Here’s a Sunbeam Alpine Series V project car, ready for a new garage. Fall is coming – it’s a perfect time to start work on this roadster, aiming for Cars ‘N Coffee by spring. These “series” Alpines were conceived about four years after the Talbot-based Alpine that we are all familiar with from the movie To Catch a Thief, with Grace Kelly at the wheel. But the two cars couldn’t be more different. Rather than seeing component contributions from a successful rally saloon, the new Alpine was based on the more pedestrian Hillman family cars. Styling, though, reflected the times: Kenneth Howes, formerly with Raymond Loewy Studios, penned a narrow grille and definitive fins – reminiscent of the Studebaker Starliner and Hawk cars. Almost 70,000 copies of the “series” Alpines were made over five generations from 1959 through 1968 – a successful venture for British carmaker consolidator, The Rootes Group.

The Alpine’s four-cylinder engines were successively enlarged, from 1494 ccs when the Series I arrived, to 1592 ccs for the II through IV, and finally, 1725 ccs when this car hit the pavement. Two Zenith-Stromberg carburetors were supplied from the factory, though owners often substitute one or more Webers. A four-speed manual transmission was standard, though this car has the overdrive option. The original kit will generate about 95 hp, giving a top speed of around 115 mph. It’s unclear from the listing whether this car runs or not. The seller notes that the battery and the ignition have been replaced.

The Alpine arrived in the marketplace at a time when most roadsters were just that, with spartan interiors and side curtains for windows. Its interior offered abundant comfort, full instrumentation, roll-up windows, even a hard top. This example’s interior is nice, given that the car has apparently been stored since 2001. The seller has never removed the hard top and assumes there is a soft top under there; for a buyer, it’s worth finding out if at least the top frame is present.

The seller indicates that the body is solid, but the passenger floor is rusted through. The red paint was applied several years ago and is driver quality. The original color was Holly Green. The original wheels have been replaced – no word on the tires or whether the factory wheels are available. This 1967 Alpine can be found here on eBay, with bidding at $2600. The verbiage in the listing indicates that this is a no-reserve auction, but a reserve is noted anyway, equal to the seller’s “investment” in the car. The market will speak, but it’s a rare owner that recoups 100% of his expenses in the sale of a relatively common British roadster. What do you think it will take to find this one a new garage?