Coys Auction - The Nürburgring
Germany
Saturday 14 August 2010
Motor Cars at 16:00
Admission by catalogue only - admits two.
Registration Number: EU Registered Chassis Number: TBA
In 1956 Kenneth Howes and Jeff Crompton were tasked by Rootes to completely redesign the Sunbeam Alpine, the goal being to produce a dedicated sports car aimed principally at the American market. Howes contributed some 80% of the overall design work which bears more than incidental resemblance to the early Ford Thunderbird; he had, after all, worked at Ford before joining Rootes. It was three years later that the ‘Series‘ Alpine went into production, and one of the original prototypes, which was raced by British Saloon Car Champion Bernard Unett, still survives. The Alpine went on to be produced in four subsequent revisions through to 1968, after which some 70,000 had been built, and the car was relatively successful in competition both in Europe and in North America, although the overall sentimen