Makes › Sunbeam › 3 Litre Twin-Cam Super Sports · Rare production · 1924 Very Rare
Sunbeam
3 Litre Twin-Cam Super Sports
Twin-overhead-cam sports car; 2nd at Le Mans 1925
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 315 Built
- Years
- 1924
- Engine
- Six-cylinder, twin overhead cam
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- 140 km/hFactory: 87 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The twin-cam 3-litre is one of the outstanding vintage Sunbeam models for buyers wanting sports performance rather than luxury touring. It finished second at Le Mans in 1925, driven by Sammy Davis and Jean Chassagne, after both Bentleys retired.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model production3-litre twin-cam Super Sports Sunbeams made in the limited production run (Motor Sport gives 1925–1929) | 3151 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The car was announced in May 1924 as the 3-litre Super Sports version of the 16/50, for high-speed touring, with a top speed of 87 mph at 4,000 rpm on a 4.5 axle ratio. Motor Sport thinks it was probably Louis Coatalen's answer to the 1924 Le Mans win by Bentley. Sunbeam had been building twin-cam engines since 1914. The long wheelbase and cantilever rear springs gave the car a touring appearance.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 3 Litre Twin-Cam Super Sports.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Six-cylinder, twin overhead cam2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | Twin cam; eight-bearing crankshaft; dry sump lubrication2 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Twin Claudel carburettors2 Independently researched |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | 42 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Semi-elliptic2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Cantilever2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Four-wheel brakes2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 140 km/hFactory: 87 mph · converted3 Independently researchedAt 4,000 rpm on a 4.5 axle ratio, as described at the May 1924 announcement. |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Motor Sport, September 1986 – V-to-C: A Sunbeam's Birthday Level C
- 315 3-litre twin-cam Super Sports Sunbeams made in the limited production run (Motor Sport gives 1925–1929)
-
2
Sunbeam 3-Litre leads Bonhams Beaulieu sale Level C Goodwood
- With six cylinders, an eight-bearing crankshaft
- eight-bearing crankshaft, twin Claudel carburettors and dry sump lubrication
- twin Claudel carburettors
- It featured a four-speed gearbox, torque tube rear axle
- semi-elliptic front suspension
- cantilever rear suspension
- four-wheel brakes
-
3
A Sunbeam's Identity Level B Motor Sport Magazine · 1999-01-01
- top pace of 87mph at 4000 rpm, on a 4.5 axle ratio
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