page_title: Sunbeam Motor Car Company
section_title: Production cars
hierarchical_section_title: Sunbeam Motor Car Company / Products / Production cars
caption_attribution_description: 1934 Sunbeam Speed Twenty sports saloon (DVLA) first registered 31 December 1933, 2916 cc 2014 - VSCC Autumn Sprint, Goodwood
context_page_description: Sunbeam Motor Car Company Limited was a British motor car manufacturer with its works at Moorfields in Blakenhall, a suburb of Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire, now West Midlands. Its Sunbeam name had been registered by John Marston in 1888 for his bicycle manufacturing business. Sunbeam motor car manufacture began in 1901. The motor business was sold to a newly incorporated Sunbeam Motor Car Company Limited in 1905 to separate it from Marston's pedal bicycle business; Sunbeam motorcycles were not made until 1912.
  In-house designer Coatalen's enthusiasm for motor racing accumulated expertise with engines. Sunbeam manufactured their own aero engines during the First World War and 647 aircraft to the designs of other manufacturers. Engines drew Sunbeam into Grand Prix racing and participation in the achievement of world land speed records.
  In spite of its well-regarded cars and aero engines, by 1934 a long period of particularly slow sales had brought continuing losses. Sunbeam was unable to repay money borrowed for ten years in 1924 to fund its Grand Prix racing programme, and a receiver was appointed.
context_section_description: When at its height in the 1920s, Sunbeam Motor Car Company's Moorfield works employed 3,500 staff on their 50-acre site. The buildings covered 15 acres.
  Under VSCC rules all cars made in Wolverhampton at least qualify as post-vintage thoroughbreds. All cars built before the end of the First World War are covered by the VCC.
  Coatalen's obsession with improvement meant that there were numerous small changes in models from year to year. Therefore, although his designs are basically similar, few parts are interchangeable. Two models dominated production:
  1920–24 16 hp, 16/40, 24 hp, 24/60 and 24/70 all based on pre-war designs
  1922–23 14 hp, the first post-war four-cylinder
  1924 12/30 and 16/50 only produced in small numbers
  1924–26 14/40 and big brother 20/60 developed from 14 hp with two more cylinders added.
  1926–30   3-litre Super Sports, Sunbeam's Bentley rival.
  1926–30 16 hp (known as "16.9") and 20 hp (known as "20.9"). Two new designs with six-cylinder integral cast iron block and crankcase. Both were produced over many years. The 20.9 with a 3-litre engine producing 70 bhp shared components with the 3-litre Super Sports (brakes, suspension, steering, axles, gearbox, transmission).
  1926–32 20/60 developed into 25 hp with bore increased from 75 to 80 mm. A few 8-cylinder cars produced in this period, 30 hp & 35 hp.
  1930–32 16 hp bore increased from 67 to 70 mm, (known as "18.2").
  1931–33 New model 20 hp (known as "23.8") introduced with 80 mm bore and 7 main bearings rated at 23.8 hp.
  1933–34 New model Speed 20 consisting of 20.9 hp engine resurrected with improved exhaust manifold and downdraught carb installed in new cruciform braced chassis.
  1933 18.2 hp engine installed in Speed 20 chassis and renamed 'Twenty'.
  1933–35 Twenty-Five introduced with modified 1931–33 23.8 hp engine.
  1934 Twenty given the 20.9 engine in place of the 18.2.
  1934–35 Dawn introduced. 12.8 engine and IFS.
  1935 Speed 20 renamed Sports 21 with redesigned body style.
  1935 Sports 21 given a high compression version of Twenty-Five engine.
  The most successful, judged by volumes, was the 16 hp (16.9) followed by 20 hp (20.9) made from 1926 to 1930. Whilst the 16 was solid and very reliable, it was a little underpowered at 2.1 litres; the 20.9 made a big jump to 3 litres and 70 bhp (52 kW; 71 PS) with similar body weight and vacuum servo brakes and was capable of 70 mph (110 km/h).
  Sunbeam built their own bodies but also supplied to the coachbuilder trade; many limousines were built on Sunbeam chassis. The sales catalogue illustrates the standard body designs.
  Financial difficulties arose in the early years of the Great Depression and just before the opening of the October 1934 Olympia Motor Show an application was made to the court for an appointment of a receiver and manager for the two major subsidiaries of S T D, Sunbeam and Automobiles Talbot France. Clément-Talbot remained profitable and was sold to the Rootes brothers. It proved impossible for the directors to avoid the appointment of a receiver to Sunbeam Motor Car Company and S T D was unable to complete its sale to Rootes. However six months later in July 1935 Rootes Securities announced they had bought Sunbeam Motor Car Company and its subsidiary Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles.
  The following cars were built by Sunbeam Motor Car Company Limited.
caption: 1934 20 sports saloon
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