Lot Ended
Description
Four owners from new, the current since 2008; uprated brake drums;
original wheel spats; a usable example of this sporting saloon
Launched in
1948, the Sunbeam Talbot 90 was a sporting car built by the Rootes Group in
Ryton, Coventry, and was the last car to bear the Sunbeam Talbot name. The body
was completely new and available as a four-door saloon or two-door drophead
coupé. The car went through three versions before production ended in
1954.
The original version had a 64bhp 1,944cc
side-valve four-cylinder engine derived from a pre-war Humber unit carried over
from the Sunbeam Talbot 2-Litre. The chassis was based on the Ten model but with
wider track and had beam axles front and rear and leaf springs. The brakes were
updated to have hydraulic operation and the rear wheel openings were covered by
removable spats.
In 1950 the MkII version got a
new chassis with independent front suspension using coil springs while the
engine was enlarged to 2,267cc and the cylinder head changed to overhead valves.
Power was up at 70bhp. A coupé version tested by ‘The Motor’ in 1952 had a top
speed of 85mph and could accelerate from 0-60 in 20 seconds. They were sporting
cars in their day and were very successful in International Rallies, driven by
Shelia Van Damm amongst others.
First
registered in Kent in July 1951, this MkII has had just four owners from new,
according to the V5C. Our vendor inherited the car in 2008 from a friend who had
owned it since 1993. Always kept in running order, the car has been very lightly
used in the current ownership, mainly to attend local shows.
We are told that it has been fitted with
radial tyres to improve roadholding and the brakes have been uprated with larger
drums to enhance stopping power. Flashing indicators have been fitted to make it
more suited to modern road conditions. Shortly before the auction it was fitted
with a new battery and the fuel pump was overhauled.
It has been
repainted in two-tone silver-over-blue at some point in the past and it retains
its original wheel spats which are in good condition and currently stored in the
boot – rare items which have usually gone astray by now. An original maintenance
chart is also present, along with a copy of a period Autocar road test and an
invoice for some service/MOT work in 1997.
As
you can see in the photos, it is in generally presentable condition with a
nicely mellowed original red leather interior. Starting promptly and running
well as we have moved it around on site, with good 50psi oil pressure, it is
only reluctantly for sale due to an impending house move.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email
[email protected]