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Ok, I know it’s not a Mini or even BMC but I was wondering someone might be able to help me identify some parts.

We brought a 1960 Sunbeam Rapier Series 3 about a year ago, over the last year the car has revealed its interesting history.
The car was owned by Ray Cutler from 1964 until 2005, Ray was a Rootes dealer in the early 60’s (the family garage Cutlers of Streetly near Walsall is still going strong). Being a Rootes dealer Ray had access to the Rootes competition department and developed the car for hillclimbs and sprints. Ray developed the car through the 60’s and in the early seventies parked the car in his showroom. The car has had paint and other bits, but is still essentially the same car having never been restored or touched since the 60’s. The car appears to be completely standard but closer inspection shows there are few things that haven’t been modified or tweaked from extended wheel studs and drilled bumper irons to Armstrong adjustable dampers and Webber 42’s.

I was wondering if anyone can help me identify the seats, I have never seen any like these before, they are fibreglass buckets that have been very nicely trimmed up, any ideas? The other interesting piece is the gear knob, it looks like a Speedwell alloy item but I don’t recognise the logo, has anyone seen one of these before?

I believe that most of the Rally stuff was added for the 1983 Lombard RAC Golden Fifty, the last time she was out in anger!
Any help would be great, perhaps someone remembers the car?

The seats are early Sprinzel Rally 3, you will find it in the Derrington section on this site. I think the year is 1961 in this article.

WHAT A FANTASTIC CAR!

What do you use it for now?

It is so rare to find something in such an un-buggered about with state, the phrase "a real time warp car" is much over used, but in the case of this car I can't think of any other way to describe it.

Of, I agree with RTJ about the seats;

what a great looking car

RTJ wrote:The seats are early Sprinzel Rally 3, you will find it in the Derrington section on this site. I think the year is 1961 in this article.

Hi,
Just to avoid any confusion ,the seats in this pic are are the earliest 'Microcell' Contour 6's though.

Contour51,

I'll be bringing you one of those down to work your magic on when I collect my Mocrocell recliners.

what a fantastic car,
I'd hope my own rally would have come to me as complete as yours - even with later additions, they still look the part.
Instead, my car was stripped of its rally parts - mechanicals and interior additions.
This Sunbeam really is rare and superb !

Not a big Rootes fan but that is a belter !

Thanks for the info on the seats and all the comments everyone. Thanks also RTJ sor that cutting, there are some works pictures that I have never seen there before.

We hope to use the car again for some competition, it will probably come out for a few road rallies and possibly some hills and sprints, but nothing to harsh. It will need some silencing as it still has the original side exit exhaust which is very loud (but wonderful)

Any thoughts on where the gearknob came from?

Woaw - what a nice car love all the original rally bits
rare to see such a unmolested example.

I am afriad I have absolutely no idea on the gear lever logo, sorry.

mk1 wrote:Contour51,

I'll be bringing you one of those down to work your magic on when I collect my Mocrocell recliners.

Mark,
I 'll look forward to that.
Regards
Gareth

"Ray developed the car through the 60’s and in the early seventies parked the car in his showroom".

Having lived in and around 'Streetly 'all my life,I also remember it being continuely parked in the showroom and occasionally had a peer through the window at it,on my way for a 'sherbet' or 2 in the 'Hardwick Arms' next door .
I was very suprised to learn that 'Cutlers of Streetly' were still going,I was under the impression that Ray's son David had retired after selling the dealership on the 'Chester Road' .a few years ago to property developers.

Regarding the gear knob emblem,
just a wild guess.
'West Bromwich Steering Wheel Club" (very active in the 60's) or 'Shenstone and Distict Car Club'??????????

Nice Rapier. Some more pics of it here, on the Classic Harvest Tour, two months ago,
http://www.classicharvesttour.co.uk/201 ... %2020.html





Entry list - it's car no.20,
http://www.classicharvesttour.co.uk/acht2010.htm

Anyone got a life saving swimming certiticate on them? Ozzies?

austinisuseless wrote:

Wow, seperated at birth!



Tim

Thanks to everyone for posting the replies. Its wonderful to hear that contour51 remembers the that car from when it was at Cutlers. I am happy to have identified the seats, If anyone has a pair I can recommend them, they are very lightweight and surprisingly comfortable.