It was resolved at our AGM that we will merge with the Rootes Group Car Club of Queensland. All financial members will become members of the Rootes Group club. It is sad to see the end of the Sunbeam Owners’ Club as an independent entity but it has become too difficult to find willing volunteers to keep the club going and fill committee positions.
The Rootes Group Car Club has greater resources and enthusiastic active membership. The new merged entity will be better placed to serve the interests of Sunbeam and Talbot owners in the future.
On Sunday, the 19th of May, the Lakeside classic car event occurred. I could not attend as we had just returned from a trip however Peter Prasser was there and told me the attendance at this year’s event was down on last years cars. There were 2 Sunbeams that made the trip. Steven
The picnic at Ferny Grove and the visit to the Brisbane Tramway Museum was well attended and enjoyed by members of the SOCQ and several visitors from the RGCC. The weather was glorious and the company great.
The Maddock family turned up in force with Darcy and Lyn accompanied by Russell and his children. It’s always a delight to compare their Sunbeam Imp Sports.
Neville Kennard, proud owner of his beautiful Rapier, Peter and Jane Prasser in their Sunbeam Fastback and Steven and Linda Graham in their Alpine enjoyed the occasion.
Three very wise Sunbeam owners, Neville, Peter and Steve
It was good to catch up with Alan Geoghegan who turned up out of the blue. He and Barbara have relocated to Buderim where his Rapier Fastback and Alpine have a new home. His Mark Alpine is having some repairs and will move north soon. Alan and Neil had a great chat.
Baillies’ and Ottos’ Tigers with Adrian Grant’s 1938 Ford
After lunch we arrived at the Brisbane Tramway Museum where we were greeted by one of the volunteers. We inspected a number of old trams in the sheds and had the pleasure of three different rides on the ‘old girls’.
Claudette just loves old trams and took her daughters on the last ever tram ride in Brisbane in 1968.
By all accounts the annual Rootes Group Day at Highfield was well-attended and enjoyed by many enthusiests. Over twenty vehicles and their owners turned up to a beautiful day of sunshine. I wish to thank Clyde and Miranda for organising the venue as well as Neil for all his efforts. Peter and Steve took some photos and awards were distributed as usual.
Fifteen members and guests arrived at Queen’s Park, Ipswich for our July event. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed morning tea near the Animal reserve. The wombats were moving, the birds were chirping and the bilbies were happy to show their offspring.
Adrian Grant brought his Chevbeam and this is how he explained this unusual vehicle:
‘The Chevbeam was the result of a failed cooperation between GM and the Rootes Group. Apparently GM saw there was no midsized car in the Sunbeam lineup and so proposed a joint venture. This resulted in this Chevbeam prototype being produced. Unfortunately, the management committee could not see the possibilities of this wonderful sedan, no Rapier like intellects here, and so the whole enterprise was shelved with just one example in existence to show of what could have been a very fruitful venture. They could not see that this could be the dawn of a new age and that it would shine a Sunbeam onto an otherwise dull and pedestrian marketplace.’
1953 Chevbeam
Everyone really enjoyed the journey passing through the farming areas of Pine Mountain, Glamorgan Vale, Marburg and Rosewood. The lunch at the Royal George Hotel settled the appetite with great conversation to boot.
If you have been looking for Sunbeam content on Drivetribe, the new motoring-based social media platform, there is a Sunbeam Tribe. Click on the image below.
Following on from the Sunbeam Tiger featured in Forza Motorsport 6, the recently-launched Forza Horizon3 features a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus in the Alpine Stars add on pack.
Recently Sir Henry Segrave’s Sunbeam Tiger returned to Southport to commemorate the 90th anniversary of its 1926 World Land Speed Record. Many thanks to Steve Walker for providing us with these photos.
If you own an Xbox and a copy of Forza Motorsport 6, you might be interested in the Alpinestars car pack. This pack adds a selection of extra cars to the standard Forza garage, one of which is a Mk II Tiger. My son has been racing it around Silverstone and has given it the thumbs up.
