The Sunbeam 12 €“ 16 H.P. 1910-1914

Product description

Author, Bruce Dowell has spent a lifetime collecting photographs and other material related to the 12-16 H.P. Sunbeam. Through nearly 400 photos (most previously unpublished), the associated text and a detailed appendix, he traces the evolution of Louis Coatalen’s creation. We see it carrying touring, sports and formal coachwork and operating in racing, ambulance and military guises. During this period we also see electric lighting displacing acetylene and bodies transforming from the upright styles of 1910 to the super-elegant Sporting Model of 1914. By late 1909 this had changed and so, in addition to Sunbeam’s own superb coachwork, many chassis were fitted with bespoke bodywork from outside firms, leading to the wonderful diversity of coach built bodies illustrated in this book. This is an evocative snapshot of the pre-World War I period, incorporating the mundane, the exotic and everything in between to present a unique and comprehensive view of the ‘nicest Edwardian car’ in the 2 to 3-litre market.