Lot 321: 1932 Sunbeam Limousine

Sunbeam produced its first motor car in 1901 but it was not until 1907, two years after the Sunbeam Motor Car Company was formed, that it built its first all-British model, the 16/20. Development through competition greatly improved the breed before World War One intervened; the company then diversified into military applications before becoming part of STD Motors in 1920, a conglomerate that included Talbot and Darracq. When car production resumed, considerable effort went into racing and record breaking, a notable result being victory in the 1923 French Grand Prix, while Sunbeam also gained a fine reputation for well-engineered touring cars. Within a few years, however, expensive in-house manufacturing techniques hindered profits and in 1927, the year Sunbeam beat Bentley in the Essex Six Hours at Brooklands, the four cylinder cars were discontinued. The 2.0 litre, six cylinder 16.9HP took over as the smallest model, evolving in 1929 into the 18.2HP with enlarged 2,194cc engine mated to the four-speed crash gearbox; the ladder-frame chassis also benefited from elliptic rather than cantilever springs, while brakes were hydraulic, the combination providing a high standard of roadholding allied to effortless 60mph cruising. Of around 1,000 18.2HP chassis produced, the vast majority of these popular Sunbeams were saloon bodied though a coupé and Sportsman coupé, the latter differing from the former in having cut-away wings, wing louvres and running boards, were also available. Just prior to Sunbeam's demise in 1933, the 3 litre model was launched, an example of which is on offer in saloon form. With complementing blue and black external paintwork and black leather trim and blue carpets, this fine old girl is believed to have been originally delivered to Scotland before travelling across the North Sea to the next owner in Norway. With the heater clearly working, a restoration was undertaken by experienced Sunbeam Club mechanics after the car became part of a collection in the more clement climes of Wiltshire. With six months left on the MoT test certificate and similarly the road fund licence, this fully working example of the extremely rare limousine model represents an unusual opportunity to begin or enhance a pre-war motorcar collection .