Sunbeam-Talbot Limited was a British motor manufacturer that built upmarket sports-saloon versions of Rootes Group cars from 1938 to 1954. Its predecessor, Clément-Talbot, had made Talbot cars from 1902 to 1935; after Rootes bought it, the Sunbeam name was added to Talbot in 1938.
Sunbeam-Talbot at a glance
| Maker | Sunbeam-Talbot Limited, Rootes Group |
|---|---|
| Production | 1938–1954 |
| Predecessor | Clément-Talbot Limited, 1902–1935 |
| Factories | Kensal Green, London; Ryton-on-Dunsmore from 1946 |
| First models | Ten and 3 Litre, October 1938 |
| Ten engine | 1,185 cc sidevalve four with alloy head |
| 2 Litre engine | 1,944 cc sidevalve four |
| 4 Litre engine | 4,086 cc sidevalve six with alloy head |
| Bodies | saloon, sports tourer, drophead coupé, touring limousine |
| Chief engineer | Georges Roesch |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Sunbeam-Talbot.
History of the Sunbeam-Talbot
From Clément-Talbot to Sunbeam-Talbot
Clément-Talbot Limited had made Talbot cars in North Kensington from 1902. It was bought by the Rootes brothers in January 1935 and reorganised to make Rootes Group cars also branded Talbot. In 1938, after some years of considering plans to make large luxury cars branded Sunbeam, the Rootes brothers dropped them, added the name Sunbeam to Talbot and put the extra name on both the cars built in Kensal Green and the company building them. From late 1935 the North Kensington plant had made mid-range upgraded versions of Hillman and Humber cars for Rootes and branded them Talbot. Talbot’s chief engineer and designer Georges Roesch came up with a modified Hillman Aero Minx for the October 1935 Motor Show, branded the Talbot Ten.
The 1938 range
The first two Sunbeam-Talbot models were the Sunbeam-Talbot Ten, previously the Talbot Ten, and the 3 Litre. They were modified Hillman-Talbots or Humber-Talbots with new radiators and badges for the October 1938 Motor Show. The new 3 Litre combined the then-current 3 Litre Hillman Hawk, later rebadged as the Humber Snipe, with a better-finished Hillman/Humber body with distinctive rear side windows. The Ten was launched in August 1938 as an upgrade of the previous Talbot Ten, itself an upgrade of the Hillman Aero-Minx; purists described the new car as a Hillman Minx in a party frock. It had a 1,185 cc sidevalve Minx engine with an alloy head and a chassis derived from the Hillman Aero Minx, and it came as a four-door saloon, sports tourer and drophead coupé. The Sunbeam-Talbot 2 Litre of 1939 was based on the Ten but used the 1,944 cc sidevalve engine from the Hillman 14, later the Humber Hawk; because of the Second World War these cars were rare. The 3 Litre was available as a saloon, sports saloon, sports tourer and drophead coupé, and a 4 Litre joined it for 1939 with a 4,086 cc sidevalve six and alloy head from the Humber Super Snipe, also supplied as a touring limousine.
After the war
Sunbeam-Talbot production resumed in London after the Second World War, and in spring 1946 it moved to Rootes’ new factory at Ryton-on-Dunsmore in Warwickshire; the North Kensington works became a Rootes administration and service centre. The pre-war models continued to be listed until 1948, although materials were short and it has been reported that all the 3 and 4 Litre engines were needed for the big Humbers. The marque itself continued until 1954, when the Sunbeam name returned on its own with the Sunbeam Alpine.
Design and features
- Rootes badge engineering: upmarket bodies over Hillman and Humber mechanicals.
- Ten: a 1,185 cc sidevalve four with an alloy head in three body styles.
- 3 Litre and 4 Litre: big sidevalve cars derived from Hillman and Humber models.
- Two factories: Kensal Green in London and, from 1946, Ryton-on-Dunsmore.
Sunbeam-Talbot versions
- Ten (1938): 1,185 cc, saloon, sports tourer and drophead coupé.
- 2 Litre (1939): 1,944 cc, based on the Ten.
- 3 Litre (1938): saloon, sports saloon, sports tourer and drophead coupé.
- 4 Litre (1939): 4,086 cc six, also as a touring limousine.
The Sunbeam name returned on its own with the Sunbeam Alpine, and the pre-war Sunbeam 3-litre shows the earlier sporting side of the marque. More cars are in the Sunbeam collection.
Video: Sunbeam Talbot 80 – 1949 year
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Sunbeam-Talbot, English Wikipedia: company history, models, factories
