1925 Sunbeam 20/60 Short Chassis Drophead Coupé

'The 20/60 was considered by many to be far superior to the Rolls Royce 20hp at a chassis price some 25% less, and it is recorded that Henry Royce communicated from his home in Le Canadel in the South of France to those in Derby, 'keep an eye on what is going on at Sunbeam's, with a particular regard to this model.' - Bruce Dowell, Sunbeam: The Supreme Car

The arrival of designer Louis Coatalen at Sunbeam in 1909, and the pursuit of an effective competitions programme, enabled Sunbeam to establish a formidable reputation prior to WWI, its superbly made products enjoying a reputation rivalling that of the best from Alvis and Bentley thereafter.

Introduced at the 1923 Olympia Motor Show and priced at £950 for the tourer model, the first 20hp Sunbeam of the post-war era enjoyed a production life in its initial form of only two years, being superseded by a new Twenty in 1926. The first Twenty featured a stout chassis frame and was powered by a 3,181cc overhead-valve 'six. This engine retained separate cylinder block and crankcase castings, and was fed by a Claudel Hobson carburettor mounted on the off-side while the auxiliaries, including water pump, dynamo and magneto, sat on the near-side. The right-hand change gearbox incorporated four forward speeds and reverse gear, with 'torque tube' drive to the rear axle, while the Twenty's suspension was typical of the day, with half-elliptic springs at the front and cantilever springs at the rear. According to Dowell, only 1,560 of the early-type Twenty were produced, of which only 45-or-so survive.

Most of Sunbeam's 20/60 models were bodied at the factory, however this elegant example has been 'suited and booted' by Brainsby of Peterborough. There were several other Sunbeams bodied by Brainsby in this period, but most were open tourers, making this Doctors Coupé a notable exception. The coachwork is rakish and desirable with the hood easily folding back for convertible motoring and to the rear is a spacious dickey seat for two additional passengers.

The car was subject to a body-off restoration in the late 1980s with a photographic record being kept, and since then it's has been used at home and abroad including an ascent of the mighty Stelvio pass in Italy. During recent ownerships, it's been continually fettled and improved. The recipient of substantial expenditure, and it shows. It's finished in a verdant leaf green over a lovely shade of pastel green and the black hood is well-lined, in good order and folds back easily after releasing two catches. The interior is upholstered in a lovely burgundy leather throughout, with just the right amount of ageing to feel like a favourite arm chair, and  the woodwork is equally fine with a dashboard that extends forwards to the delightfully raked Vee windscreen. A large Klaxon is fitted to the bulkhead next to an original brass Pyrex fire extinguisher, with a more modern item stowed in the tool box that sits atop the nearside running board. Under the bonnet, the 3-litre six is well detailed and tidy and we understand starts readily and exhibits really strong performance running easily in modern traffic.

This is a fine, rare, large-engined vintage car that appears to be in first-rate running condition with a strong, powerful engine and far more sporting character than an equivalent Rolls-Royce of the period. It's a good looking car fitted with rare, possibly unique, coachwork and would be welcome anywhere.