The Sunbeam Arrow, Sunbeam Hunter and Sunbeam Vogue were not separate cars but Sunbeam-badged members of the Rootes Arrow range, which Rootes and later Chrysler Europe built from 1966 to 1979 in Europe and which continued in Iran until 2005. The range is almost always known by its most prolific model, the Hillman Hunter.
Sunbeam Arrow at a glance
| Maker | Rootes Group, later Chrysler Europe |
|---|---|
| Production | 1966–1979 in Europe, to 2005 in Iran |
| Platform | Rootes Arrow, also known as the Hillman Hunter range |
| Sunbeam names | Sunbeam Arrow, Hunter, Vogue, Minx, Sceptre and Break de Chasse |
| Engines | 1,498 cc and 1,725 cc four-cylinder |
| Power | 66 to 88 bhp; 107 bhp from Holbay for the Rapier H120 |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Front suspension | MacPherson struts, a first for Rootes |
| Rear suspension | live axle on leaf springs |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual with overdrive, or Borg-Warner automatic |
| Bodies | saloon, estate, fastback coupé and two pick-ups |
The Sunbeam Arrow, Hunter and Vogue were Sunbeam-badged versions of the Rootes Arrow range; this page is based on the English Wikipedia article on the Rootes Arrow.
History of the Sunbeam Arrow
One platform, many names
The Arrow range was conceived in 1962. Rootes considered a larger rear-engined car to follow the Imp but rejected the idea, settling on a conventional layout closer to the existing Audax range. A substantial number of marque and model names were applied to the single platform. Some were given different names to justify trim differences, such as the Hillman GT and Hillman Estate Car, and from time to time models were sold in some European markets under the Sunbeam marque, the Sunbeam Sceptre for instance, while at other times they used the UK names. After the Singer brand was withdrawn, Singer Gazelle and Vogue models were also sold in Britain for one season badged as Sunbeams. The Sunbeam names in the range were Sunbeam Arrow, Sunbeam Break de Chasse, Sunbeam Hunter, Sunbeam Minx, Sunbeam Sceptre and Sunbeam Vogue, while the fastback coupés were reserved for the Sunbeam Alpine and Sunbeam Rapier.
Engineering
New parts were largely based on tried Rootes components, starting with a new five-bearing version of the 1,725 cc overhead-valve engine, which varied in output from 66 to 88 bhp. The engine was inclined by 15 degrees to allow a lower bonnet line and to package the carburettors. Specialists Holbay uprated it with two Weber 40DCOE carburettors to produce 107 bhp for the Sunbeam Rapier H120 and Hillman Hunter GLS. A 1,500 cc engine was standard in manual Hillman Minx, Singer Gazelle and Hillman Hunter DeLuxe models, while automatics used the 1,725 cc unit. For the first time in a Rootes car the Arrow had MacPherson strut front suspension, with a live axle on leaf springs at the rear, and it introduced curved side glass and flow-through ventilation to the company. Manual cars had a four-speed gearbox with optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive; the Borg-Warner Type 35 three-speed automatic was joined by a four-speed Type 45 in 1973.
Hillman Hunter and its Sunbeam relatives
The first Arrow model was the Hillman Hunter, presented as a replacement for the Hillman Super Minx. It was lighter than its predecessor and its wheelbase was 2.5 inches shorter, yet the passenger cabin was longer because the engine and toe-board moved forward. Power-assisted brakes became a factory option in May 1968. A mild facelift in 1970 brought new grilles, and a more detailed facelift for 1972 added an all-plastic dashboard with deeply hooded round dials, a new steering wheel, reshaped squarer headlamps and revised engine tuning. The Sunbeam-badged Arrows shared all of this with the Hunter; the Sunbeam name was simply another way of selling the same saloon, estate and coupé range in different markets.
Design and features
- Badge engineering: one platform sold as Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Chrysler, Dodge and Paykan.
- MacPherson struts: the first Rootes car with strut front suspension.
- Engine range: 1,500 and 1,725 cc units, up to 107 bhp in Holbay form.
- Long production: 1966 to 1979 in Europe and until 2005 as the Paykan in Iran.
Sunbeam Arrow versions
- Sunbeam Arrow: the Sunbeam-badged saloon.
- Sunbeam Hunter: the Sunbeam-badged version of the Hunter.
- Sunbeam Vogue: the Sunbeam-badged Vogue.
- Sunbeam Minx: the Sunbeam-badged Minx.
- Sunbeam Sceptre: the Sunbeam-badged luxury version, described on its own page.
- Sunbeam Break de Chasse: the Sunbeam-badged estate.
The luxury member of the same family has its own page, the Sunbeam Sceptre, and the fastback coupé is the Sunbeam Rapier. More cars are in the Sunbeam collection.
Sources
- Rootes Arrow, English Wikipedia: model names, engineering, development
