Classic Sunbeam car found in Staffordshire barn sells for more than £18,000

The 1954 Sunbeam Alpine MK1 rally car, one of 200 known survivors, was expected to fetch between £15,000 to £20,000.

Now it has sold for a total of £18,400 online by H&H Auctioneers following its discovery in the county.

The vehicle was found in a barn in Biddulph Moor, part of the Staffordshire moorlands, after it had embarked on a career of being a rally car.

Manufacturer Rootes Group – which built the vehicles – used the Sunbeam name and badge which originated in Wolverhampton.

The Sunbeam car shot to fame after a similar car was driven by Stirling Moss – and featured in the 1955 film To Catch A Thief.

The Sunbeam Alpine – which had its body made by Birmingham firm Mulliners Ltd – included its original logbook and FIA HVIF (Historic Vehicle Identity Form) papers.

It was acquired by Robert Stephenson Clarke Esq from Sussez on August 1, 1954, and was later transferred to Yorkshire until Bill Purser's ownership in 1979-80.

The car, registration OLR 446, had been partially renovated by this time with a more thorough restoration taking place – including new sills and rear wheel arches, plus an engine overhaul, re-trimmed interior and fresh hood.

It belonged to Phil Surtees of Biddulph Moor by the mid-1990s where it contested the Targa Rusticana rally in 1994 and the following year, the Welsh Retro in 1996 and the Robin Hood Forest Stages in 1998.

The vehicle also took part in the Dubai International in 1998 and the UAE International rallies the following year.

The boot still housed a selection of spares in an old ammunition case, with the dashboard playing host to some additional switches and an auxiliary rev counter.

Modifications include a slightly later Sunbeam MKIII engine, Kenlowe fan, uprated air filter and gear lever mounted overdrive switch.

Despite being dry stored for the past two decades or so, the Sunbeam has been running recently courtesy of a slave battery and jury-rigged fuel system.