1914 Sunbeam Tourist Trophy Race Car (Estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,400,000)
In early 20th century racing, the 1914 Sunbeam Tourist Trophy (TT), developed under Sunbeam Motor Car Company chief designer Louis Coatalen, stands as a testament to innovation and engineering prowess. In preparation for the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race, Coatalen and his team carefully studied a 1913 Coupe de l’Auto Peugeot, drawing inspiration for the next iteration of the Sunbeam TT.
Four cars were assembled for the world famous race, and Sunbeam victoriously won the Tourist Trophy outright, in addition to earning the Henry Edmunds Trophy for the fastest mountain climbs. Shortly after, three Sunbeam TT chassis were fitted with 4 1/2-litre engines for the 1914 French Grand Prix; upon the outbreak of WWI, two of the French GP Sunbeams were shipped to the US. All of the Sunbeams were subsequently returned, dismantled, and stored at the factory until after WWI, when the factory rebuilt the TT cars utilizing new chassis in order to sell them as sporting cars for the road.
This example was acquired directly from the factory by Matthew Wills, heir to the Wills tobacco fortune, in June 1921. It passed through a series of owners before being purchased by C.R. Abbott in 1949, who meticulously restored the Sunbeam to its original Tourist Trophy specifications. In the 1950s, pioneering collector Stanley Sears acquired the vehicle, actively racing it at events like VSCC Prescott in 1951 and the VSCC Silverstone Itala Trophy race in 1952. Stanley’s son, Jack Sears, joined his father in vintage car racing in 1951, and his illustrious racing career blossomed with him at the wheel of this Sunbeam TT.
In 1969, the elder Sears sold the Sunbeam to the consignor, who has continued to successfully campaign it in VSCC events. This Sunbeam TT has been a fixture of two of the leading UK collections for the past 74 years, and it has never before been offered for public sale. Presented in traditional British Racing Green, this Sunbeam TT is an incredibly rare survivor of the pre-1918 racing era, and as one of just thr
Pebble Beach Auctions
Dates: Friday, August 16, at 4 p.m. PDT, and Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m. PDT
Location: Pebble Beach Parc du Concours
Public Preview: Wednesday, August 14 through Saturday, August 17
Auction Catalogues: $120, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auction
General Admission: $50, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auction
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