Joining the Museum’s permanent collection in late 2025, this car was bred for motorsport. Appropriately finished in the colour Alpine Mist, it competed in the Alpine Rally of 1954.

The car started life as a Sunbeam-Talbot 90 drophead coupé that was converted into a two-seater rally car by Bournemouth-based Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell. Such was the success of the ‘Hartwell Special’, it caught the eye of Rootes management and they made a production version, the Sunbeam Alpine.

Named after the previous successes of Sunbeam-Talbot saloons in the notoriously dangerous Alpine Rally, the new car was announced in 1953 and soon gained a tuned version for motorsport. The Special had a limited production planned of 120, although the actual number made was probably half of that.

The first Specials included six Rootes Works cars made for the 1953 Alpine Rally. This car was prepared by the Works (but not entered in the official team) for the 1954 Alpine Rally. It was the toughest Alpine event to date due to extreme weather conditions. This car came 30th overall, amongst 54 finishers, and sixth in its class with Brit Ian “Tiny” Lewis at the wheel and co-driver J. Orr.