01/09/2026
When I was a kid, one of the nicest cars in town, was a Harrington Alpine...
1961 Sunbeam Harrington Alpine
Thomas Harrington Limited transformed approximately 110 Series II Sunbeam Alpines into distinctive fastback coupes during 1961, creating one of the most desirable variants of the popular British sports car.
The Hove-based coachbuilders grafted a sleek fiberglass fastback roof onto standard Alpine convertibles, delivering coupe functionality with Gran Turismo styling.
This conversion came at a premium (£1,225 versus £985 for the standard roadster), yet found ready buyers through authorized Rootes Group dealerships.
Factory-approved tuning specialist George Hartwell offered three stages of engine preparation, ranging from mild road tuning to full race specification.
The Harrington's competition credentials were established at Le Mans in 1961, where an example won the Thermal Index of Efficiency after completing 24 hours at an average speed of 91 mph.
Built on the Alpine's shortened Rapier-based platform derived from the Hillman Husky, these fastbacks combined independent front suspension with a live rear axle.
Production continued through 1964 with several iterations (including the Le Mans model), totaling approximately 384 examples before Harrington ended Alpine coachbuilding operations.
