Sunbeam OTHER

1928 Sunbeam 25hp limousine. KX 1516. chassis no. 1001/K

Registration number: KX1516


Simply put: The pictures speak for themselves. The 3. 6 litre 6 cylinder engine is powerful & well able to carry the limousine bodywork at modern speeds; the engine bay presenting beautifully to show standards.

The car was first registered on 1st December 1928 to J. Aldridge of High Wycombe.


It had been exhibited on the Sunbeam stand at the 1928 Olympia motor show. which was held during October. so Mr. Aldridge presumably bought the car directly from the stand. The chassis number shows that the car is the first 25hp in the ‘K' franchise. the 1929 model year. The car was prepared specifically for the show. with a special. non-standard colour scheme. bigger than normal headlamps and other extras. including chromium plated bright parts - cutting edge for 1928. During the restoration. the chalk inscription ‘Show' was found in several places behind interior trim.


Beyond first registration. the earliest known history comes from the buff logbook. where the first entry is 20th January 1947. when the car was registered to Robert George Diver Ellis of Newmarket and declared as ‘Hackney'. It was redeclared as ‘Private' shortly afterwards. on 5th April 1947. when the first change of owner was noted. He was James Parke of Metfield. near Harleston in Norfolk. ‘Jimmy' Parke is well remembered by many of the locals and seems to have been quite a character. featuring in any number of ‘good old boy' East Anglian rural stories. He used the car as a kind of taxi. for such outings as trips to the dogs or the football in Norwich. as well as for weddings and funerals. for which purpose he had it resprayed black all over. The car was once again declared as ‘Hackney' on 6th May 1950. and the log book endorsed with the change in colour. I was told that Jimmy couldn't really afford to run the car and this seems to be backed up by the very incomplete run of (quarterly!) taxation stamps in the log book. which stop altogether in July 1952.


At some point in the 1950s the car suffered severe frost damage to the block. Jimmy Parke therefore agreed to sell it to a scrap dealer for £15. His then employer. farmer John Godbold. thought this a pity. however. and outbid the scrapman with £16! He then tucked it away in one of his barns. in 1957 he thought. with a view to ‘doing it up one day'. The car was shifted to a different barn in 1962 and remained there until I bought it in 2008.



Having been laid up. out of sight and out of mind. for over 50 years. the car was remarkably complete and original. The only missing items were one of the twin side mounts. the windscreen wiper and motor. the starter button and the glove box lid. It was. however. extraordinarily dirty. having been infested with birds. mice. rats and woodworm. as well as half a century's worth of accumulated dust. Luckily. the barn was very dry. The woodworm attack was restricted to the plywood bulkhead and floor panels. leaving the ash frame almost untouched.


The car was fully dismantled and the components carefully cleaned and inspected. The philosophy followed was to restore and retain original parts wherever possible. Every stage was photographed.


Office 01375 379 719
Richard Biddulph 07967 260 673
Paul Fox 07955 588 019

We accept credit/debit cards.
Part exchange welcome.
Weekend & evening viewings welcome.
Viewings by appointment please.

Prestige House.
9 Globe Industrial Estate.
Grays.
Essex.
RM17 6ST

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