Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

The story

The ordinary Sunbeam was a small hatchback rushed out in under two years to keep the Linwood factory open. With a Lotus engine and rear-wheel drive it became a rally weapon. It won the makes title in the 1981 World Rally Championship.

Inside

Basic black trim, sports seats and a few extra dials. The money went on what was under the bonnet.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1979

Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister after the winter of discontent.

Best-selling single of 1979: Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel

Before you buy a 1970s car

• Rust is common in sills, wheel arches, front panels and the bottom of the doors.
• Check the wiring and electrics carefully, as they age badly.
• Many volume-selling cars still have good parts support, but badge-engineered and low-volume models can be harder to source.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.