Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register saves 1939 car from being broken for spares
The Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register (STAR) has acquired a 1939 Sunbeam Talbot 3 Litre saloon to safeguard the future of the vehicle. After threats of being broken for spares, the STAR Committee stepped in to ensure the preservation of this historic classic car and to bring it back to full working order.
Established in 1969, STAR was formed to encourage the use, restoration, and preservation of the Talbot, Sunbeam Talbot, and Sunbeam cars manufactured by the Rootes Group between 1936 and 1957. Only 1,266 Sunbeam Talbot 3 Litre models were made. From 1937 to 1939, the 3 Litre was manufactured in Saloon, Sports Saloon, Drop Head Coupe, Tourer, and Touring Limousine variants, and today, the club is aware of only 12 survivors of all body types. So in a spontaneous move, the committee took the initiative to purchase the rare car.
This Sunbeam Talbot 3 Litre was owned by an ageing ex member whose health issues had led to the decision to sell the car. After three unsuccessful attempts of selling at auction, the owner was running out of options and was now considering breaking the car for spares.
STAR’s Membership Secretary, Bill Hall, became aware of the car and alerted fellow members via the STAR Members Facebook group. Although there were lots of positive comments, sadly no one showed interest in purchasing the 1939 Sunbeam Talbot.
Thankfully just in time, Alan Brinklow, club Chairman, discussed the idea of purchasing the Sunbeam Talbot with fellow committee members and it was agreed that the club should purchase the car to ensure its preservation. Alan enlisted the help of Peter Holland, Sidevalve Secretary, and the pair went to inspect the car in Northumberland. Both were impressed by the overall excellent condition of the car, and with the vendor keen for the car to be purchased by the club, Alan and Peter were offered a very favourable price.
The car was not running when it was bought by the club, so a working party was called on to bring this ailing saloon back to health. Members were invited by Tony Blake, Vice Chairman, to attend a recommissioning day at his garage, Forge Garage. With classic car insurance provided and sponsored by ClassicLine Insurance, the assembled engineers and enthusiasts soon had the car running and were then last seen wafting around the village of Lullington in style! Overall, considering its age, the Sunbeam Talbot 3 Litre is in excellent condition and the club plans to keep it true to the original model.
Alan, Tony, Bill, Peter, and the STAR committee will be continuing to update members on the car’s progress via their STAR Members Facebook group. We are also excited to announce that the recommissioned Sunbeam Talbot 3 Litre will feature on the clubs’ stand at the upcoming NEC Classic Motor Show in November. The car is hoped to be used to showcase the marque and the club to the next generation of classic car enthusiasts. If you are interested in getting involved with the Sunbeam Talbot Owners Club, do head over to their stand at the Classic Motor Show; the team will be able to offer some great tips for getting the most out of owning and driving an historic classic car.
Special thanks to John Donegan, Press, PR & Website Officer at the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register for the story behind this special classic car. To find out more about the club, please visit https://sunbeamtalbotalpineregister.co.uk/
Specialist insurance cover is available for all Rootes Group vehicles with ClassicLine Insurance. To find out more, call our team on 01455 639 000 or go to https://www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk/classic-car-clubs/sunbeam-talbot-alpine-register/.
