1980 Lotus Sunbeam

The Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus was one of the most exciting hot hatchbacks to emerge from the 1970s. It originally came about because Chrysler commissioned Lotus to produce an effective entrant for international Group 4 rallying - to beat the dominant Ford Escort RSs at their own game. Lotus took a 1.6GLS shell and installed a 2.2-litre type 911 version of the Lotus 16-valve four-cylinder engine and a five-speed ZF gearbox. The new Sunbeam-Lotus certainly looked the part - it was initially offered only in black and silver, with Marchal spotlights mounted above the front bumper and tailored 'double four-spoke' cast-alloy wheels. Launched in 1979, the 2174cc twin-cam engine breathed through two twin-choke Dell'Orto carburettors, developed 150bhp and delivered excellent performance. It proved effective in rallying, winning the challenging 1980 Lombard-RAC event. The road-going version proved quick and balanced, although it was priced higher than the comparable Chevette HS or Escort RS2000.

Supplied new by Cathedral Garage Ltd of Bristol in April of 1980, MLH 944V has led a very pampered life and has been meticulously maintained over the years. We are informed by the vendor that there is paperwork showing a Mr Philips purchasing the car in November of 1984 from Cathedral Garage, at which point the mileage was 19000. Incredibly, Mr Phillips owned the car for 29 years and kept a meticulous record of expenditure on the car. The car is supplied with all its original dealer handpack and books, MoT certificates and 2 sets of keys. The current mileage of 55,500 is obviously warranted and also confirms this to be a matching numbers car.

We are told that in 2001, Mr Phillips decided the black paintwork was looking a little flat and decided to pay for a bare metal, windows out repaint which was carried out by Falcon Restorations near Bath at a cost of £6,554.12. A photographic documentation with invoicing is included in the sale of this car and merely emphasises the attention to detail that this car has received over the years. The black paintwork is smooth and blemish free, shut lines are spot on and the overall stance of the car looks exactly right. This level of care and attention is continued under the bonnet and in the cockpit. The spotless and leak-free Lotus twin cam is complimented by a very tidy engine bay while the interior looks much as it did when it was delivered in 1980.

The roarty four cylinder delivers the kind of sound you want from a British sports car, with no smoke or signs of overheating. Like every good Lotus, the precise steering and communicative chassis make driving this car a rich and rewarding experience. Reassuringly, in December 2012, MLH 944V was taken to marque specialist Skip Brown Cars in Cheshire for a major service, cambelt change and vehicle inspection report. Suffice to say this car is reported to be in beautiful condition throughout and is now also offered with a fresh MoT. This is a car that's been cosseted; we doubt you will find a better example anywhere, so if you're in the market we would suggest you form an orderly queue.