The 1977 Chrysler (later Talbot) Sunbeam was basically a reskinned short-wheelbase Hillman Avenger. But its 'opening rear window' style hatch was copied from the Imp, which also donated the Sunbeam's 928cc entry-level engine. At the other end of the range, the much more powerful Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, snapped here at #Retromobile Paris in 2014, was a competition success, winning the 1980 RAC Rally and the 1981 World Rally Championship. (1/2)
While the rebranding of #Chrysler Europe as Talbot did not succeed, the choice of name itself was quite clever as it had previously been used by both the British (formerly #Rootes) and French (formerly #Simca) sides of the operation. Automotive genealogy can be complicated. One snag - did this old, if illustrious, brand really resonate with buyers? Here’s a British Sunbeam Talbot Alpine convertible from 1955. Pic: the #GreatBritishCarJourney#Sunbeam#Talbot#WeirdCarMastodon#davidsdailycar