As you say, Jan, known as the Sunbeam Rapier in the UK, and was very much a
coupe version of the Hillman Hunter, rather than a development of the Rapier
Mk V.
Rootes were styling magpies, with a tendency to follow US styling trends.
The original Sunbeam Rapier is credited to Raymond Loewy's studio, so the Mk
I particularly, with the full-width grille, does look very like a Studebaker
Hawk that shrunk in the wash!
>Roy Axe of Rootes, then Chrysler UK and then Chrysler USA did the styling
of
>the Alpine GT (called the Rapier in England). Design work started at just
>about the time of Chrysler involvement so Chrysler input is possible. The
>Arrow seems to have a great deal of 1964-66 Valiant styling cues. The
oddity
>is that the Rootes cars show styling influences of PAST and current
Chrysler
>USA products, NOT future Chrysler products. If Chrysler styling had any
>notable input, the Rootes cars would have looked more like Chrysler
products
>of 1969 then 1965. "Style Auto" magazine had excellent articles on the
>styling of the "Arrow" and "Alpine GT" cars. It went into details of the
>background of the designs and showed the styling mockups from the
beginning.>
>Jan Eyerman
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