Tag Archives: Sunbeam

Driver Inattention Detected

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Of all of the EU-mandated ‘safety’ features that our European readers have to endure in their vehicles, the ‘driver attention monitor’ is surely the worst.

A legal requirement for all new cars – alongside such irritants as lane-keep assist, speed limit recognition, and autonomous braking – the aforementioned monitor is kind of like that one teacher at school who had to have all sixty eyes fixed on them at all times.

Looking at the multimedia screen because everything is now in a sub-menu? ‘Driver Inattention Detected’. Looking out of the side window incase that pram turns onto the pedestrian crossing in front of you? ‘Driver Inattention Detected’. Reaching back to pick up that bloody stuffed owl that’s been dropped for the fifth time this journey? ‘Driver Inattention Detected’. Casually watching that mini-skirted pedestrian? ‘Driver Inattention Detected’.

Back in 1901 however, there were no such annoyances. In fact, thanks to one utter madman named Maxwell Mabberley-Smith, not looking at the road was actively encouraged.

This is the 1901 Sunbeam-Mabley Sociable, a motorcar with four wheels arranged in an oblique diamond, the front and rear of which steer by a tiller, the middle two of which are powered, and wherein the two occupants sit sideways to the direction of travel, facing one another.

This fabulous recreation of the madcap contraption comes from TLCB favourite Nikolaus Lowe, who has replicated the Sociable – including its unique drivetrain – brilliantly in brick. Working front/rear steering, driven middle wheels, and even functional brakes all feature, and you can find out more about this remarkable model via the link above.

But what of the real thing? Well despite 130 Sociables being sold, Mabberley-Smith’s insane configuration didn’t catch on (although Sunbeam went on to do rather more), which – considering the advent of the ‘driver attention monitor’ some 125 years later, is rather a relief…

Hot Hatch Genesis

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Despite what Volkswagen would have you believe, the Golf GTI was not the world’s first hot hatchback. Nope, that honour goes to a little factory in Scotland that was originally part of the Rootes Group.

Rootes owned a variety of successful British brands, including Hillman, Humber, Singer and Sunbeam, before they were acquired by Chrysler in 1967, who then proceeded to ruin them.

In just a few short years the whole thing was loss-making, and the French government – fearing the demise of the French brands that Chrysler also owned – encouraged Peugeot-Citroen to purchase the remnants, which they did. For a dollar.

The result was the return of the Talbot name, which was applied to various Rootes products including their Sunbeam small hatchback. It was a design Chrysler kept hold of too, being quite a good one, successfully selling a very similar looking model as the Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon in the US.

In Europe, Peugeot-Citroen wanted to raise the profile of the reborn Talbot name, and so they decided to go motor racing, with Group B rallying their chosen route. Fortunately for them, Chrysler had already developed a sporty version of the Horizon / Sunbeam, having turned to Lotus for the development, but didn’t have time to launch it before the sale to Peugeot-Citroen.

Thus when it finally arrived, the 150bhp Sunbeam Lotus wore a Talbot badge, becoming the world’s first hot hatchback, and duly winning the World Rally Championship in 1981.

Such immediate success meant that Talbot become a household name, which must’ve pleased Peugeot-Citroen. Or so you would have thought. By the mid-’80s they’d killed it, with the marque lingering on a van for few a years before disappearing completely.

Still, SIM CAMAT of Flickr does remember the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, and has paid homage via his wonderful Model Team recreation of the world’s first hot hatchback.

Beautifully accurate, SIM’s Sunbeam features opening doors and hood, a highly detailed interior complete with folding seats, and a stunning removable replica of the 2.2 litre slant-four Lotus engine that powered the car to the ’81 World Rally Championship.

There’s lots more of the model to see at SIM CAMAT’s photostream, and you can head back to the often-forgotten genesis of the hot hatchback via the link in the text above.

Toight Like a Toiger*

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Lego Sunbeam Tiger

This gorgeous classic sports car is the work of Senator Chinchilla on MOCpages. It’s a Sunbeam Tiger which, much like the far more famous AC Cobra, is a light British sports car with a huge American Ford V8 squeezed under the hood.

Unlike the AC Ace, on which the Cobra was based, the beautiful Sunbeam Alpine base-car was a success in it’s own right – far more so than the V8 Tiger version. Sadly Roots, Sunbeam’s parent company, were bought by Chrysler in 1967, who couldn’t allow a Ford V8-engined car to continue in the range, and thus killed it off (before killing the whole company off too…).

The Senator’s Model Team version features opening doors, hood and trunk, and has the most important Tiger feature of all; a working V8. See more at the link above.

*For those that don’t understand the title reference, click here.**

**Unless you’re Dutch.