Photo: BaT User Bernard (edited by autoevolution)
In totally original, numbers-matching condition, a genuine 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 is a six-to-seven-figure halo car that no regular gent or gal has any business getting behind the wheel of. Like ultra-rare Porsches and Ferraris of similar vintage, owning a real Cobra, but especially with the larger 427-cubic inch Ford Motor, is a privilege most folks could never hope to achieve. But what if you want that same combo of a well-sorted British chassis with a thumping great American V8?
If that's the form factor you're after, it's hard to do much better than this Ford 302 V8-swapped 1966 Sunbeam Alpine without taking out another mortgage on your house. In truth, this custom Sunbeam is more in line with the 289-cubic-inch variants of the original Shelby Cobra in terms of performance. But come on, we have to make compromises every once in a while. But from some points of view, the more reasonable engine displacement should lend more to getting the purest driving experience possible.
In its day, the Sunbeam Alpine was one of the archetypal drop-top British sports cars. The Series V Alpine, which this restomod is a member of, left its factory in Warwickshire, England, sporting a 1,725 cc four-cylinder engine. Back when fancy carburetors were a primary selling point of a well-sorted sports car, these plucky engines featured robust Zenith-Stromberg, semi-downdraft carburetors to squeeze a little more potency out of what was a very small drivetrain. But even then, that was only good for 93 horsepower, or up to 99 horsepower rated in non-European markets.
Needless to say, the easiest way to increase this power figure is to simply add more cubic displacement. Like the late, great Carol Shelby once did with the rolling chassis of the recently-defunct AC Ace, the 302-cubic inch Ford V8 in this Sunbeam turns an otherwise normal British sports car and turns it into a machine so fun to drive we're surprised it's not illegal. Even in its bone-stock form, a Ford 302 V8 can jet upwards of 340 horsepower, or over three times the amount of power this Sunbeam would've hit dealerships with decades ago. With an Edelbrock intake manifold and a Holley performance carburetor, it's probably making even more power.
Power is fed to a Tremec T5 five-speed manual transmission, and a long driveshaft leads to a Dana 44 rear axle paired with an Auburn limited-slip differential for better cornering performance. Add on KYB shocks and modern disk brakes at all four corners, and this really is a bit like a poor man's AC Cobra that doesn't have to break the bank account. One thing's for sure, the person who wins the auction will have purchased a genuine Cobra-like experience at a considerable discount.
In its day, the Sunbeam Alpine was one of the archetypal drop-top British sports cars. The Series V Alpine, which this restomod is a member of, left its factory in Warwickshire, England, sporting a 1,725 cc four-cylinder engine. Back when fancy carburetors were a primary selling point of a well-sorted sports car, these plucky engines featured robust Zenith-Stromberg, semi-downdraft carburetors to squeeze a little more potency out of what was a very small drivetrain. But even then, that was only good for 93 horsepower, or up to 99 horsepower rated in non-European markets.
Needless to say, the easiest way to increase this power figure is to simply add more cubic displacement. Like the late, great Carol Shelby once did with the rolling chassis of the recently-defunct AC Ace, the 302-cubic inch Ford V8 in this Sunbeam turns an otherwise normal British sports car and turns it into a machine so fun to drive we're surprised it's not illegal. Even in its bone-stock form, a Ford 302 V8 can jet upwards of 340 horsepower, or over three times the amount of power this Sunbeam would've hit dealerships with decades ago. With an Edelbrock intake manifold and a Holley performance carburetor, it's probably making even more power.
Power is fed to a Tremec T5 five-speed manual transmission, and a long driveshaft leads to a Dana 44 rear axle paired with an Auburn limited-slip differential for better cornering performance. Add on KYB shocks and modern disk brakes at all four corners, and this really is a bit like a poor man's AC Cobra that doesn't have to break the bank account. One thing's for sure, the person who wins the auction will have purchased a genuine Cobra-like experience at a considerable discount.
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