automobile springs in France Automobiles Talbot SA: Talbot cars (until 1921 named Automobiles Darracq SA: Darracq cars) Darracq Proprietary Company Limited: held those French assets not held by Automobiles Talbot SA other investments W & G Du Cros Limited: Yellow Taxi-cabs, charabanc and bus bodies, motorcar bodies and assembly of French-sourced Talbot components for sale in the British market as Darracq-Talbot cars. Heenan & Froude Limited, constructional engineers Closedown and sale of brandname Sunbeam did not survive the Great Depression. It fell into receivership in 1934 and was sold by the receiver to the Rootes brothers. Products Production cars When at its height in the 1920s, Sunbeam Motor Car Company's Moorfield works employed 3,500 staff on their 50-acre site. The buildings covered 15 acres. Under VSCC rules all cars made in Wolverhampton post WW1 qualify as vintage and as post-vintage thoroughbreds after 1 January 1931. All cars built before the end of the First World War are covered by the VCC. Coatalen's obsession with improvement meant that there were numerous small changes in models from year to year. Therefore, although his designs are basically similar, few parts are interchangeable. Two models dominated production: 1920–24 16 hp, 16/40, 24 hp, 24/60 and 24/70 all based on pre-war designs 1922–23 14 hp, the first post-war four-cylinder 1924 12/30 and 16/50 only produced in small numbers 1924–26 14/40 and big brother 20/60 developed from 14 hp with two more cylinders added. 1926–30 3-litre Super Sports, Sunbeam's Bentley rival. 1926–30 16 hp (known as "16.9") and 20 hp (known as "20.9"). Two new designs with six-cylinder integral cast iron block and crankcase. Both were produced over many years. The 20.9 with a 3-litre engine producing 70 bhp shared components with the 3-litre Super Sports (brakes, suspension, steering, axles, gearbox, transmission). 1926–32 20/60 developed into 25 hp with bore increased from 75 to 80 mm. A few 8-cylinder cars produced in this period, 30 hp & 35 hp. 1930–32 16 hp bore increased from 67 to 70 mm, (known as "18.2"). 1931–33 New model 20 hp (known as "23.8") introduced with 80 mm bore and 7 main bearings rated at 23.8 hp. 1933–34 New model Speed 20 consisting of 20.9 hp engine resurrected with improved exhaust manifold and downdraught carb installed in new cruciform braced chassis. 1933 18.2 hp engine installed in Speed 20 chassis and renamed 'Twenty'. 1933–35 Twenty-Five introduced with modified 1931–33 23.8