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 how many rapiers soft tops?
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Graham55

United Kingdom
9 Posts

Posted - 16 Feb 2015 :  18:58:38  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi, I have a 1960 Sunbeam Rapier soft top and I am trying to find out how many there are in the country. The last I heard there was about 16 but that was quite a while ago. I wondered if there was anybody out there who knew.

bigt80

United Kingdom
1051 Posts

Posted - 16 Feb 2015 :  19:19:43  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
You really need forum member Grumpy1 for that. I've got some data that just records all the ones that have passed through the club over the years or been seen around; so some will have gone, but surprisingly we have:-
Series 2 = 29
Series 3 = 39
Series 3A = 88
Not sure how many were made as the factory figures for the Series, which I state from memory below; never differentiated between hard and soft tops.
Series 2 = c.15,000
Series 3= c.15,000
Series 3A = c.17,000,
so survival rate not great, whether convertible or hard top. .
G.
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Graham55

United Kingdom
9 Posts

Posted - 16 Feb 2015 :  21:03:24  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks for that information, because the soft tops were included in with the hard ones it's probably impossible to tell. My Sunbeam is being maintained by a guy who makes a living from rebuilding classic cars and he assures me the soft top is quite rare now. Which was good news to me as it increases the value!
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bigt80

United Kingdom
1051 Posts

Posted - 17 Feb 2015 :  10:20:21  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yes, they are certainly rarer now than the figures quoted and are the most sought after and have highest value. I think a very good II sold at auction last year for 15.5k. Cheers. G.
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grumpy1

United Kingdom
34 Posts

Posted - 19 Feb 2015 :  15:44:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I have responded direct on this question regarding convertibles as the webmaster forwarded the enquiry to me. In short...a lot more than 16! Derek
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burgess

United Kingdom
4 Posts

Posted - 07 Oct 2015 :  20:16:23  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
i own a 111a convertible and its amazing to know of the 17,000 made only about 88 survive.
im curious to know how many of these very rare survivors are in roadworthy condition?
also, is this a world-wide figure ?
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bigt80

United Kingdom
1051 Posts

Posted - 16 Oct 2015 :  16:59:40  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi! Remember the figure of c.17,000 would be for all 3A's, so how many of those were convertibles, we just don't know.
I would guess that only 10% would have been convertibles & I expect a lot of those would have been for export. That's only my guess of course, but we know the total production figures for each of the Series cars & all 6 incarnations total up to c. 68,000 if memory serves me right. Must look back in the records for that, although it is on the web site I think.G.
Yes, here you go:-
Series I = 7477
Series II = 15151
Series III = 15368
Series IIIA = 17354
Series IV = 9700
Series V = 3759
Total = 68809
Always surprised that nearly as many II's as III's were made, but the classic car market took off a bit too late to help save II's, that's why so few of those survive, but that's only my opinion . Cheers. G
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