John Marston set up business in 1895 and produced the first Sunbeam in 1899. This first vehicle was a car. He produced his first motorcycle in 1912. When he died in 1918, a syndicate took over the business.
In the North Works Canteen there was a Sunbeam 'Arab' V-8 aircraft engine, built at Longbridge during World War l, and a Sunbeam Coatelen V-12. Both had light alloy blocks with steel liners, and overhead camshafts.
In the early 20s, Sunbeam, Talbot and Darracq started their co-operation
In March 1925 Sunbeam wrote history. Captain Malcolm Campbell reached the speed of 150 mph (241.35 kph). He established the speed record on land by driving the old V12 Sunbeam (350 hp) on Pendine Sands at a speed of 150.87 mph (242.75 kph).
Two years later, on 29 March 1927, it was again a Sunbeam that made the records: Sir Henry Segrave was the first man to attain a speed of over 200 mph (321.80 kph). He took his double engined Sunbeam (1000 hp) to Daytona Beach and he established the world speed record on land: 203.79 mph ((327.90 kph). His fastest run in one direction attained a speed of over 207 mph.
see the plaques on Russell's site
In 1935 Sunbeam and Talbot were drawn in by Rootes. (The Rootes brothers had taken over Hillman and Humber at the end of the 1920s.)
Sunbeams motorcycles (including the legendary longstrokes) were produced until 1937 when A.M.C designed a completely new heavyweight single cylinder for 1939 but the war prevented the plans for production. During the war the Sunbeam business was forced into war-time work.
After the war the Sunbeam S7 was put on the market: the motorcycle that served as inspiration for Walter Hassan of Coventry Climax.
Last made by Sunbeam-Talbot Ltd., Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire
| Netherlands - Active luxury cars on 1 Jan. 2000 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built in | Bond | Clan | Commer | Ginetta | Hillman | Singer | Sunbeam |
| 1963 | - | - | (2) | - | 4 | (3) | 6 |
| 1964 | - | - | (3) | - | 15 | 3 | 11 |
| 1965 | 0 | - | 3 | - | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 1966 | 1 | - | 5 | 1 ?? | 6 | 2 | 18 |
| 1967 | 1 | - | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 |
| 1968 | 1 | - | 4 ?? | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 1969 | 1 | - | 4 ?? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 1970 | 2 | - | 4 ?? | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 1971 | (2) | 0 | 2 ?? | 1 | 0 | - | 9 |
| 1972 | (2) | 0 | 1 ?? | 1 | 0 | - | 6 |
| 1973 | (8) | 4 | 3 ?? | 0 | 0 | - | 8 |
| 1974 | (1) | 4 | 1 ?? | 1 | 0 | - | 11 |
| 1975 | - | 0 | 1 ?? | 0 | 0 | - | 5 |
| 1976 | - | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 3 |
| 1977 | - | 0 | - | 0 | (0) | - | (1) |
| 1978 | - | 0 | - | 0 | (0) | - | - |
| 1979 | - | 0 | - | 0 | (0) | - | - |
| 1980 | - | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Total | 5 (+13) | 8 | 16 (+5) 20?? | 4 | 34 | 8 (+3) | 175 (+1) |
On the 1st January of 2000, there were 201 active Sunbeams in The Netherlands, 84 Singers and 53 Hillmans. These are CBS numbers, unspecified by model of car. 42 Commers.
There were 6 pre-1990 Ginettas, 8 Clans, 21 Bonds, no BS (Bohannah Stables), no Costin or Nathan, no Davrians or Darrians, no Divas, no Mirages, no Sivas, no Zagatos.
| - = ( ) = ?? = |
doesn't exist can't be an Imp shouldn't exist in that year |
Peter Nunney holds the Sunbeam Register (Stiletto and Sport) and he wrote a report in Impressions January 1994. - p. 30
| Type | No. within Imp Club | 100% = 1,700 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1993 | ||
| Sunbeam Imp Sport Sunbeam Sport Sunbeam Stiletto |
94 |
16 89 |
3.1% 1,0% 5.2% |
In France the only Imps that were imported were Sunbeams, no Singers or Hillmans. In The Netherlands there were no Singer Imps to my knowledge, but I know of some Imps of the Hillman variety.
Jodie Brown is one of the organizers of SUNI III, Sunbeams United National International III, which will be held in Big Sky, Montana in July 1999. SUNI III will be a weeklong event held to appreciate ALL makes of the Rootes marques. During the course of the event there will be Concours D' Elegance, two days of autocrossing, a Rallye through Yellowstone National Park, an awards banquet, technical sessions, a vendor/parts swap meet, and lots of old friends and new friends! In other words, it will be a great time!
The SUNI III website. Has a copy of the SUNI registration form, a description of the accommodations available during the event, a tentative schedule, and links to Big Sky Ski & Summer Resort, Yellowstone National Park-and much, much more!
|
Sunbeam at Team.Net
|
Franka |
Titel: The Sunbeam motorcycle / by Robert Cordon Champ
Auteur: Robert Cordon Champ
Jaar: 1980
Uitgever: Yeovil : Haynes
Annotatie: ill, facsims, 1 map, ports
'A Foulis motorcycling book' - title page verso
Omvang: 2-205p,2 leaves of plates
ISBN: 0-85429-258-6
Nummer: (Library of Congress) 81456403; (British National Library) B8018211
Trefwoord: (LCS) Sunbeam motorcycle
Code: (LC) TL448.S7; (Dewey) 380.1
Verdwenen automerken Sunbeam. - Autokampioen : weekblad voor auto- en motortoerisme vol. 90 (1998), afl. 2, pag. 76-81
ISSN 0005-0997 (1998)