Restoring a Sunbeam cannot be considered a rational economic investment. I
did essentially none of the restoration work on my Series 3 Alpine, paying
professionals to do the work. It has been a prize winner at almost every
show at which it has been shown. At the British Car Festival, a huge show
near Chicago every September, it has won an award every year since 1988. It
took first place in the judged stock Alpine concours at the United in 1991
(the only United at which it was shown).
What's my point? Simply that if I sold it today I would be paid less than
1/3 what it cost to restore, and I would be paid in inflated dollars. If it
were a Tiger, I would have lost less, but financially I would have been far
better off to put the money into a stock fund.
But the car has paid me back enormously in pleasure and pride. Driving
around town on a fine summer's day it gets looked at, thumb's upped,
attracts shouts of "What year is that?", "My brother-in-law had one of
those," "Great car," and lots more. And of course the admiration it gets at
a show from the visitors, and even from the owners of other British cars
(they swoon at the sight of the huge boot) is great fun.
So enjoy the car you have restored and don't try to put a dollar cost on it.
Fred Levit
Wilmette, IL. USA
fle426@northwestern.edu
|