The Sunbeam 3 Litre Super Sports "Twin Cam" rolled out of the Wolverhampton factory in 1926 and was first registered in London on April 19th of the same year. Our client stumbled upon the remnants of 4009F in London, alongside his good friend John Warburton, during the early 1980s.
With a professional background in mechanical engineering, our client possessed the qualifications needed to undertake the complete restoration of this remarkable vehicle. Before acquiring it, he had contemplated acquiring a 3-litre Bentley, but the allure and the more enticing engineering challenges presented by the Sunbeam "Twin Cam" ultimately won him over.
During the engine rebuild, a new Mike Collis block was used. After nearly a century, it's well-known that the original blocks had period design issues leading to cracking, making this upgrade both worthwhile and necessary.
Surprisingly, the car's body was in remarkably good condition despite having been stationary for some time. Localized repairs were carried out on the original ash frame, and when it came to re-skinning, the choice was clear: lighter aluminum panels were used.
The first journey following the comprehensive restoration was a memorable family adventure, returning the car to its spiritual home at Le Mans in 1985. There, it was reunited with other "Twin Cam" models, one of which was only two chassis numbers apart.
With a comfortable 4.5:1 axle ratio, the car offers pleasant cruising, and Sunbeam claimed a top speed of over 90mph. Weather protection is readily available, and the car is currently in excellent working order.
In the owner's words, YN9798 has proven to be highly reliable, providing countless family adventures both in the UK and on the Continent. It has delivered exhilarating motoring experiences in various conditions, from summer to winter, attending numerous VSCC and STD Register events. Furthermore, owing to the historic connection between the Three-litre and the Le Mans 24hr race, the car's first journey after restoration was to Le Mans for the 1985 race, where it met its sister car, differing only by two chassis numbers. Since then, it has returned to Le Mans for the race at 10-year intervals. Most recently, it participated in the Centenary of the 1922 Isle of Man TT race, where Sunbeam's 8-cylinder Grand Prix car secured victory.
A Brief History of the Twin Cam:
The 3-litre Super Sports model was designed for the 1925 Le Mans 24hr event, where its primary competition was the 3-litre Bentleys. Remarkably, it outperformed the Bentleys, securing second place behind a larger French car, achieving an impressive speed of 55.9mph. Our car is one of fewer than 40 remaining globally, out of a production run that likely produced around 315 chassis. The engine in our car is one of the twenty-five units necessary for the Sunbeam Works to qualify for homologation for the 1925 Le Mans race.
The car boasts a six-cylinder twin overhead valve engine, designed by Vincenzo Bertarione, Sunbeam's renowned Land Speed Record and Grand Prix engine designer. This engine features dry sump lubrication, twin Claudel-Hobson carburetors with barrel throttles for carburation, and BTH magneto ignition.
Footnote:
Additionally, the car comes with an extensive collection of spare parts, including valuable supporting literature such as an excellent condition Works handbook, a parts list (copy), a handbook (copy), history files, and a Receipts file. Original Works tools are also included, given to the vendor during the car's restoration by a retired Sunbeam employee who had worked in the Company's Experimental Department.
