1958 Sunbeam Rapier Series II

1958 Sunbeam Rapier Series II in Ghost Squad, TV Series, 1961-1964 Ep. 1.10

Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin:

00:37:11 Minor action vehicle or used in only a short scene

Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
dsl ◊ 2022-04-17 22:46	Rapier is S2; S3 had bigger windscreen and more bars in side grilles. RU 3 was Bournemouth, 1925. No works Rapier ever used that number, and there was no Rapier #303 on 1959/60/61 Montes. We've identified this vehicle using the details you provided JAGUAR XK AUTO 2007 Registration number: RU 3 Body type: Sports Colour: Red Date of first registration: January 2007
dsl ◊ 2022-04-20 18:02	... however I think it is a genuine rally Rapier (unlike the other cars in this ep which look like ordinary porridge with racing numbers and rally plates). As a Bournemouth plate RU 3 links with George Hartwell (ex-F3 racer, and boss of the big Rootes dealership of same name) who tuned lots of Rootes-jewels (including apparently inspiring Rootes to convert the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 into the first Sunbeam Alpine), prepared and drove semi-works Rapiers for a couple of events in late 50s. Hartwell later ran successful racing Imps. So a genuine rally Rapier (maybe one of the ex-works S2s sold off at start of 1960 season and re-registered with the Hartwell plate??) but not a Monte car. Or it's the semi-works Rapier from the 1958 Alpine Rally which Hartwell and "Tiny" Lewis drove to 17th place, with #303 and which was registered with RU 3. No photos found to confirm colour/details, but the rally plaque in picture could easily be from that event.
Exiv96 ◊ 2022-05-06 22:35	It is a Coupe des Alpes rally plate. Here's one from 1958. Link to "content-eu.invisioncic.com"

Author

Message

dsl

◊ 2022-04-17 22:46

Rapier is S2; S3 had bigger windscreen and more bars in side grilles. RU 3 was Bournemouth, 1925. No works Rapier ever used that number, and there was no Rapier #303 on 1959/60/61 Montes.

We've identified this vehicle using the details you provided
JAGUAR XK AUTO 2007
Registration number: RU 3
Body type: Sports
Colour: Red
Date of first registration: January 2007

dsl

◊ 2022-04-20 18:02

... however I think it is a genuine rally Rapier (unlike the other cars in this ep which look like ordinary porridge with racing numbers and rally plates). As a Bournemouth plate RU 3 links with George Hartwell (ex-F3 racer, and boss of the big Rootes dealership of same name) who tuned lots of Rootes-jewels (including apparently inspiring Rootes to convert the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 into the first Sunbeam Alpine), prepared and drove semi-works Rapiers for a couple of events in late 50s. Hartwell later ran successful racing Imps.

So a genuine rally Rapier (maybe one of the ex-works S2s sold off at start of 1960 season and re-registered with the Hartwell plate??) but not a Monte car. Or it's the semi-works Rapier from the 1958 Alpine Rally which Hartwell and "Tiny" Lewis drove to 17th place, with #303 and which was registered with RU 3. No photos found to confirm colour/details, but the rally plaque in picture could easily be from that event.

Exiv96

◊ 2022-05-06 22:35

It is a Coupe des Alpes rally plate. Here's one from 1958.

Link to "content-eu.invisioncic.com"

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1958 Sunbeam Rapier Series II