Early Edition: 1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series II – SOLD!

December 17, 2022, Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

The Sunbeam Alpine received many styling and engineering updates during its eleven-year production run from 1959 through 1968. So much so that its British manufacturer, Rootes Group, labeled the cars with “Series” to indicate the significant changes made.  1963 is an interesting model year in particular, as the early part of the model year offered Series II examples before Rootes Group changed production to Series III.

The seller of this 1963 Sunbeam Alpine, originally listed in November 2022 on Craigslist in Culleoka, Tennesee (Nashville), does not call out which series their black over bright red example is.  However, the rounded roll-up windows, horizontally-stored spare tire, and other small details have us thinking this is an early model year series II.  Please comment below if we are wrong about this and why.

Once offered for $22,000, Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is above the five-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for second-generation Sunbeam Alpines produced between 1959 and 1968.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the Sunbeam featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls above this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $18,000.

British automobile manufacturer Rootes Group produced the Sunbeam Alpine as a two-seat convertible sports car from 1959 to 1968 in five series. The example presented here is a Series II produced between 1960 and early 1963.  While Series II cars continued featuring styling elements mimicking Ford’s 1957 Ford Thunderbird, the most notable upgrade for these cars was an enlarged 1,592 cc (97.1 cubic inch) engine producing 80 brake horsepower combined with a slightly revised rear suspension. When it was replaced in the spring of 1963 by the Series III, just under 20,000 had been produced.

The TorqO YouTube Channel features this 1959 Rootes Group promotional video launching the then-new Sunbeam Alpine:

If you prefer the ’57 Thunderbird styling cues of the earlier Series I and II examples, this 1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series II appears to be a nice example featuring a recent restoration. The seller indicates their Sunbeam needs “a couple of minor things to make it complete”, making this example a nice car to tinker with over the winter to have it fully sorted in time for next spring.

Here’s the seller’s description:

Show or go: What would you do with this restored 1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series II?  Please comment below and let us know!