1961 Sunbeam Harrington Alpine

Exotic Classics is pleased to present this most extraordinary 1961 Sunbeam Harrington Alpine.  It is featured in blue silver, as was one of the very first Harringtons ever produced.  The interior is a gorgeous Blue Connelly leather, including the trunk compartment. This sunbeam spared no expense with its blue Wilton wool carpets, chromed engine components and tool kit.

This very rare classic British automobile has had an extensive nut and bolt restoration, costing in excess of $150,000.  Absolutely no expense was spared in the workmanship, materials, and the demand for top quality with every single part in or on this car.  All the chrome work is “show chrome” and flawless.  Every single detail has gone way over and beyond what most people call a show car, making it one of the finest Sunbeam Harrington Alpines in existence today. This is a concurs winning vehicle and has been seen at many events including Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, Palo Alto, and more.

This phenomenal Series II vehicle was manufactured January 21, 1961 at the Bristol Siddeley assembly plant and is currently documented on the Harrington Alpine registry.  Harringtons were equipped with the famous Harwell engine, a 1592cc 1.6 liter inline 4 cylinder engine producing 80 hp with a top speed of 98.6 mph. This particular Harrington features upgraded twin Weber carburetors, producing 115 hp. The overdrive transmission was replaced with a five speed to handle the increase in power and to allow freeway cruising.

A true collector will cherish the interesting heritage of this iconic right hand drive British automobile by famed race engine builder George Hartwell, coach builder and engineer Thomas Harrington, and legendary motor manufacturer Lord William Rootes. The trio collaborated to make a performance and styling statement of the Alpine body into a closed coupe, primarily with LeMans racing in mind.

The LeMans race is one of the most grueling and competitive races of all time, testing the driver, team, and vehicle.  For 24 hours, the vehicles are raced around a circuit at top speed, competing against opponents in an attempt to travel the farthest during the 24 hours race.  Many have trouble just staying in the race and avoiding mechanical problems.

In preparation for the 1961 LeMans race, two Sunbeam Alpines were delivered to Thomas Harrington Limited Coachbuilders in Hove, Sussex.  After extensive modifications, Sunbeam Alpine became the “Harrington Alpine.”  As with most race inspired touring cars, each Harrington was built to order.

For the 1961 LeMan race, the Sunbeam Alpine racer was driven by Peter Harper and Peter Proctor.  It finished without any faults and covered 2194 miles with an average speed of 91 mph.  It was 15th overall and second in class.  Additionally, it was also awarded the Index of Thermal Efficiency.  After a few months to commemorate this achievement, Sunbeam introduced the Harrington LeMans production coupe.  These vehicles were given fiberglass bodies by Harrington, similar to the LeMans racers. This particular vehicle is one of three remaining vehicles in the United States and one of seventeen known in existence.

The Harrington was built in limited production through 1963.  In 1965, Harrington stopped all coach building activity.  Most of the intended 250 vehicles were destined for the United States.  Due to high production costs and low profits for the company, they never achieved the goal of 250 vehicles, making this an even rarer limited production vehicle.

The Harrington Alpine is certainly a piece of automotive history and a vehicle of this caliber is a tremendous opportunity for the serious automobile collector.