SB definitely does not mean "Sealed Beam", or all of my cars would carry the
term - none of them do. I lean toward the "Special Body" theory BUT that
does not necessarily mean race cars from the competition department. It
could also include show cars, prototypes, and special order vehicles.
Okay, so I'm an Old F***(ogey). As I recall, sealed beam headlights became a
US requirement in the 30s. Maybe a Canadian OF can back me up or refute me
on this, but I believe that British cars were predominant in the Commonwealth
until England went to war in 1939. Detroitmobiles filled the void through
1941 when the US got involved in WW2. Postwar, only the US had sufficient
production capacity to supply Canadian needs and then nationalistic
protectionism (taxes) encouraged US auto makers to build production
facilities in Canada. Canadian vehicle laws then closely paralleled US
codes. European cars, in general, used focused bulbs and reflectors for
headlamps - when properly maintained, they were far superior to our sealed
beams but prone to rust and corrosion. Americans are not noted for
maintenance - hence, Big Brother mandated the sealed beam headlights.
My parts manual for the Sunbeam Talbot 80, 90, and early "classic" Alpines
lists the sealed beam units as North American items. With the Series 1-3
Alpines, clear front turn signal lenses are North American items. With all
series Alpines and Tigers, red rear turn signal lenses were North American
items. Amber lenses were used for nearly all the rest of the world. In the
late 60s, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Commission took a look
around and said "Gee, what a great idea!"
Another North American special item is laminated "Safety Glass" for
windshields and side windows. British cars generally used tempered glass
(that stuff that breaks into small crystals when broken). Both types have
advantages and disadvantages.
When I bought a new series 1 Alpine, it was shipped from the docks to my
dealer without headlamps and the windscreen was in the passenger footwell.
Oh, as to the A and B prefixes - my guess is that the B was used for the
unibody platforms. My '53 and '54 Alpines are "A"s. Both series Alpines and
both Tigers that I've owned were "B"s.
"Ole" Olson
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