Why weren't there more Sunbean's sold?

[JConstable]

There are obviously a host of potential issues that coalesced to produce poor sales for Sunbeam. I was wondering the question from a reverse perspective - any idea how many Alpines are left and being cared for to some marginal degree so that they remain on the road?

John

 

[ziebellski]

I agree that one reason Sunbeams didn't sell as well here was because they arrived late to our sports car scene. Rootes also wasn't even close to the size or strength of BMC. I sometimes call Rootes the British equivalent of AMC, but in a more positive light!
I have never read anything good about Chrysler's takeover of Rootes, but one thing I am proud of was their bringing modern product to the showrooms all within a short period of time, with the Rapier (Alpine) fastback (I don't know why they chose the Barracuda styling though! Still, I wouldn't mind owning a GT fastback), the Arrow sedan, and the Avenger (Plymouth Cricket). BMC and Leyland for the most part kept giving us sports cars rooted in the 1950s and only one sedan, the Austin America (I own one-great car). While they hit the nail on the head with the Rapier, as mini-GTs were all the rage in the early 1970s, I wish they would have kept with a sports car in their lineup.
And on the subject of ugly cars, I feel Rootes had more attractive sedans than BMC or Triumph did.


Todd
1967 Alpine V (November '67-build)

 

[mikephillips]

If you read about the BMC period you find that the combined management brought on from the various old companies spent too much of their time trying to kill off what they continued to think of as competing brands resulting in poor or nonexistant funding for new products. Combine this with the labor and quality problems of the 70s, as well as changing marketplace rules and tastes, and it was a recipe for failure. And just like Rootes, their's were old designs. It's takes years before what was just an old used car becomes a classic so you need something to catch the public eye, to be the next gotta have it thing. The V12 E-type, which today can sell for 6 figures as a classic grand tourer, couldn't hardly be given away in 75 when production ceased.