Even 4 many years for the reason that closing one used to be registered, the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus turns out a superbly daft thought. Time has achieved not anything to boring the cult enchantment. Lotus has achieved a variety of consultancy and engineering paintings for the reason that early Nineteen Eighties, but the dowdy Talbot with the fizzy dual cam – and a few Hethel dealing with assist – actually does stand out.

Within the past due Seventies, Chrysler UK used to be in a little of a large number (to position it mildly). Its new Sunbeam supermini wanted a picture spice up, and the way would a automotive corporate cross about that again then? A rally automotive, after all. The outdated rear-drive Escorts have been going through some right kind pageant, ultimately, from the Vauxhall Chevette HS, with its large energy and agile dealing with. So the verdict used to be made to make a Chevette of a Sunbeam (type of), notch up rally good fortune and create a homologation hero to assist shift some inventory. It used to be Lotus who would give you the rorty dual carb’d engine, slightly intently associated with the four-cylinder discovered within the Esprit of the time, and shortly the Sunbeam used to be taking form.

Neatly, type of. As Chrysler UK (certainly all the Ecu operation) used to be at the verge of collapse, it determined to promote as much as PSA. What used to be a Sunbeam Lotus would sooner or later develop into a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, as Peugeot resurrected the logo, however there also are early automobiles like this one who stored Chrysler badges for some time. It used to be all very complicated (nonetheless is, actually), and will’t have helped the Sunbeam’s modest gross sales; a 20mpg sizzling hatch used to be all the time going to fight in fuel-starved occasions, and a mismatched identification used to be but some other drawback.

However the completed article used to be smartly gained via the click, recorded some rally good fortune – together with an RAC triumph – and shortly cast a name for itself because the wild kid sizzling hatch. Because the Europeans have been making an investment in front-drive structure and gas injection, the Lotus Sunbeam used to be a success of old-school leisure. Which, via the factors of the time, should have made it lovely uncooked certainly.

Coming throughout one lately actually is a unprecedented to find, so susceptible are the Sunbeams to rusting and, er, oversteering into stuff. However this one is an actual deal with, with an enormous quantity of effort and time invested in keeping up an excellent instance. It’s a Collection 1 automotive (notice the smaller headlamps and Chrysler badge) that’s simplest lined 63,000 miles, and is alleged to be rust-free – just about extraordinary for those automobiles.

It comes with a lot of historical past, some fresh engine paintings and a right kind time machine-spec internal. For a automotive of such age and moderately humble beginnings, it’s a wonderful survivor. The wheels had been restored, there’s a brand new exhaust fitted and a contemporary rolling street consultation has put the engine at precisely the horsepower it used to be supposed to make in 1981. Every now and then ‘labour of affection’ seems in an ad the place it doesn’t actually belong, however right here that declare feels greater than plausible.

The asking worth is £35k, and it appears it’s simplest going as a result of a space sale. Once more, it’s simple to really feel each phrase of ‘very reluctant sale’ on this example. Correctly sufficient, that’s the similar cash as used to be requested for a in a similar fashion sensible Chevette HS closing yr – competitors nonetheless to nowadays. And a heck of so much not up to maximum Fords with Lotus engines, too…