RE: PH Carpool: Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

[AllNines]

IainRS said:

I used to own 2 of the very last and very rare 'Avon' model Lotus sunbeams.

Like this one:



There were officially 56 cars sold by Ladbroke Avon plus a handful of cars returned from dealers for the makeover, but these weren't given numbers.
No. 33 was an A-reg. Do you have photos of either of your cars?

[IainRS]

AllNines said:

Like this one:



There were officially 56 cars sold by Ladbroke Avon plus a handful of cars returned from dealers for the makeover, but these weren't given numbers.
No. 33 was an A-reg. Do you have photos of either of your cars?

Haha, it seems you know your stuff! Yes 33 was an A reg, one of only a few. I bought it from main dealer in Leicester at 4 years old, 26000 miles and 1 previous owner from new. Because it was 'kept back' to get an 'A' plate it didn't have a DDU plate obviously but was registered with A33 EAY.(EAY being the local reg issue letters) I believe there were only 4 'A' plate cars and even 1 'B' reg car somewhere.
I've got some pics somewhere but I'll have to scan them as I've no digital copies. No photos of 99, originally from Redruth, Cornwall. Did you have one?

[aeropilot]

IainRS said:

Haha, it seems you know your stuff! Yes 33 was an A reg, one of only a few. I bought it from main dealer in Leicester at 4 years old, 26000 miles and 1 previous owner from new. Because it was 'kept back' to get an 'A' plate it didn't have a DDU plate obviously but was registered with A33 EAY.(EAY being the local reg issue letters) I believe there were only 4 'A' plate cars and even 1 'B' reg car somewhere.
I've got some pics somewhere but I'll have to scan them as I've no digital copies. No photos of 99, originally from Redruth, Cornwall. Did you have one?

IIRC, it was Castle-Stoneygate that was the Leicester dealership. They sold a lot of the Avons as did Renwicks of Exeter, which is probably who supplied the car that originated from Cornwall.
I think I might still have a Renwicks ad from Motoring News from late summer '83 where they are advertising the last available new un-registered Avon car ready for an A-plate.

[AllNines]

It is my calling to know this stuff! (The one pictured was mine many years ago.)
In fact, the number of "A" plate Avons goes into double figures (half of them sold by Renwicks; 99Y was not one of theirs, though), and yes there is a "B" reg as well (though now painted blue/silver).

[IainRS]

aeropilot said:

IIRC, it was Castle-Stoneygate that was the Leicester dealership. They sold a lot of the Avons as did Renwicks of Exeter, which is probably who supplied the car that originated from Cornwall.
I think I might still have a Renwicks ad from Motoring News from late summer '83 where they are advertising the last available new un-registered Avon car ready for an A-plate.

Yes, thats them, Castle Stoneygate. Also remember Renwicks too now that you say it.

Found some old pics which I have just scanned. The Escort was mine too, also a stunning car, wish I'd kept that one as well!

[aeropilot]

What was the reg no of the Escort..?

It looks familiar to me as well. Were you an AVO OC member at the time?

[IainRS]

aeropilot said:

What was the reg no of the Escort..?

It looks familiar to me as well. Were you an AVO OC member at the time?

TOO 633N. It was a proper piece of kit. The car was up in this neck of woods for many years even before I bought it and it changed hands a couple of times after that locally. Steel big wing Mexico with turrets, bilsteins,1700 Agra crossflow on twin 40's. etc etc
I wasn't in the AVO OC. Was in the SLOC though. one of the above pics was taken at a national day in Macclesfield? i think probably around 1990.

[aeropilot]

IainRS said:

TOO 633N. It was a proper piece of kit. The car was up in this neck of woods for many years even before I bought it and it changed hands a couple of times after that locally. Steel big wing Mexico with turrets, bilsteins,1700 Agra crossflow on twin 40's. etc etc

Aah OK, not the car I was thinking it was.

Nice Mex though, and on an Essex reg plate as well

I wish I hadn't sold my Escort Twin Cam

[IainRS]

Speaking of twin cams, I know of a one owner car only 5 miles from me that has been laid up for donkeys years, totally original but needing some TLC. What sort of money is that worth?

[aeropilot]

IainRS said:

Speaking of twin cams, I know of a one owner car only 5 miles from me that has been laid up for donkeys years, totally original but needing some TLC. What sort of money is that worth?

50 quid at best - where is it









Seriously though.....

Depends on what you mean by TLC......I know of a rusty wreck that went for £5k......so anywhere from that up to well.....what ever someone is prepared to pay.

A one owner car with documented history etc., in show condition, would be worth in the order of £30k+ easily.

[type35bug]

aeropilot said:

I take it more up to date info is known about them now from the early days when I was around...?

They must have ordered two green ones though, as NFG was ordered but never delivered, and a green one was delivered...?

I know one of them was definately white (or was it Jonquil?) as that's the one that famously appears in that BBC/ITV News clip when being used as an escort car to a visit by PofW and then Lady Di to Manchester.

I remember NFG from a long while back , evidently it was evaluated by Newcastle and Humberside police ?

[NikiD]

Hi all I just came across this post when searching for an Avon Lotus Sunbeam registration A33EAY that I owned circa 1999 - 2003.
I bought the car in a complete state but needing fully restored from a chap in Tayport near Dundee, I had the shell fully restored but then due to work commitments etc I didn't have the time to finish it so I sold it to a chap from Fife from memory. I really wished I had finished the car & kept it as they are very rear these days especially the Avon models

[CJSonic]

Excuse me edging in here I’m new to this stuff, but I too was searching for info on the Avon Sunbeams and was very interested to read all the comments. In particular the Renwicks ad circa July 83, (would love a copy of that) directly led to me buying my Avon Lotus Sunbeam A27JDV to replace my Chevette HSR. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but eventually they are all sold aren’t they, and the one piece I have left is the Springalex steering wheel, which was used on both Chevette and Sunbeam.