Sunbeam · 1955–1976
Sunbeam Rapier
The Sunbeam Rapier is an automobile produced by Rootes Group from 1955 until 1976, in two different generations, the "Series" cars (which underwent several revisions) and the later (1967–76) fastback shape, part of the "Arrow" range. The first generation Rapier was the first of the "Audax" range of light cars produced by the Rootes Group, in this instance as part of their Sunbeam marque. Announced at the London Motor Show in October 1955, it preceded its Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle counterparts which were not introduced until 1956. A four-seat, two-door hardtop coupé – designated Series I with the introduction of the Series II in 1958 – it was different from the Sunbeam Mark III, the car it would eventually replace. Although designed "in house" by the Rootes Group, it was inspired, via the Raymond Loewy design organisation, by the new-generation Studebaker coupés of 1953.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Generations & variants
Photos
UK vehicles on the road
483 licensed and 234 SORN (717 total) at 2025 Q4.
| Year (latest quarter) | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 604 |
| 2015 | 630 |
| 2016 | 647 |
| 2017 | 658 |
| 2018 | 677 |
| 2019 | 675 |
| 2020 | 686 |
| 2021 | 701 |
| 2022 | 708 |
| 2023 | 705 |
| 2024 | 714 |
| 2025 | 717 |
DfT/DVLA VEH0120 vehicle licensing statistics, source ↗, Open Government Licence v3.0. Small counts are rounded or suppressed at source.
Sources
- Wikidata / Wikipedia profiles — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/cars/Q1472978CC0 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- DfT/DVLA VEH0120 licensing statistics — https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tablesOpen Government Licence v3.0
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.