1959-68 Sunbeam Alpine Images

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Last updated: April 24, 1998

  • The evolution of the Harrington Alpine (120K). The pictures are from the book TIGER The Making of a Sports Car, 2nd ed., by Mike Taylor (ISBN 0-85429-774-X).

  • 1963 Harrington LeMans (31K) owned for ten years by Robert Webb and Jean Tracy of Waverly, Ohio. Only twelve of these rare Alpines were originally imported into the USA. Besides its unique shape, it has a Hartwell racing engine. The photo (taken at the Mid-Ohio race track) and description are from the 1995 Tigers East/Alpines East (TE/AE) calendar.

  • "Eddie the Eagle" (88K), a 1967 Series V (chassis B395004643/engine B395008734) owned by T.J. Higgins of Huntsville, Alabama since 1988. The hideous red eyelids (a DPO mod) have since been repainted white. Equally hideous red racing stripes and black rocker/fender stripes will one day be gone as well.

  • Front view of a Series III(?) (67K) from the 1993 Indianapolis British car show. Rear view (88K) also available. Photos by Martin Frankford.

  • Alpine ad poster (127K) promoting the success at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans. Picture scanned from the back cover of Sunbeam Tiger and Alpine Gold Portfolio by R.M. Clarke (ISBN 1-870642-49-X).

  • 1962 Series II (70K), owned by Dennis & Peter Ferrigno of Littleton, Colorado, was a two year long father and son ground-up restoration project while Peter (now 18) was in high school. "Many" gallons of paint were applied and every effort was made to restore all details to appear as original as possible. Picture and description from the 1995 TE/AE calendar.

  • Alpine and Ford Thunderbird side-by-side (52K). Kenneth Howes, who worked on the Thunderbird design, was responsible for 80% of the Alpine's shape, according to Ted White, head of Rootes Group's styling department at the time. Photo originally appeared in the May 1960 Road & Track. Picture scanned from Tiger and Alpine Gold Portfolio.

  • Cutaway drawing (26K) of the Series I. This drawing by Theo Page appeared in the July 24, 1959 issue of Autosport. Scanned from Tiger and Alpine Gold Portfolio.

  • 1967 Series V (71K) has been owned for over nine years by Dan Hodges of Roseland, New Jersey and was a first prize winner in 1993 at TE/AE's United XVI in Burlington, Vermont. Photo taken in Jersey City, New Jersey overlooking the Hudson River and New York City's World Trade Center. Picture scanned from the 1995 TE/AE calendar.

  • Steve Alcala (47K) at speed at Laguna Seca Raceway, 19-Aug-1995. He started last due to blowing his race engine during qualifying. With a stock engine he worked his way up to 10th out of a field of 25 cars. A second picture (41K) is also available. Photos by Tiger Tom Ehrhart.

    Brad Richards took some pictures of Steve's car at SUNI II. Here is a front 3/4 view (48K). There is also a photo of the engine (49K).

  • Vince Tamburo (49K) at speed at Sebring, 1961. Photo submitted by Chris McGovern.

  • Front view (24K) of 1966 Series V (B395005860) owned by Ted Reese of Corvallis Oregon. Rear view (19K). Details: midnight blue; Panasport wheels, 13x6 front, 13x7 rear, Yokohama A509's 205/60/13 front and rear; front springs are Tigers with one coil removed; front sway bar is 7/8" from Sunbeam Specialties; rear progressive rate bump stops (to eliminate tire rub and even out front and rear travel); roll bar from Sunbeam Specialties; 5-point Pyrotect harness belts; straight pipe (not a mid-life crisis, Ted is still in college); the remainder of the car is stock.

  • This 1965 Sunbeam Alpine IV (106K) was purchased from its original owner in 1992 after sitting in storage for over ten years. Needless to say, there was a lot of work to be done, but its current owner, Adriano Manocchia of New Rochelle, New York, definitely feels it was worth the effort.

  • Derek Jewett's 1963 Series II (88K). Derek says, "I scanned some photos of our Sunbeam resto. project and thought I would post them so some of you could see what I am always asking questions about, haha! Well Enjoy!"

  • Michael Fisher's Series V (48K). "I bought the car over the internet last December (1995), and have concentrated on making it reliable. Serious restoration starts this winter," says Michael.

  • Per Wollen's Series I (72K). "I restored it about 5 years ago (this picture was taken about 3 years ago). I bought it from a guy who had dismantled it and stored it in his garage for 10 years. When I bought it, it was a shell on wheels. I spent about 3 hours nearly every night for about a year before it was finished (one is never ever really finished, there is always something to do in the winter months). I live in north Norway (Tromsoe) 69 deg. north. So the winter is long and the summer is very short! If the weather is good then it's possible to run with the hood down from June to Sept. It starts to snow from around 15 October and keeps on until April/May."

  • Bert Clewits' 1964 Series IV (443K). "It is my moonstone white Alpine IV of 1964 (ex rustbucket) seen on the '96 Imp Club international weekend at the Bentley showground. On the left side you see Rosemary Smith's Imp and on the right side behind the Alpine is a Sunbeam Californian (a rare Imp coupe)."

  • Ad featuring Jack Brabham (192K) from Advertising British Cars of the 50s by Heon Stevenson that was published by Haynes in 1991 and republished by Magma Books in 1995 (ISBN 1 85422 927 3). Submitted by Bob Douglas.

  • Patsy (32K) Andy Lewis writes: Allow me to introduce my Polar White Alpine Series V, "Patsy". Anyone who has seen the BBC's "Absolutely Fabulous" TV comedy series will know who she's named after and would probably agree that the name is apt: She, like the original, is beautiful, older than she looks and can be a complete bitch on occasion! Thankfully thats where the similarity ends. For one thing she doesn't smoke nearly so much! I bought Patsy nearly 2 years ago from the gentleman who had had her lovingly restored 9 years previously and she still looks like new as I'm sure you'll agree. Unfortunately she had won a few gongs and then been consigned to the garage with only the odd trip out. Had it not been for her owner being made redundant she might still be there but thankfully I rescued her and now we enjoy 5000 miles motoring a year. Pats is virtually original, besides the addition of red hide upholstery and a "Doubleduck" soft top. Aficionados will notice the Tiger headlamp trims and the concave headlamp lenses. Apparently the lenses are a period aftermarket addition and the trims were fitted to the very last Alpines to be built. I regularly show Pats at Classic shows and in the last year we have won the SAOC Series V Concours prize at the 1996 Alpine European International meeting. Pats was also a Class winner and National Finalist in the 1995 Autoglym Practical Classics Concours Series and was shown most recently at the Classic and Sportscar Show at the Birmingham NEC in November 1996. Regrettably I must part with my pride and joy in order to finance a new project and would welcome emails from interested parties. Andy's address is AndyLewis@aol.com.

  • 1963 Alpine Series II (45K). Enjoying the countryside is Fred C. Baker of Mercer Island, Washington. The year: 1963. The place: "Val de Loire," France. Fred still owns the car, which he purchased in France. Picture from the 1997 TE/AE calendar, March.

  • 1967 Alpine Series V vintage racer (44K) owned by Roger Davis of Salt Lake City, Utah. Roger competes with it in the Rocky Mountain Vintage Race Group. Picture from the 1997 TE/AE calendar, October.

  • Chris Bartlett's Harrington (68K) My name is Chris from the Sunbeam Owners Club of Victoria in Australia. I was searching through your Alpine pics and I noticed that their are not many original Harrington LeMans cars in the Gallery. My dad owns this one and got it imported from Arizona in 1992. It didn't have the original twin Zenith carbies in it so we replaced them with twin Webber carbies. Apart from the carbies, and the cream and red interior, this car is fully original. This is one of three running Harringtons in Australia and is now the only one in Victoria. It has won the best looking Alpine series I-III in The Sunbeam Nationals for three years running. Update Jan 24, 1998: This car is now for sale. Contact Chris at chrisbartlett@wh.caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au for details.

  • Bill Ferry's 1967 Alpine Series V (65K) I love your site and am submitting some photos of my own "Batmobile" for possible use in your gallery. I have had the car since January 1997, purchased it privately from and owner who had a complete frame-off restoration 6 years ago! The car is a '67 series V and is the byproduct of a lifetime dream of ownership! My 8 and 6 year old sons coined the nickname. I have the original bumper bullets and grill badge but my own pithy feelings are that the car looks way better without them. I use the car for a daily driver in the summer, as it resides in Holland, Michigan this is the only practical time, and only for about 3 months! My sister bought me a Radar the Bat Beenie Baby which has taken up residence on the dash, but since this particular item has been discountinued by the manufacturer she likes to chide me that it will be worth more than the car within 2 years if it isn't stolen by some desperate mom wishing to fulfill a wretched collection for her spoiled brat!

  • Jay Kacheroski's Alpine (91K) Here's my sweetie...built her 10 years ago when I was 16.

  • Steve Robbins' Series 5 (50K) "Car is a 1965 Series 5 with 83k miles. B395000767 LRX. Originally color 100, the car was painted white about 3 years ago. The upholstry is black with black carpet. I have original hardtop which is also painted white. I have the original Owner's Handbook, Owners Service Book, Lucas booklet in the "Rootes Motors S.A." plastic fold over showing the car was originally delivered to H.A. Wendelbo in Menlo, CA 12/15/65 by Rootes, S.A. Paris. For a 30+ year old car this was a real find. The car is very tight engine and tranny are very good, runs cool and there is never a rattle. After owning a skiddish Midget, I was immediately taken with the stability of the car and its easy manners. Crusing at 80mph is no problem. Can anyone identify these wheels? Plastic center hubs marked 'Western'." -- Steve Robbins, New Albany, Mississippi

  • Here's Jarrid Gross (70K) driving Steve Alcala's 61 Vintage Alpine around Willow Springs on July 6, 1997. "That car was a hoot!"

  • Paul Heuer's Alpine (35K) "It is a 1963 Series III, original light green metallic paint, black interior, overdrive, original engine, 14x6 Minilite-style wheels. I bought it about a month ago (June 1997), and am slowly sorting out a number of minor problems."

  • Andy Whiteford's '63 Series III (75K). "Here's a wee jpeg of my rusty old Ser III Alpine for the Alpine web pages. Make a change from all those shiny ones! ;-) Top - My 1963 series III Alpine, as delivered, Spring 1995. It's not as bad as it looks. It's worse. Bottom - Autumn 1996, and restoration is well underway. Six new sills, and the floors and front end all patched up. Now for the back end. 5 Wire wheels, hubs & axle came as spares & are a possibility; 1725cc ser V motor undergoing strip-down, 1592cc also available; choice of three gearboxes, two with overdrive; interior all present, but scruffy; electrics have now been fully sorted. Gonna be the best ser III in Sunny Scotland, one day soon. On the road Summer '98?"

  • Darius Randeria's Series II (155K).

  • Tony Leeming's cars (110K). "I have finally got round to scanning a photo of my vehicles. The MGBGT is a 69 with overdrive, wires and a fabric roof. The Alpine is a 63 Series II with a Series V overdrive & 3.89 rear end and Dunlop 72 spoke chrome bolt on wheels. Photographed at home on beautiful Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada."

  • Karl Gilchrist's 1967 Series V (46K). "I had a go at scanning a picture of my 1967 Series V Alpine for the list. I've had the car for twelve years and for four years it was my every day transport while I was at University. Pictured here with me (dig the reindeer horns) driving it in the 1997 Feilding Christmas parade (a small rural town in New Zealand of 23000 which had a crowd of 10000 watching the parade). The Aorangi Health Centre is the medical centre I work at. My partner was just in front of me in his 1969 Boat tail Alfa Romeo Spyder similarly decked out but with Merry Christmas on his Syringe (which we constructed out of styrene, custom wood and lots of construction adhesive). My wife is the woman in the green sweatshirt and white shorts in line with the front bumper, my 2 year old daughter's head is just visable above the front fender to the right of her and my 4 year old son is (asleep!!) in the passenger seat. The car is virtually finished with only some minor trimming to be done."

  • Jerome Yuzyk's Series II (213K). "From the Tomato Gallery, a decent shot of my Series II on a sunny fall afternoon parked on month-old asphalt. It's been through a few hands, owned for the last five years by the son of a garage owner. It seems to have just about all its original parts except for a few obvious modifications like the steering wheel, top, door pulls and oil filter. It is also missing the overdrive it shipped with. But, that hasn't stopped me from putting about 2000 hassle-free miles on its reconnected odometer over May-October 1997. I have parts and plans to wipe away the ravages of time and do what is essentially a refurbish job to keep one more of these on the road. The image was shot in front of my garden which, like this restoration, I did with no prior experience."

  • Dan Perry's stable (39K). "This is my '65 Series IV, along with some of the rest of the collection. The Alpine will hopefully be next on the restoration list." Dan lives in Stillwater, MN.

  • Andreas Pils' Series V (11K). "The photo was taken in 1991, just when I bought the car. So you can see the Alpine here in it's (un-original) green paint, as it was before the restoration project! At the moment the car is still under restoration, I hope to finish the project before the next millenium (joke!). I have planned to get it back on the road within 1999! Body is repaired and repainted (carnaval red), engine, gear, steering and axles are completely restored and mounted on / into the body again, doors, hood and boot are re-mounted, so the rough work is done! But now it is time for the final finishes (lot of work & money). But I am looking forward to finish the project soon!"

  • Ian Harvey's Series IV (103K). "This is my second Alpine, the first being a Series II 31 years ago. This Series IV is in superb condition as you can see and very original throughout. I purchased it from a personal friend and mechanic who fastidiously restored and maintained it for the last 9 years." Ian and his new toy reside in Sydney, Australia.

  • Old original photos submitted by Scott Christie. "These pictures came from an ex-Rootes dealer that I interviewed, Mr. Ed Debrecht of St. Louis. The two-part interview was published in the February and March issues of the Rootes Review, TE / AE's newsletter. Ed sold mainly Hillmans and Sunbeams. The pictures of the live Tiger flanked by Sunbeam's version (photo 1 (93K), photo 2 (96K)) were taken in early 1964, and it was Ed's creative way of introducing the new Tiger. He rented the animal from the local zoo, and said it was a real handful all day. There's a close-up of him (131K) in one of the cars holding the chain (which probably scraped all the paint off the door!). These are great period shots of brand-new Tigers, taken in front of his dealership on Route 66 (how appropriate!). The picture of the two men in front of the Alpine (111K) shows some of the trophies this SCCA-campaigned Series I had. It was sponsored by Ed. The last picture (110K) (and my favorite) shows the 1962 St. Louis International Auto Show. Everything you see in the picture belonged to Ed as he took up quite a lot of the show with his dealer stand. Note the brand-new SAABs, Hillmans, the new Alpine in the foreground, and in the middle a Ferrari - all great stuff!"

  • Your Alpine's picture here.

    • Here are some Alpine-related images for your enjoyment.

  • Advertisement for the 1969 Alpine GT (51K) from the program of the 1969 Chicago Auto Show. Spec sheet (59K) also available. Thanks to Andrew C. Green for the materials.

  • 1958 Rapier Series II DHC (74K), pictured in front of the Glenford Mansion. Joel Shockman of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania is the owner of this snazzy and rare car. According to the Rapier registry, only about fifty are known to exist in the US. Joel's updates include a 1725cc engine and an all-synchro gearbox with overdrive. Photo and description from the 1995 TE/AE calendar.

  • 1953 Alpine (62K) owned by Bob Hamilton of Waverly, Nova Scotia, Canada.

  • 1954 Alpine (36K) owned by David Nordgren of Huntsville, Alabama.

  • 195? Alpine (72K) from the front cover of the 1995 TE/AE calendar. The picture is originally from a Talbot advertising brochure (Ref. No. 3086/EX/USA) in the archives of "Tiger" Tom Ehrhart. Says he: "It is a real classic. Ever notice how artists in the 50's and 60's took liberty with perceptions....like making the car look low and sleek so you'd go out and buy one with that image in your mind.. Did you ever see a Talbot? It looks like an old '40 Ford, tall and stately. Nowhere like the illustration. Anyway, I love this illustration on the front cover. It's what the Talbot should have looked like."

  • 1966 Sunbeam Chamois (rebadged Imp) (52K) owned by Bert Clewits of Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. (Not really Alpine related, but what the hey.) Says Bert: "It's my lhd Sunbeam Chamois from '66, it has been extensively restored by us (my dad and me) in 93/94. The colour is maroon the interior is cream, the picture was taken by the time it was just resprayed and did have the nice white side flash sprayed on it yet. The background is the local nature near Apeldoorn (Holland)."

  • 1967 Sunbeam Highwayman (225K) owned by Jon Arzt. "So, some info....the Funwagon was very similar to the VW campers of the same period. Basically a van body with a camper interior and a pop-up roof. The Highwayman, however, was a full blown 'caravan' by British definition....coachbuilt body on a van chassis... a little like the smaller American motorhomes with a van nose and a box body. (After having to replace 50% of the framing in the box section, and I still need to replace more, there are times when I wish I had the Funwagon!) The engine was stock Hillman Minx...1494, 1592, or 1725 depending on the year; cast iron head, single 1bbl downdraft carb. VERY slow. I'm in the process of building a Alpinized version with alloy head, Alpine cam, .030 over pistons, etc. so that I might actually get the thing up to 60-65 mph without hurricane force tailwinds!"

  • 1953 Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk II (49K), beautifully restored, is owned by David Whittmers of Vermillion, OH. A similar car was driven by Stirling Moss in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally. Picture from the 1997 TE/AE calendar, February.

  • Sunset at San Diego harbor. (37K) This is the restored 1954 Talbot Alpine Roadster of Oril R. "Ole" Olson of San Diego, CA. Picture from the 1997 TE/AE calendar, November.

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    This page is maintained by T.J. Higgins (tjhiggin@ingr.com).