The Harrington Bodied Sunbeams

Featuring video films taken by VFS Videos from Bentley Drivers Club race meeting at the Silverstone Racing Circuit the home of British Motorsport.

The first in the Harrington Bodied Sunbeams series had a molded fastback roof that resulted in a shortened boot lid, resembling a scaled-down Aston Martin. This was known as the Harrington Alpine. This was later called the A Type Harrington, with the Sunbeam name notably omitted in the Harrington conversions. Similar to the car driven in the video below by Steve Chapman.

Sunbeam Challenge Race

BDC Silverstone Meeting

Saturday 10th August 2013.

FISCAR Historic Inter-Marque Race

BDC Silverstone Meeting

Saturday 10th August 2013.

This short video below is of Keith Hampson/Tristan Bradfield in their Harrington Bodied Sunbeam LeMans taking part in the FISCAR Historic Inter-Marque race at the Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone race meeting on Saturday 10th August 2013 – Event 1 over 30 minutes.

In 1961 a Harrington Bodied Sunbeam LeMans was prepared for competition for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Rootes Works department with an aluminum boot, door and bonnet panels and fared-in headlamps, similar to the car driven by Keith Hampson and Tristan Bradfield in the video above.

Driven by Peter Harper and Peter Procter, this car beat a works-prepared Porsche to win the Index of Thermal Efficiency, a prestigious award which at the time brought more prize money than second place overall.