Registration No: ND 8602
Chassis No: 5917ED
MOT: Exempt

• Just two owners during the Sunbeam's first fifty-six years
• Full cosmetic restoration since being purchased by the vendor in 2013 including complete repaint and retrimmed
• Benefitting from an extensive mechanical restoration previously, including a full engine overhaul
• Approximately 800 miles completed since the cosmetic restoration including two long-distance trips
• Offered with an extensive history file containing the original buff logbook

Sunbeam's initial post-WWI offerings were based on its pre-war designs and the first truly new model was the four-cylinder 14 introduced in 1922. A major step forward, it evolved into the 14/40 of 1924. This was powered by the same four-cylinder OHV 2121cc engine, featuring magneto ignition and Claudel Hobson MZP carburation. This unit was mated to a three-speed gearbox with right-hand change, suspension was by semi-elliptic leaves at the front and cantilever units at the rear and four-wheel brakes were standard fare. The newcomer was offered with a variety of different bodies - two and five-seat Tourers, Coupe, Sports model, Saloon, and Saloon by Weymann. A total of some 2,850 14/40s were manufactured during the model's two-year reign.

Chassis number ‘5917ED’ was supplied new to its first owner in December 1924 and was clothed in Tourer coachwork from new. The first owner, Ethelbert Stott, was a member of the Abraham Stott & Son cotton spinning company in the Manchester area. Residing in Leighton Buzzard for many years, he retained the Sunbeam for some thirty-six years, before the second keeper, a Mr Holden, had similarly long-term ownership of 20 years. Thereafter, the 14/40 was sold to a Health & Reach Motor Garage for use as a showroom display piece in 1980 and latterly purchased back into private family ownership in 1987. The Sunbeam was passed through several owners within the family before it was sold to the previous keeper as a recommissioning project in 2011.

Between 1987 and 1990, the Sunbeam benefitted from an almost complete mechanical overhaul to the expense of c.£18,000 with minimal mileage since completion. Works included overhauls of the engine, front axle, radiator, dynamo and magneto; re-wiring; and new brakes, springs, fuel tank, stainless steel exhaust, as well as renewal of the weather equipment. Recommissioned by the previous keeper, the Sunbeam was back on the road in 2013 before being acquired by the vendor later that same year. In the custodianship of the vendor, ‘ND 8602’ has been lavished with a full cosmetic restoration and mechanical improvement to the sum of c.£8,800.

Upon the beginning of the pandemic, the 14/40 was lifted on axle stands, where it has remained ever since. Requiring some recommissioning, it is offered with extensive history folders, the buff logbook, extensive invoices back to the 1980s, the original instruction book, previous logbooks, MOT history, photographs of the Sunbeam, technical information, weather equipment, a wall sign, technical information and a current V5C document. Fully mechanically and cosmetically restored with c.800 miles since, ‘5917ED’ is a very worthwhile re-commissioning project.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452