I've dealt with saabs most all my life and have always had a couple of Alpines since I was 16. In the Saab world there were pockets of the country where the cars sold much better than the other areas in the old days. The north East was the biggest spot, followed buy MN, WI, IA as a very good hot spot. There was also a high amount of sales in the North West (OR, WA,) Where were the hot spots for Sunbeam sales? IA MN must not have been as there are very few parts or cars in this area.
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Sunbeam sales hot spots?
- Thread starter moonracer
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puff4
Platinum Level Sponsor
For some reason, and I have *no* idea why, the state of Ohio seems to have been a big area for sports cars in general. I suspect it may just be in certain areas you have particularly good/effective dealers, but that's just a guess. Also, locations near sports-racing facilities may also have experienced enhanced sports car buying, particularly in the 60's when owners racing their own street cars was less expensive and more common.
Ken Ellis
Donation Time
I think, in addition to the factors mentioned above, that Wright-Patterson AFB had some influence, too. Concentration of go-fast flyboys, engineers, and mechanics, stationed or employed longer-term (compared to other services), coupled with "not too hot, not too cold" weather, and decent driving scenery, made for a sports car friendly environment. Employees were paid well enough to support "traditional" one-income family arrangements, and many families did the "station wagon + dad's car for work" thing. If dad's car was fun, all the better. And for the single guys, well, no station wagon required.
I did a few internships at WPAFB, and remember seeing many MGs, Triumphs, and Austin Healeys in the mix of Rambler Americans and Ford Falcons.
I did a few internships at WPAFB, and remember seeing many MGs, Triumphs, and Austin Healeys in the mix of Rambler Americans and Ford Falcons.
mikephillips
Donation Time
Keep in mind too that the cars came into the country through Detroit as one of the ports of entry. And there was a large distributor located in Lexington as I recall.
65beam
Donation Time
hot spots
in addition to wright/pat, there also was rickenbacker air base at columbus and also one in wilmington. couple that with george byers in columbus that was midwest distributor for rootes/chrysler along with many other british marques and they dumped lots of import cars into the area. wally swift could tell about having a shipment of MK 2 tigers on the docks that were designated to be rationed out to dealers only to find that byers had traded the other dealers out of them and byers took most of the cars. the father of a friend of mine was a local chrysler dealer in the sixties and he told us several years ago that byers tried to get every chrysler dealer in the area to sell sunbeams after the chrysler takeover. they were aggressive ! there was a photo of the 60's byers import show room on their website. it may have held three cars!
in addition to wright/pat, there also was rickenbacker air base at columbus and also one in wilmington. couple that with george byers in columbus that was midwest distributor for rootes/chrysler along with many other british marques and they dumped lots of import cars into the area. wally swift could tell about having a shipment of MK 2 tigers on the docks that were designated to be rationed out to dealers only to find that byers had traded the other dealers out of them and byers took most of the cars. the father of a friend of mine was a local chrysler dealer in the sixties and he told us several years ago that byers tried to get every chrysler dealer in the area to sell sunbeams after the chrysler takeover. they were aggressive ! there was a photo of the 60's byers import show room on their website. it may have held three cars!
AFB's make sense, I was just wondering as there are almost none around here. I'm pushing 50 and only remember of 2 other Sunbeams ever around Southern MN/northern IA. One is an early one VERY rusty and cobbled up. It's still around with grand ideas of being rebuilt. The other disappeared years ago but was a rather nice one (at least compaired to the one I had back then)
jack Bacon
Donation Time
Hi Marty,
Back in the early 1980's the Twin Cities had the Midwest Sunbeam Registry Sunbeam club. There were around 62 members with 39 Alpines, 20 Tigers, 1 Imp, 1 Harrington Alpine and a Harrington Lemans. Apparently the Harrington Alpine found its way to Ian who restored it and sold it to a guy in Australia I believe.
Jack
Back in the early 1980's the Twin Cities had the Midwest Sunbeam Registry Sunbeam club. There were around 62 members with 39 Alpines, 20 Tigers, 1 Imp, 1 Harrington Alpine and a Harrington Lemans. Apparently the Harrington Alpine found its way to Ian who restored it and sold it to a guy in Australia I believe.
Jack
any info on the Twin Cities club? I remember you e-mailing some info quite awhile back. Might be time to look into it. After the Invasion last year my Sunbeam has gained alittle more importance in my life.
jumpinjan
Bronze Level Sponsor
There were three Sunbeam dealerships here in Dayton.
1) Lewis Auto Sales, West 3rd st, Dayton (One Lemans was delivered there)
2) Wagner Auto Sales, Fairborn OH (located within feet of the WPAFB perimenter fence!)
3) Sports, Inc (I think thats the name, also located in Fairborn)
1) Lewis Auto Sales, West 3rd st, Dayton (One Lemans was delivered there)
2) Wagner Auto Sales, Fairborn OH (located within feet of the WPAFB perimenter fence!)
3) Sports, Inc (I think thats the name, also located in Fairborn)
TulsaAlpine
Donation Time
Tulsa, OK
We had a foreign car import sales here and not sure how many Alpines but a lot of Tigers were sold through the dealer. I have the only running Alpine in the Metro Tulsa Area but I know of 10 Tigers still in the area, not sure how many are running.
Donna
We had a foreign car import sales here and not sure how many Alpines but a lot of Tigers were sold through the dealer. I have the only running Alpine in the Metro Tulsa Area but I know of 10 Tigers still in the area, not sure how many are running.
Donna