Much has been said about the legendary Aston Martin, but if we go back to the original Bond, to the literary one, the car par excellence is another British brand, Bentley, the favorite of the father of the creature,
Ian Fleming (1908-1964). In his first novel, “Casino Royale”, the spy in His Majesty’s service rolls in a 1933 Bentley which he will destroy in “Moonraker”. And in the rest of the novels (“Thunderball”; “Nevar Say, Nevar Again” and “Role of Honor”) he stays true to the models of the firm that
Walter Owen Bentley.
In 1962, «Doctor No» appears on the screens. Bond, played by Sean Connery, drives his light-blue Sunbeam Alpine convertible in Jamaica on his way to meet the enigmatic Miss Taro. For this shoot, the production company even had to rent the Sunbeam to a doctor on the island, as this was the most economical solution as there was no budget left…
Launched in 1959, the Sunbeam Alpine takes the name from the 1953 2.3 model, a name derived from the triumphs, in the 1950s,
of the Sunbeam-Talbots in the Alpine Cupjust like the French
Jean Redele although this will use the Alpine name not only for a model, but also to christen its brand.
But back to the English patio and our main character. The Sunbeam Alpine, with the Triumph TR4 and MGA and then MGB, will form the most famous trio of British mid-range roadsters of the 1960s. All of them, thanks to their success in the United States, will be a good source of dollar revenue for the UK brands.
To keep costs down, Alpine will turn to the Rootes Group’s organ bench.
The motor is thus derived from the one used by the Sunbeam Rapier, while the platform is derived from that of the Hillman Husky II. Of course, it abandons the traditional stringer chassis and adopts a modern monocoque structure. Final assembly will take place at Bristol Siddeley in Coventry.
Its highly successful exterior design often makes it a seductive convertible, with its accentuated and distinctive rear wings. Conceived in the year 1957,
the Alpine is equipped with a 1.5 liter four-cylinder block from the Rapier Series II released around the same time. As for the latter, it benefits from an aluminum cylinder head, a new rear axle and front disc brakes. With two carburettors, the power increases to 78 hp, with which it can exceed 155 km/h.
Improved over the years,
the Sunbeam Alpine has four evolutions. In 1960 he inherits the 80 hp 1.6 liter engine (Alpine II), the version corresponding to that of Sean Connery in «Doctor No». Three years later, the Alpine III appears, coinciding with the transfer of car assembly to the Rootes plant in Ryton. The convertible gets a new dashboard and a second version called GT is built in. It is a coupé that is made simple by mounting a hardtop or hardtop on the convertible. Although this hardtop can be removed, the softtop and associated mechanism disappear. Better finish, but less powerful (77 hp compared to 82 for the convertible), very few copies of this coupé are made, which will have a short commercial life.
The Alpine III, which was only produced for one year, gives way to the IV in 1964. The design has undergone a remarkable transformation. To give this model a new commercial boost, Rootes changed the front end and above all trimmed the characteristic pointed rear wings. Undoubtedly, the latter rejuvenates the model so that the rear part is no longer like that from the end of the fifties, but it also loses its personality, its original style. And technically
a fully synchronized gearbox is built inas in all other Rootes models, while a Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission is available for models exported to the US market.
In 1965, the latest version, the Alpine V, extends the life of the model until 1968. It mounts a new 1,725 cc four-cylinder engine from the Rootes group, in this case powered by two Zenith-Stromberg carburettors, and its power reaches 92 hp.
Nevertheless, it did not exceed the mythical value of a hundred miles per hour (over 160 km/h) and the sportier riders saw it as inferior to its rivals TR4 and MGB.
However, we must not forget that with the body of the IV there was a very powerful Sunbeam Alpine. Let’s go to April 18, 1964 at the New York Auto Show. At the Rootes stand, a Sunbeam Alpine catches the eye of visitors: on the hood is a cute stuffed tiger. And when the curious approach the car, they discover a transparent hood through which the new 1.7 engine of the next Alpine V is not visible,
but a spectacular V8 from the Ford Fairlane. Carroll Shelby, the father of the AC Cobra, was brought in to carry out this project that coincided in both cases: a British roadster equipped with the powerful American V-eighth engine. Baptized as Tiger, most of its development was carried out by the legendary pilot
Ken Miles, the one to thank for the triumphs of the Ford GT 40 at Le Mans but for whom a questionable decision of his team brought him the victory that agreed, in justice, in the 24 hours of 1966.
The Sunbeam Tiger had practically “cracked” that engine into the small space provided for a four-cylinder, to the point that two of the eight spark plugs had to be replaced from inside the cab, not the engine bay. Pleasant to drive on dry roads, on wet asphalt it was a bit delicate, just as the brakes (discs at the front and drums at the rear) were reasonable for the performance of this version that can reach more than 190 kilometers per hour.
In each case,
both the Alpine and the Tiger have extensive competition prizesboth on the track and in rallies.
The Sunbeam Alpine didn’t just play along with
Sean Connery in “Doctor No” but also in others. For example, in “Get Carter” (“Relentless Assassin”) from the year 1971, from the director
Mike HodgeActor Michael Caine is rescued by a woman driving a white 1968 Sunbeam Alpine.
Maxwell Smart use a tiger
In 1963, in “From Russia with Love”, Bond appears in the opening scenes with a 4.5-litre Bentley Sports Tourer, one of Ian Fleming’s favorite cars. But that, you know, is another story.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
