The Sunbeam 1000, which made 1,000 horsepower thanks to twin Sunbeam Metabele engines, set the World Speed Record in 1927 at 203.79 mph. These engines feature dual overhead camshafts, 4 magnetos, an air starter, and are 22.5 liters in displacement, or 1373 cubic inches. They spin at 2,200 rpm flat out and made 435 horsepower before they got some love from the racing team behind the Sunbeam 1,000. These are big giant engines and they are fun to watch for sure. With the Sunbeam 1000 being restored, with plans to bring it back to Daytona in 2027 for the 100th anniversary of the record, this was the first test firing of one of the two engines for the car.
You can see the excitement on everyone’s face when it does fire, but the nerves are very apparent as well while working to get this thing ready. Check out the video below and let us know what you think. I can’t imagine sitting in front of one of these and behind the other, catapulting down the beach at over 200 mph. Nobody had done it before then, and this made the Sunbeam 1000 the first car to every exceed 200 mph. That’s something special.
Video Description:
As the National Motor Museum workshop team strips down the second engine of Sunbeam 1000hp, we celebrate their expertise which made the rebuild of the first engine possible. See our footage of a private gathering of the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign team to test the first engine in preparation for its first public start-up in over 90 years at Beaulieu’s International Autojumble.
It was a special moment of success for the engineering team who had spent years on a labour of love stripping, cleaning, restoring and rebuilding the rear engine before it could be put back into its snug position in Sunbeam’s chassis.
Work is now underway to investigate issues with the second engine and we rely on help from our valued partners and supporters to complete the restoration, in time to take Sunbeam back to Daytona for the 100th anniversary of its World Land Speed Record in 2027.
More information, and campaign donations can be made here: https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/su…
