The real new 'Series IV' Rapier never came out as a Rapier at all — Rootes redirected that design into the Humber Sceptre, and reworked the old car to wear the Series IV badge instead.
Median 130 hp across 71 similar cars
Lead trim: 1,592 cc OHV (84 bhp)
Sunbeam Rapier Series IV1963–1965
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Sunbeam Rapier Series IV yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe real new 'Series IV' Rapier never came out as a Rapier at all — Rootes redirected that design into the Humber Sceptre, and reworked the old car to wear the Series IV badge instead.
Late in 1963 Rootes were set to discontinue the Rapier, as it was no longer the mainstay of the competitions department, and the totally new Series IV that had been designed became the Mark I Humber Sceptre, while the old Series IIIA Rapier was redesigned in the hope of giving it a new lease of life as a touring saloon rather than a sports coupé. The most obvious difference was the change to 13-inch road wheels, and the front was redesigned to look lower and flatter, with a new bonnet, alloy side grilles and sidelights. The 1,592 cc engine was unchanged, but the twin Zenith carburettors gave way to a single twin-choke Solex 32PAIA, increasing power to 84 bhp and torque to 91 lb·ft at 3,500 rpm. A brake servo became standard, and The Motor's April 1964 road test gave a top speed of 91 mph and 0–60 mph in 17 seconds; 9,700 were built.
Collectors Spotted in the Sunbeam Rapier Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Sunbeam Rapier yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,592 cc OHV (84 bhp) | 1963–1965 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 84 hp | 91 lb-ft | 17.0 s | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rootes tilted the Fastback Rapier's engine to the right — purely so the bonnet line could sit lower, a styling trick shared across the whole Arrow range.
The most improved Rapier was also the one nobody bought — just 3,759 Series Vs were built before it was dropped in 1967, making it the rarest of the whole Series run.
The real new 'Series IV' Rapier never came out as a Rapier at all — Rootes redirected that design into the Humber Sceptre, and reworked the old car to wear the Series IV badge instead.
The Series IIIA looked and felt identical to the Rapier it replaced — every change under the skin was aimed purely at durability, not difference.
Rootes slimmed the windscreen pillars and dropped the scuttle line on the Series III Rapier for a 20% bigger windscreen — the subtlest change nobody noticed.
Rootes launched the Rapier Series II by flying nine cars out to Monte Carlo so the press could try them right as the 1958 rally wrapped up.
Building a single Series I Rapier took three cities: Pressed Steel built the shell, Thrupp & Maberly in London painted and trimmed it, then it shipped again to Coventry just to get its engine.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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