Rare Swiss Barnfind orig. Sunbeam Venezia by Touring Superleggera.- No Reserve

This auction is for our 1965 Sunbeam Venezia made by Touring Superleggera.   VIN: B 3190169   This Sunbeam Venezia came out of an Swiss barn and needs a complete overhouling.   One owner car   Last Swiss MOT 31. 12. 1970 so the car stands still since 43 years !!   I found this car together with another Venezia - this car I sold a few month ago.   The car is located in Germany very close to the Dutch border +- 350 Km to the ferries.   Ryanair base Düseldorf/Weeze only 5 km   Any questions or to view. give me a call on (Germany)  00492832 - 4527 or mobile 0049 1774904564 or send me a mail via ebay.     The winning bidder has to pay a deposit of £500 within 24 hours of the end of auction via paypal. Complete Payment must be made by cash or bank transfer. Funds are to be cleared in full before the car leaves the premises. -. I can also deliver anywhere in the UK or Europe at extra cost. Please ring me for all the details . many thanks  

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If you do not have funds in place to complete the deal then please do not bid.

Good luck!

 

  See the complete history of the Venezia and the owner's regestry on this website :   sunbeamvenezia . com

After its unveiling in Milan on 9th September 1963. the Sunbeam Venezia was officially launched on Thursday 12th September 1963 in the magnificent setting of Venice. and attended by the mayor of the city and the British Ambassador. This was the first time that a motor car had entered Saint Mark's Square. the car having been transported there on a gondola along the city's canals. This trip will be long remembered by some people: the handbrake was off and a man leaning on the back of the car started it moving. Fortunately it stopped in time!

   

Towards the Bridge of Sighs

 

On Canal Grande

The press received the car very warmly. However. they were dubious about the price at which the car would be sold by Rootes Italia. Their doubts were not without some foundation. Of the 1963 Rootes models. the Venezia cost about the same as the big Humbers. In 1964 its price was nearly as much as the Sunbeam Tiger with a Ford V8 engine and more than a Jaguar MK2 2. 4 litre.
How would the Italian. (and at a later date. the foreign) dealers be able to sell a 2+2 design with only a 1600cc engine at such a high price? Of course. they could stress the car's beauty. its comfort. the prestige of owning a foreign car. even its non-rusting aluminium body. But they would have to resort to some cunning as well. Take for example the publicity folder. The quoted 94bhp was inaccurate; the engine was the same as the Humber Sceptre's. The quoted top speed of 175km/h (or 170km/h in another brochure) was also fanciful. The small speed increase over the Sceptre was only due to the weight saving (50kg) from the use of aluminium panels and from a more aerodynamic profile. Another ruse to attract buyers was the fitting of an oil cooler. as supplied on high performance cars.

It therefore became apparent from September 1963 that the car would have to be sold in European markets other than Italy. where sales were dominated by Lancia and Alfa Romeo at lower prices. Most European countries were covered. with the exception of Great Britain where high import taxes would have made the retail price prohibitive.
Thus. due to the high cost of low volume production the future of the Anglo-Italian Venezia project began to look very uncertain. This reason and others conspired against any further promotional attempts. Firstly. the Rootes Group had suffered several crippling strikes in 1961. Production programmes were delayed or cut back and financial losses resulted. With the Hillman Imp project already in difficulty Rootes didn't want to risk money in uncertain ventures. The Venezia project assumed a low priority with little likelihood that this would change.
There was also a strike at Touring in 1963. only a few months after they moved to their new factory at Nova Milanese. This was very damaging to the company following heavy investment in the new plant which had left their financial reserves weak. These problems were never to be fully resolved.
Lastly. changes in Italian law meant that cars with larger engines were more heavily taxed. Contracts between Touring and Lancia. Maserati and Lamborghini were cut back and design studies for new sporting cars virtually stopped. The Nova Milanese factory was not therefore used to capacity and financial pressures became too great. The company came partly under the control of a receiver in March 1963 with many workers being laid off in 1964. Despite an improved situation the company went into receivership in March 1965. and officially ceased trading on 31st December 1966. although some cars may have been completed as late as 31st January 1967.
In the light of these problems the agreement between Rootes and Touring was regularly reviewed with the aim of reducing production quantities. Even in August 1963. Brian Rootes (Export Sales Director). during a visit to Milan. reduced the required number of Venezias to 250.

Venezia: a commercial flop

With so many uncertainties clouding its future it became increasingly difficult to sell the Venezia. If the serial numbers are any guide to production quantities little more than 200 units were produced. It is known that Rootes sent only 145 Sceptre chassis to Milan. so it's reasonable to assume that about 50 Venezias were built using floor pans intended for Italian Super Minxes which Touring also built between October 1962 and December 1966. This would have made no difference to the Venezia as the two chassis are identical. but it does imply that Rootes wanted to discourage Venezia production whilst Touring needed to produce as many as possible to reduce the unit cost.

 

Sunbeam Alpines were also built by Touring from June 1963 until December 1966. Wishing to demonstrate their styling lead. the Italian coachbuilder presented the Alpine with clipped rear wings at the Turin Show in October 1963. pre-empting by some months the launch of the English Series IV with its similar body modifications.
But there was to be no such evolution for the Venezia: no all-synchromesh gearbox. no increase in engine power. not even the 1725cc engine which became standard in all Rootes cars by mid 1965. and which was fitted by Touring in the Milan built Alpines and Super Minxes!
At the large European shows and in dealers' showrooms the Venezia found itself unable to compete with new models. Handicapped from the start. it appeared progressively more outdated. with its elegant lines the only remaining attraction. A few cars found buyers as late as 1968. but the price had been drastically reduced - as much as 25% between 1963 and 1965.
About ten units left Rootes Italia for Spain; they were to be the last.

 

 

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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