THE AUSTRALIAN REPLICA

 The builder was Malcolm Clark, well-known Sunbeam owner in Australia. Here follows most of the E-mail-text he sent.

I started the build of the replica with a good Alpine Series II shell, with the help of an article on Keith Hampton’s car and pictures I created what you see. I rang Keith a couple of times (I think) on a few areas I wasn't sure of and then worked out how the factory cars were finished, using Jaguar British Racing Green as the colour, (I think Rootes used the Jaguar BRG on these cars). I created the large internal fuel tank using a Daihatsu truck tank, with the large filler neck/cap through the hardtop window. I didn't include the roll bar and the car was fitted with a 1725cc engine. To create the Kamm Tail I started with an original Alpine boot lid and made up wooden vanes on top to produce the height and flatness, it looked like a aircraft wing with all the wood mounted on the top this was then covered in sheet steel, of course the lid is extremely heavy. The back guards were then built up with steel to match the boot lid. I painted the car and then painted on all the white areas*1 and the coloured roundalls, then fitted all the correct lighting to the outside and the interior I copied from Keith’s car including the yellow seat belts which were mounted on fabricated seat belt mounts on top of the fuel tank. The seats I think I had made to match the originals Le Mans seats. I fitted the large centre Tacho and moved the temp gauge to the time clock position, I assume the works car were the same? Under the bonnet I fabricated a twin Weber manifold and fitted twin Weber 40mm carburettors along with the two starter solenoids, relays and Lucas horns. On the top scuttle you can see in the photo I copied the works cars in opening up the scuttle to fit inside, (I can't remember what’s in there now) but the lid had to have a raised bump in it, to clear what ever was underneath and to clear the bonnet. The dash "Replica" plaque I had made for the car.

I really enjoyed creating this car, it was around 1996 I completed it and as usual in those days, I was looking for the next project and traded it to a friend in Sydney, who sold it on.

I have been restoring Sunbeams of all models for 30+ years currently restoring a MK2 Tiger, and recently finished my Talbot Alpine Special. I have my own Tiger to restore and then I will cease restorations and start looking after myself, thank you for the Harrington site and hope 9202RW shows up one day.*2

The E-mail from one of its previous owner Gavin Campbell, also living in Australia. Photos of 9201RW are taken by Gavin.

Good morning Jan,

Yes I have a replica of the Alpine Le Mans 1962 cars. Mine has the markings of 9201RW. It has been built to the exact details of these great race cars by Rootes Group. You might be interested in looking at some photos of my Sunbeam Alpine 9201RW. I didn’t actually build this car, it was built by Malcolm Clark in Victoria to replicate the original as closely as possible. This car has everything that the original cars did.
This includes:

- dual electrical circuits,
- twin Weber DCOE side draft carburettors,

 - driving lights, orange central ID light,
- Lucas reversing light,

- overdrive gearbox,
- knock-on wire wheels,

- white infill around grille,
- white hardtop with air vent.

My car also has a “Harrington Custom Built Coachwork” badge on the firewall.

 I have a small plaque on the dashboard which states “Replica Works Alpine 24Hr Le Mans 1962-63”. I'm really pleased to see there is a web site with some data on these cars. For some reason that I don't understand, they are virtually ignored by most authors of books on Sunbeam history as well as Sunbeam web sites. Langworth in 'Tiger, Alpine, Rapier' 'Sporting Cars from the Rootes Group' has a picture of the 33 car with a caption mentioning the squared-off tail plus a picture of 9202RW at the Monte Carlo Rally. Nothing in the body text though. Frostick's 1964 book 'Works Team' 'The Rootes Competition Department' doesn't mention them at all, yet they were still owned by the factory when he wrote this work; which I find very strange! 'Tiger-The Making of a Sports Car' by Mike Taylor has photos and descriptions of the Harrington coupes, but nothing about the three Alpines, 9201RW, 9202RW & 9203RW. The only book on Sunbeams I have been able to find with a good coverage of these cars is 'Alpine' 'The Classic Sunbeam', by Chris McGovern. Published in 1980, it is very hard to find now.*3

Regards,

Gavin Campbell

The story is put together by Jan with kind permission from Mel Clark and Gavin Campbell.

Now (2020) owned by Bruce Dickey

*1 Just recently (Aug. -08) I got a mail from Justin Harrington who had asked Keith Hampton, why was 9201RW white in the front and not yellow/orange like 9203RW. The reply was that he had only B/W photos to look at during the restoration.

*2 There is a Harrington Le Mans in the family garage too, because Mel is married to Pam who owns one of the four in Australia.

*3 Is now available again at www.mercianmanuals.co.uk, for £29.95