Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Sunbeam (car)
Sunbeam was an automobile manufacturer from 1899. The company was the first British maker to win a Grand Prix race, and set a number of land speed records. Sunbeam was combined with the French Talbot-Darracq to form Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq in 1920, and was purchased by the Rootes Group in 1935. Rootes did not use the Sunbeam name until the 1935 launch of the new Sunbeam-Talbot marque. These cars were rebadged Hillman and Humber models with unique body work. The Talbot name was dropped in 1954 for the Sunbeam Alpine sports car and later Rapier and Alpine-derived Tiger. It was sometimes used in place of its sister Hillman marque in Europe.
The last Sunbeam was the 1976 Rapier, when Chrysler, who had purchased Rootes, disbanded the marque. A subcompact hatchback, the Chrysler Sunbeam, resurrected the name from 1978 to the early 1980s.
Sunbeam models:
- Sunbeam-Talbot 90
- Sunbeam Alpine
- Sunbeam Rapier
- Sunbeam Sport
- Sunbeam Tiger
- Sunbeam Vogue
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