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It is a testament to the Sunbeam Rapier that it managed to cause a stir at the 1955 Earls Court Motor Show despite competition from the Citroën DS, the Jaguar 2.4 and the MGA to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

Every detail, from the ivory-coloured steering wheel to the two-tone paint finish denoted ‘The car that has everything!’. Yes, here was an affordable grand tourer that was so up to the minute it even lacked a starter button.

The Rapier was the successor to the Hillman Californian, the 1953 coupe version of the Minx,  in addition to allowing the long-running  Mk. III “90” to retire with grace in 1957.

It was also the first of the Rootes Group’s “Audax” medium-sized cars, with styling courtesy of Raymond Lowey Associates. Power was from the 1.4-litre OHV unit from the Minx Mk. VIII augmented by a Stromberg carburettor and featuring an enhanced compression ratio.

Rootes commenced full production in early 1956, and as a pillarless four-seater coupe the Rapier had virtually no domestic competition.

The top speed was a shade under 86 mph while the sales copy promised an ‘exhilarating’ machine. Remarkably, it offered more cabin room than the 90 although some enthusiastic drivers complained about the steering column gear lever.

The Motor praised the Sunbeam as a car for one ‘who appreciates an attractive and well-finished two door saloon in which the premium of comparatively high cost buys attention to detail in comfort, trim and silence’.

However, the editor of Motor Sport was not enthused by his test car’s ‘honey-beige and grey’ colour scheme and regarded it as ‘rather disappointing, in respect of handling and performance’.

Possibly worse from the perspective of a devoted automotive snob, the Rapier was apparently ‘more of a “hotted-up” Hillman Minx than a Gran Turismo or sports saloon’.

Dash it all; this was almost as bad as the idea of Richard Dimbleby declaring that he was a rock & roll band leader in his spare time.

Yet, the Sunbeam pre-dated the Ford Capri by almost 14 years as a cleverly devised coupe that was closely related to a family saloon.

Twin Zeniths were standardised towards the end of the year, resulting in a useful three mph increase in top speed; ‘real sports car performance’ to quote the brochure.

For £1,043 17s, you also gained a car with a genuine competition pedigree. The Peter Harper and Sheila Van Damm won a Class Victory in the 1956 Millie Miglia, as did Jimmy Ray and Ian Hall in the 1957 event. ‘Sunbeam Rapier does it again!’ boasted the advertisements, with understandable pride.

The Series II succeeded the original version in early 1958, and there was now a Talbot-style radiator grille, a floor-mounted gear lever, a convertible option and a 1.5-litre “Rallymaster” engine.

Few of the 7,477 Series Is survive, but they undoubtedly merit a place in British motoring history. Rootes claimed it was ‘the most exciting car for years’ and it was certainly a most agreeable motor-car.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limit mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.