1983 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus Series 2

Series 2 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus finished in Moonstone Blue with original 'Piccadilly' trim

DAC 30Y is one of the final batch

Only four previous owners from new (one for 26 years). 68,000miles supported by 20 old MoT Certificates

Totally standard apart from rear Bilstein shock absorbers and all new front Gaz adjustables

Remarkably original interior. Factory trim still looking fresh, original Philips AC480 radio still in place.

This cracking little TSL will tick all the boxes for the collector of iconic 1980's hot hatches

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 their 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.

The final batch of cars was sold through a single dealer, Arbury, and these cars were all registered in sequence bearing the marks DAC 2Y to DAC 141Y

'DAC 30Y' is a Series 2 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus finished in Moonstone Blue with original 'Piccadilly' trim and was registered in the UK on 14th January 1983. It has covered a genuine 68,000miles which is supported by 20 old MoT Certificates and a current one valid until October 2019. It's supplied with its original book pack/Lotus supplement book/Service book and lots of bills and invoiced history. In 2014, a further £3,500 was invested in mechanical attention with the respected Sunbeam specialists, Skip Brown Cars, and more recently £4,500 has been spent on restoration work mainly to tidy up under the bonnet. Only four previous owners from new and owned by our vendor for 5 years with his predecessor caring for it for 26 years. The car is totally standard apart from rear Bilstein shock absorbers and all new front Gaz adjustables with alloy top mounts, a massive improvement. The interior is also remarkably original, with the factory Piccadilly trim still looking fresh and the original Philips AC480 radio still in place. The spare alloy wheel appears to have been there since the car was new and is still wearing its Pirelli CN 36.

Having just benefitted from a new Lotus oil filter and oil change (with invoice) and with the previous four MoTs being issued without any advisories, this Sunbeam Lotus with the desirable "DAC" registration will tick all the boxes for the collector of iconic 1980's hot hatches.