois. But as yet no Sunbeams.   I feel the lack of this and hope one day to complete my set.


1 comment:

A said...

Paula, cars are like shoes, you can never have too many.

My grandparents had a Rapier.