Sunbeam Rapier Fastback Automatic

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Sunbeam launched its first Rapier model in 1955, a well-equipped sporting two-door saloon aimed at the press-on gentleman driver.

It went through five series of development up until 1967, gaining a reputation as a fine competition car, having been proven on the international rally circuit. By the time the Series III was introduced in September 1959 many of the lessons learnt over four years of serious competition were incorporated into the production car. The Series III is often referred to as the definitive Rapier with much justification.

In October 1967 Rootes introduced a new fresh look Rapier. Codenamed ‘Arrow’, the new Rapier was based on the Hillman Hunter floor-pan with a body styled by Roy Axe, some say along the lines of the Plymouth Barracuda, a fact denied by the designer. Like the earlier Series 1–5 models, it was a two-door pillarless hardtop, but now with a fastback four-seat coupé body and a much more overtly sporty image. The new Rapier was also the basis for the slightly cheaper but similarly bodied, single-carburettor Sunbeam Alpine Fastback Coupé introduced in October 1969.

The Rapier Fastback Coupé used the Rootes four-cylinder, five-bearing 1,725cc engine, which was tilted slightly to the right to enable a lower bonnet line, in common with the other Arrow models. Twin Stromberg 150CD carburettors helped the engine deliver a very useful 88bhp at 5,200rpm and mated to a 4-speed gearbox with overdrive, the Rapier Fastbacks were good for 103mph and accelerated from 0–60 in 12.8 seconds, very respectable performance for the day. Overdrive was standard with the manual gearbox, and Borg-Warner automatic transmission an optional extra. In all 46,204 Sunbeam Rapier Fastbacks Coupés were produced before production ended in 1976.

This June 1971 Fastback Automatic was purchased for the Stondon Collection in 1997 from its third owner who had kept it for 10 years previously. Eight old MOTs on file indicate that it had covered an indicated (unwarranted) 17,000 miles when MOTd in 1986, the car last being used on the road in 1994 by which time this total had risen to just under 35,000 miles. The original handbook shows six service stamps to 1978 at which point it had covered 16,600 miles.

A number of bills on file show regular maintenance from its previous owner, including an engine-out overhaul in 1989 at 25,700 miles including a replacement block, work to the head and a new torque-converter seal. The document file also includes an old style V5 and a current V5C.