1955 Sunbeam-Talbot/Sunbeam 90

The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk. II and IIA and Sunbeam Mk. III are four-seater saloons and tourers produced from 1950 to 1957.

The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk. II retained the body of the Mk. I but now had a stronger chassis with a central cruciform brace, independent coil springs at the front, a hypoid bevel final drive rear axle and a 2.3-litre S4 OHV engine. It was available in four-door saloon or drophead coupe forms.

The Mk. II debuted in 1950 and the chief point of interest was the new 70bhp engine, which was based on the plant fitted to its Humber Hawk stablemate but with overhead valves in place of side valves. The top speed was now 85mph and the new Sunbeam-Talbot could be identified by its horn grilles and higher-mounted headlamps to comply with US lighting regulations. Inside, there was a better heating and ventilation system while the drophead now featured winding rear side windows. ‘An excellent all-rounder’ opined Motor Sport.

In September 1952 the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk. IIA was fitted with a higher compression cylinder head (7.42:1), increasing the power output to 77bhp. The rear wheel spats were now deleted in order to assist the cooling of the larger finned brake drums and the steering and suspension were also improved.

Two years later the range was modified as the Sunbeam Mk. III bowed, with an engine output increased to 80bhp and an exhaust manifold pipe for each cylinder, larger air intakes flanking the radiator grille and three portholes on either side of the bonnet. The top speed was 95mph and the price for the saloon was £1,127 7s 6d and the convertible was £1,198 4s 2d. Options included duotone paint finishes, a tachometer, overdrive and, just to make traditionalists irate, whitewall tyres. The Mk. III drophead was discontinued in 1955 and the saloon ceased production in 1957.

Towards the end of the Sunbeam Mk. III’s run Castles of Leicester, a major Rootes dealer, created a small number of ‘Mk. IIIS’ versions, fitted with a floor-mounted gear change in place of the standard column lever, a Halda average speed recorder, a straight-through exhaust and a Stromberg D142 carburettor. Fewer than 40 Sunbeams were so converted.

In 1952 a Mk. II driven by Sheila van Damm won the Ladies’ Prize at the MCC National Rally while in the same year Stirling Moss won a Coupe d’Or’ in the Alpine Rally and took second place in the Monte Carlo Rally. A works Mk. IIA was awarded a Team Prize in the 1953 Monte and Peter Malling’s Mk. III won the event outright in 1955.

The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk. II, Mk. IIA and Mk. III were powered by a 2,267cc S4 OHV unit with a four-speed gear change devoid of synchromesh on the bottom ratio.

The narrowness of the 90’s body denotes its pre-war origins but it performs with a liveliness that belies its years. A Mk. III with a floor gear lever and overdrive is an especially desirable machine that demands to be driven with vim and vigour.

Prospective Sunbeam-Talbot 90 buyers should look for worn coil springs in addition to the corrosion danger-points of the chassis outriggers and the side members. Replacement body panels can be exceedingly hard to find.

The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 was the Rootes Group’s last sports saloon of its type (the Rapier occupied a different sector of the market) and its demise was sorely felt by many enthusiasts. It is not blisteringly fast but the Sunbeam retains a dash that is very much its own.

Rivals to the 90 included the Jaguar 2.4 Mk.1, the Rileys RMB, RMD and Pathfinder, and the Rover P4 90 and 105S.