Real Road Test: 1972 Sunbeam Rapier (OMG NOT H120 LOL)

More Rootes action as I drove a Sunbeam Rapier Arrow, based on the Hillman Hunter. It has a 1725cc engine, twin carburettors and a truly wonderful exhaust note, just like the Alpine I drove recently! But what is this baby Plymouth Barracuda like to drive?

Want to help Hubnut for free? Don't forget to like the video if you like it, and share with your friends if you really like it! Thank you all.

[robinforrest]

So classy these Rootes group cars.such a pity they are not still with us. This one looks great.

[davidjones]

There's a forgotten item, the switch to turn off the dashboard lamps. That was a relic of the days when you had to have parking lamps, even in a 30 mph zone, so turning off three or four 3w bulbs might save your battery for the morning. Nowadays people just park anywhere without lights, facing the wrong way, on blind corners, on the pavement. The bobbies of yesteryear would have kittens!

[redbackrecordings]

Was expecting Roxy music love is the drug to stay playing at the end!

[silverqoon]

My mother used to own one of these in the late 70's! I have a single picture of it and it sadly met a bad end being scrapped but it was the last car my mother ever owned. Absolutely loved the car and she still talks about it very fondly even now. So happy to finally see a video on it from you Ian! And hers was a yellow/beige colour model. 😀

[hutchcraftcp]

Just saw a photo of one in a scrap yard here in the USA. I think it's a very attractive car

[scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Lovely looking Car and what a lovely noise it makes too.

[gearchange]

This brought back some memories. I used to come out of school and one of the dads picked up his son in one. I used to think "rich bastard" lol.

[frothe]

What a gorgeous vehicle, I love everything about it!
The sound of the engine, fantastic!
Excellent review!

[rumcove]

Wonderful to see this posted as I have just taken delivery of what I think might be the finest example of a 1969 Sunbeam Alpine Coupe in the US. 3800 original miles, midnight blue with a black interior, always garaged and in showroom condition. It came out of a 100 car collection in Nashville TN and I will post a video soon. Thanks!

[thetrickeys]

Great review, I owned a Sunbeam Rapier in the mid 70’s, red with a black vinyl roof. As a 20 year old I was the envy of all my mates. A few things you forgot to mention, they leaked like a sieve, and like all cars of that era rusted out, the reason I had to get rid of mine. Happy days.

[peteiswriteingnow]

Really enjoyed watching this my 3rd car was a metallic dark grey automatic one of these, brought it in 78 had it 3 years, did have a bit of rust in later years but what didn't in the 70s. had to buy a few spares but every thing from the Hunter which there was more about then fitted. I just loved the shape different from every thing else then, not like now take the badge of most cars and you would not know what make it was.

[andrewp]

Re..; Plymouth Barracuda. In 1981 I owned a '74 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, same shape as the then current Barracuda. The muscle car era was just about over by 1974, and the Satellite with it's 318 cubic inches motor had just 150 bhp. I took the car to Dublin with me on a work contract. One late afternoon, driving 'home' along the coast road out of Dublin, I was listening to a radio report that the Radio Caroline ship had run aground on the Isle of Man. My attention strayed, and I realised that I was heading for the back of the car in front, which had braked. I ploughed into the back of it.

I got out. The back of the Hillman Hunter was almost demolished, length reduced by about 18 inches. Yet when I looked at my car, the only visible damage appeared to be a strip of bonnet chrome which had pinged from its fasteners. I read afterwards that the Plymouth's massive bumper had a couple of shock absorbers behind it.

Really like the instrument panel of the Rapier.

[lazycalm]

Gorgeous cars HubNut! In the late 70's one of my closest mates had a Cedar green H120 with white side stripes. We re built and tuned the Holbay engine with re tuned Webber 40DCOE's and a balanced and re ground crank, new valves and had the block bored out to around 1800cc. it put out around 130BHP after that and in a straight line would eat 3.0 V6 Capris for breakfast! Lovely memories of a wonderful looking car!

[markclevedon]

These were beautiful and underrated cars. The H120 variants were quick and long legged grand tourers and sounded great. I had a 1975 Rapier in red with period Cosmic alloys when I was 19 - it was a real head turner even then in the late 80s. This is a stunning example. A great article and nice to see Rootes/Chrysler vehicles being featured.

[thefloorkiller]

Glad you did a review on a Rapier, I have one a 1968 one, I love it love driving it turns many heads as many people have never seen one before

[martinmcdonald]

This brought me back to the mid seventees when i was a teenager and my old man bought a 4 year old Sunbeam Rapier just like this fast back model. It was an unusual colour in a metellic Mauve. But i do remember the overdrive system. Cool car, happy memories. R.I.P. Dad.

[andrewgardner]

My Grandma and Grandad used to regularly drive their early Hillman Hunter to see their daughter (my aunt) who has lived in Switzerland since mid 60s-They would also include a trip to South Of France!Never went with them as I was only 7 in 1975 when they sold the car.The thought of travelling such distances back then amazed me..

[Jono-Pomdownuder]

When I was a kid a guy down the road from me had one of theses in white, I always thought it was a good looking thing, I thought, one day, one day, now living down under they are rear as. Thanks for the boyhood memories.

[timwingham]

I never understood why these didn't set the country alight. They had the looks in spades inside and out! Maybe it was was because people just didn't connect with the manufacturer identity? Whatever the reason this version of the Rapier is one of the best looking cars ever. (In my humble opinion.) Thank you so much for another excellent, informed, and informative review.

[andrewf]

I had a Hunter GLS with the Holbay engine many years ago, and really liked it, but I always wanted a Sunbeam Rapier H120 in that strange yellowy green colour. Thanks for this.