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Mistaken Identity

R

Rodewaryer

Rodewaryer
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Aug 18, 2015
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I've had people ask me what year my Cuda is, usually after seeing it at a distance, and from the rear....





1969 Sunbeam Alpine GT. It's a non runner currently in storage, might get to it someday and do a 'mild' transplant or something. I just couldn't stand by and let it get butchered or sent to the crusher...
 
A couple of those popped up on CL near me. One was a roller the guy was going to put a 318 in before he lost interest. He described it as a mini cuda.
 
There's a reason for the Cuda looks, Chrysler bought Sunbeam. They were instructed to make the 60's Alpine sportscar replacement resemble something in the parent company. Viola, Sunbeam Alpine GT. Most of them went the way of the Dodo, as did cars like the Datsun B210, just nothing interesting enough to warrant coveting. And, a perfectly good reason for me to save one that cost me little. They are few and far between.

I had many of the earlier ones as suggested by the Get Smart comment. I had a '66 Alpine for around 35 years, long story short, too many cars and it had been gone through 100% and needed it AGAIN. I just couldn't get motivated so my son has it now. I couldn't believe how emotional I got the day he took it away. It went with me to England, twice. It's been around I can tell you...but between the Lotus and the Sunbeam I could only handle one, and it stayed in the family.





 
Some of those British cars are so cool.
There's a couple of Bristol's I'm pretty fond of too.
 
I'm biased but....I have had quite a few British cars and most my friends did too. There is something about their character that sets them apart, mostly that they have lots of it when cars from some countries have none. My '66 Land Rover Series II LWB had a boat load of character all by itself. One of those I let get away...
 
Captain Caravelle said:
Some of those British cars are so cool.
There's a couple of Bristol's I'm pretty fond of too.
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I remember the first time I saw a TVR, I had to turn my bike around and check it out. Weird little angular thing from the late ,70's I think. I thought it was a Fiero at first.
 
LocuMob said:
I remember the first time I saw a TVR, I had to turn my bike around and check it out. Weird little angular thing from the late ,70's I think. I thought it was a Fiero at first.
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I remember printing promo posters for the Fiero way back when.
 
So, the Fiero may not have been much but it's been the best universal donor for creating kits of cars many cannot afford. A few...

Lamborghini Countach



Vector W2

Lamborghini Diablo


Lamborghini Aventador

Ferrari F355
 
I used to car-pool with a friend when we were at College for our apprenticeships. He had a Sunbeam Tiger with a Ford 289 and 4 speed shoe-horned in place. Man that thing could fly. Bright yellow (very similar to the one pictured below) A really cool car, sadly I have lost touch with the owner over the years.....but great times. :cool:

Sunbeam Tiger.jpg


I also had a chance about 5 years ago to sit in and briefly drive a 'boy-hood' dream car - the DeTomaso Pantera. Turned into the biggest disappointment in my life....those things are so tight and difficult to get into. I could not even sit up straight with my legs remotely close to being stretched out. Never mind, my GTX is a great fit. The actual car is pictured below...I was helping my painter friend do some work on it at the time.

Steven neville Pantera.jpg
 
Just remembered that my mother told me recently that my Dad went to test drive his own dream car after all these years....E-Type Jaguar. He's wanted one since the '60's when they were new, but put it off in favour of family and mortgages etc. Now he has the money, but sadly again, he found that it was a let-down. The salesman assured him the car would be the right size....FAIL. My Dad left that dealership with the most disappointed look you could imagine....the dream has died.

E-Type Jag.jpg
 
That's always a bummer when a dream car doesn't turn out to be what you thought it was.
 
kiwigtx said:
Just remembered that my mother told me recently that my Dad went to test drive his own dream car after all these years....E-Type Jaguar. He's wanted one since the '60's when they were new, but put it off in favour of family and mortgages etc. Now he has the money, but sadly again, he found that it was a let-down. The salesman assured him the car would be the right size....FAIL. My Dad left that dealership with the most disappointed look you could imagine....the dream has died.

View attachment 5199
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I'm not really clear on what the let down was about, because he couldn't fit in it? I have met many, that have E-types and damned few that were let down by them. Most are quite enamoured with the E-type, especially the early ones (glass covered light years....). Enzo Ferrari himself said it was the most beautiful car ever designed.

Oh, and on the topic of Sunbeams...below the Alpine of mine (66 series V) that went back and forth with me across the Atlantic to England, twice. It's up to my son to keep up with it from here on out.



 
Robert Lanktree said:
I'm not really clear on what the let down was about, because he couldn't fit in it? ................
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Let's just say this....he was a slim & fit man back in the '60's, and he has markedly increased his girth since then.......I appear to be following down the path of similarity. :rolleyes:
 
kiwigtx said:
Let's just say this....he was a slim & fit man back in the '60's, and he has markedly increased his girth since then.......I appear to be following down the path of similarity. :rolleyes:
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I know this feeling all too well!
 
Not sure why Imageshack is weirding out. This is the view most have when they mistake the car for a Cuda.

 
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