One of the most beautiful classic cars we have reviewed, the Sunbeam Talbot MK1 Alpine Coupe Roadster. Everyone who has seen this car has loved it, even people who are not big fans of classic cars. Get a closer look in this video review…

Video Transcript

Welcome to another Classic Car Buyer video review. Today we have a 1953 Sunbeam Alpine Coupe, finished in this stunning sapphire blue colour which is sure to grab the attention of anyone who lays eyes on it. I love the shape of this car, with the long front-end and that bold front-on view with the chrome grille and chrome bumper, and that retro looking black registration plate, everything compliments one and other perfectly. 

As you walk around this car you can see just how well it has been restored. It’s hard to believe that this car is 67 years old. As I said before, everything compliments each other perfectly, even down to the wheels which have been finished in the same colour blue as the bodywork, with the chrome hub, and then white paint line around the tire. There’s also more chrome on the wing mirrors, and around the windscreen too. As we keep walking around the car you get a glimpse of the beautiful tan interior of the car, which works so well with this fantastic sapphire blue.

This car has a big back-end as well, with great sleek lines and fabulous curves. There is more chrome on the rear-end too, with a chrome bumper, chrome accents on the lights, chrome handle for boot access, and a chrome cap for the petrol tank, and as we walk around to the side profile view of the Sunbeam, you can see those fabulous curves running from the front headlights, along the side body of the car. Fantastic.

Here’s a few close up angles of this car, so you can truly appreciate its great classic shape, and the level of detail and work that has gone into its restoration.

Now, let’s take a look at this gorgeous interior. As you can see, the chrome theme carries on inside the car, with chrome being used for the handles, the handbrake, to accent controls along the dashboard, and on the steering wheel too. The interior is finished in this fantastic tan leather, with the same sapphire blue from the exterior of the vehicle being used on the dashboard too. 

With the roof off the car, it opens the cabin up, making it feel really spacious. Obviously if you had the roof on, it doesn’t feel quite as spacious, but it’s still very comfortable and offers an adequate amount of space for you and one passenger. 

As you would expect from a car of 67 years, there’s not a great deal of things going on, on the dashboard. There’s not much more than your speedometer, rev counter, warning lights panel,, and some controls for the cars lights. One thing you might notice is the odd position of the key to turn on the ignition, it’s situated right in the middle of the dashboard. Behind the seats you have a little bit of storage space, although you wouldn’t fit much more than a briefcase in there. 

Under the bonnet you can see the engine, as well as everything else you would expect to see. This car’s engine is a 2,267cc or 2.3 litre 4-cylinder engine, giving off 97.5 bhp at 4,500 rpm. There were only 1,582 Alpine MK I and MK III’s built (there was no MK II), and from these, 961 were exported to the USA and Canada, 445 stayed in the UK, and 175 went to other world markets. In 2000 it was estimated that as few as 200 of these cars had survived. 

Now, let’s take it for a drive…. It starts the first time with no issues, and after a few revs to make sure everything is good, off we go… It drives really well, there’s certainly nothing unpleasant about driving this car. It is a little wollowy, but no more than what you would expect from a car of this age. 

Although this is a classic sports car and you would expect it to have fierce acceleration and sharp brakes, it doesn’t. But again, that’s because of the era this car was built in. The brakes are more progressive, and the acceleration is very gentle. 

There’s plenty of space here in the cabin, and with the roof cover off on a day like today, bringing the outdoors inside the cabin, it’s a real pleasure to drive.

This 1953 Sunbeam Alpine is a fantastic classic car. It’s beautiful to look at, it’s been restored to a very high level, it’s comfortable, and it’s fun to drive – what more could you ask for? I hope you have enjoyed this video, if you have, please remember to like and subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss any of our upcoming classic car video reviews!