ANTHONY BLIGHT, a lawyer, spent eight years in writing his excellent book "GEORGE ROESCH THE INVINCIBLE TALBOT". At page 451 in the chapter titled "The Fastest Touring Car in the World", he says, "A combination of the threat of war and the shortcomings of the car had finally killed the straight eight "Sunbeam" and the four existing engines were broken up - though a rumour persists that one survived and has been seen in a power boat". "The Sunbeam chassis returned to Conventry to re-emerge in due course as Humbers".
Since I have owned the car I have tried to trace its history for the missing period and I was very surprised to notice that it appears to be identical to the SUNBEAM THIRTY CONTINENTAL PHATEON OF 1936. I am conviced that it is in fact the same car, re-engined and re-badged by Rootes and sold as a Humber with the chassis number 6000730 which indicates that it is a Humber Imperial 1938.
Published advertising material shows the Imperial of 1938 to be two door (not four door as my car!), vents to the side of scuttle (not on top!), different headlamps and side lamps, no spotlights, different windscreen pillars, pressed steel 'easiclean' wheels (not wire!), different mudguards, different running boards, different doors and hinges, no rug rack.
DEFINITELY NOT MY CAR !!!
Materials in my possession clearly show my car to be identical to the SUNBEAM THIRTY CONTINETAL PHATEON with a few changes to minor details which became necessary when the car was fitted with a smaller H.P. six cylinder Humber engine of 4086 cc as a replacement for the original straight eight George Roesch 41/2 litre engine.
These differences are;
Tyre size reduced to 16" diameter from 17" diameter
Removal of tachometer
DOCUMENTS IN MY POSSESSION ARE AS FOLLOWS;
Chassis drawing of Sunbeam Motors Ltd. London, date
24/9/36, Coachbuilders Plan No. 101224
Sales brochure, Sunbeam Motors, Original Document
"A Phateon on the Sunbeam Thirty Continental Chassis"
Engine Introduction by George Roesch
Letter from Anthony Blight, reproduced in STD
Journal No. 87 1970
Letter from Mike Messenger "MR ROESCH'S SUNBEAM"
reproduced in STD Journal No. 86 1969
"GEORGE ROESCH THE INVINCIBLE TALBOT" by
Anthony Blight pp. 440-441, 451-455, 6-9
"OLD MOTOR" The Long Lost Sunbeam Thirty
by Jonathan Edwards January 1980 pp. 12-14
"The Cars That Got Away" by Michael
Frostick
ROOTES LTD. Production Register details, Chassis No
600730 O/N 16209 8/3/38
Letter Stuart Peck to Editors STD Journal dated
October 5 1978, copy
"THE ROOTES BROTHERS" by Jonn Bullock pp.
68-74
"CARS OF THE ROOTES GROUP" by Graham
Robson pp. 103-105
"WHEELS OF MISFORTUNE" by Jonathon Wood
"BRITISH CARS OF THE LATE THIRTIES" by
Warne
Sales brochure "The Sunbeam Thirty Continental
Chassis", original document by George Roesch
Advertisement "The AutoCar" 9 October 1936
Drawing "An Eight Cylinder Sunbeam (Pratt) The
Autocar
Advertising Article "Modern Motoring"
November 1936
Supplement to "Modern Motoring" October
1936 "Announcing the New Sunbeam"
Advertising Article "Modern Motoring"
December 1936
Stone & Cox Motor Specifications and Prices"
1937 pp. 268-269
"Motoring Entente" Appendix 1. pp. 338-340
"Motoring Entente" pp. 273-287
"THE MOTOR" October 20 1936 p. 570, copy
showing photo of car p. 559
"THE MOTOR" October 14 1936 p. 466-467,
article
"THE MOTOR" October 14 1936 p. 514-515,
with photo of front of car (identical apart from rad cowl)
"THE AUTOCAR" October 23 1936 p. 835,
photo
"THE AUTOCAR" October 16 1936 p. 722,
report p 775-778 report
"THE AUTOCAR" October 9 1936 p. 672-673,
article, chassis drawing
"THE MOTOR" September 29 1936 p. 355,
report
"THE MOTOR" November 17 1936 p. 783,
Scottish Motor Show
"THE MOTOR" February 23 1937 p. 125, photo
"THE MOTOR" April 13 1937 p. 453,
specification and price list
"THE AUTOCAR" November 13 1936 p. 1011,
Report on Scottish Motor Show
"SHOW GUIDE" London 1936 pp. 50-51, pp.
206-207
"MOTOR SPORT" October - November 1936 p.
460, report
"MOTOR SPORT" December 1952 p. 547,
article
"THE MOTOR" April 12 1938 p. 479-480,
report on "Snipe Imperial"
Two Essays in the Magnificent pp. 66-72
STD Register Article Issue 338 April 1 1999, Ben
Yates p. 23
to be continued, perdona me!
From studying all the specifications and picture I have quoted, I am convinced that the car I have is the "Sunbeam Thirty Continental Phateon" re-engined and sold as a Humber Imperial to Mr (or Mrs) V.P. MOBBS in March 1938 and registered as EXB 705
Any assistance in providing answers to the following will be greatly appreciated;
Who was V.P. MOBBS?
Does the original 8 cyl engine still exist?
What happened to the car during the period 1938 -
1957?
Any information about the conversion from Sunbeam to
Humber?