Sixties and seventies coupes and GT cars on the affordable end of the scale are a big part of the content here, and cars like Capris and Alfetta GTs are frequent features. Sunbeam Alpines in the later Hillman Hunter-based version have interesting Barracuda-influenced styling and a powerplant that, fitted with the optional Holbay head, can produce a decent amount of power. What’s more is, if you go for this later Alpine hardtop, you get a pillarless style as a bonus. Unfortunately, the cars were never as cherished as their earlier convertible siblings, and so most of them are projects – some better, some worse. Fortunately, a fairly decent looking one has come up recently – check out this 1969 Sunbeam Alpine GT for sale for $2150 in Vancouver, WA.
Here’s a great rear three quarter shot, and you can see it’s more like the B-pillar was just pushed back behind the rear passenger window. Nonetheless, it’s got plenty of late-1960s design cues, kind of recalling a fancied-up VW type 3 fastback if you squint your eyes. The seller’s description is not very profound for the price, which seems aggressive given it’s a project – evidently, the car last ran six years ago, and that’s about the extent of it.
Picture this against a Ford Capri of the same age – which would you pick? With the right powertrain, it seems like this car might be a more appealing option, both for its rarity and styling. Slotted alloys are an appealing, period correct upgrade, though if you want to go a little fancier and more British, you might look for a set of Cosmics. The interior has clearly seen better days, but there’s plenty to work with, and the wood dash adds style to a car from a period when the all-black-plastic dash was looming. Alpines had a full assortment of gauges, too, which adds to the experience, even if they don’t all work!
Hopefully, its present damp location is not where it’s been for the last six years. If you allow yourself to be a little hopeful, this car’s just recently moved outside, and the 1725cc engine is free, so you can have it running and then undo the effects of storage. Would you consider this against a Fiat 124 coupe? Has anybody out there got experience with one of these? Please let us know in the comments!
Rusty But Trusty 
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