1959-'68 Sunbeam Alpine

The postwar British automotive industry put a lot of effort into figuring out what would appeal to Americans. So, it should come as no surprise that the 1959-'68 Sunbeam Alpine sported a pair of fins riding high astride the trunk, inspired more by Ford's first-generation Thunderbird than anything from the east side of the Atlantic.

As a sports car, it rode more comfortably than most and had room to spare compared to, say, the contemporary MGA and later MGB--surely, the Alpine's chief rivals on the market. It even had actual roll-up windows and full carpets. Its independent front suspension with disc brakes and live rear axle with drum brakes were also rather conventional for the era, along with being quite dependable.

Unfortunately, the Alpine's 1,494-cc, pushrod-equipped, four-cylinder engine put out just 80 horsepower, not quite enough to keep the bigger sports car on pace with rivals that weighed less. Fortunately, Sunbeam was constantly upgrading and updating the Alpine. The model's sharp styling and on-track prowess (it earned several SCCA production-class titles in the Sixties) gave the car enough fans to remain in production, in five distinct series, over 10 model years. With the Series II cars that debuted in late 1960, engine size grew to 1,592 cc, with a corresponding increase to 85.5 horsepower.

Upgrades continued beyond the Series II (an unofficial name), with the '63 to '64 Series III cars getting better seats, brakes, a telescoping steering wheel and a redesigned gas tank. Series IV cars from early 1964 saw a reduction in the fin size, changes to the bumper and grille, along with the addition of an optional automatic. Changes in carburetion helped bump power to 87.5 horsepower. The Series V cars from late 1965 featured the most powerful Alpine engine: a 92.5-hp, 1,725-cc variant.

Sunbeam built some 70,000 or so Alpines, the majority bound for export to the U.S. Parts generally remain available, particularly under the hood, as some version of the engine remained in production well into the Eighties. Some interior and badging pieces are being manufactured by specialists, but body panels are harder to come by.

With Alpine-based, V-8-powered Sunbeam Tigers dominating the collector car market for Sixties Sunbeams, the Alpine seems to get lost in the shuffle. The fact that plenty of Alpines have been sacrificed to make Tiger clones should tell you a lot about what many people think of them. But that's great news if you've got the itch to buy a car that is still considered a donor at best by some enthusiasts.

While prices spiked a little less than a decade ago (and while Tiger prices continue to soar), the Alpine has remained a relative bargain, with its price pretty much flat for the last six years or so, with some sources even indicating a drop in the past couple of years.

A recent search of this magazine and Hemmings.com reveals clean, running, driving examples for well under $10,000, along with some superb Alpines for not a whole lot more. With Sunbeam not a household word beyond enthusiasts in the know, we don't expect a lot of upward price pressure in the coming years, either, meaning the time to buy is now, but just don't look for any big paydays down the line.

It should be noted that the special fixed-roof Harrington coupes, which were produced in extremely low volumes, command a significant premium over the standard Alpine.

Value Trend

2000: $5,000

2003: $6,000

2006: $13,500

2009: $19,500

2012: $19,000

2015: $16,500