Chrysler Sunbeam - Development

Development

The development of the new car started in January 1976 under the codename Project R424. The technical side was the responsibility of the engineering team in Ryton, while the styling was the responsibility of Chrysler's Whitley design studio in Coventry, led by Roy Axe (who would leave the UK for Chrysler's headquarters in the USA before the car was launched). Many constraints, such as very tight schedule, low budget and the need to use as many British components as possible, led to the decision to use the rear-wheel drive Hillman Avenger as the base for the new vehicle, rather than the more trendy front-wheel drive constructions of Chrysler's French subsidiary, Simca. The Sunbeam was, unlike the larger Horizon and Alpine models which were launched by Chrysler in the mid to late 1970s, never sold in France as a Simca.

Basing the car on the Avenger's platform allowed for the car not only to use as many already existing components as possible, but also to put it in production in Linwood quickly and at minimal investment. The Avenger's wheelbase was shortened by 3 inches (76 mm), and some modifications were made to accommodate the small 928 cc Coventry Climax engine, a version of the unit inherited from the little Hillman Imp also made in Linwood. Other than that, most components were identical to those of the Avenger. Nevertheless, the little car took its steering wheel and instrument pod from Chrysler's recently launched award winning Simca 1307/Chrysler Alpine.

On the outside, with the exception of the doors which were straight from the 2 door Avenger, the R424 was given an all-new body, styled very much in line with Chrysler's new, angular "international" style conceived by Roy Axe, which was first presented with the debut of the 1975 Simca 1307/Chrysler Alpine, and would later also be represented by the 1977 Simca/Chrysler Horizon (Project C2). This ensured the R424 would fit in well with the new Chrysler lineup and come across as fairly modern. Nevertheless, a constraint in the development process took its toll on the initial look of the car - as the C2's (Horizon's) headlamps would not be available at the planned launch time of the R424, the small car was given the lamps of the recently facelifted Avenger, which required the characteristic "recessed" mounting in the front fascia. The GLS version had a vinyl roof as standard.

There was only one body style for the Sunbeam, that of a 3 door hatchback. The car was literally a hatchback, with the rear hatch formed out of a single piece of glass as seen previously on the Hillman Imp. That required a high rear sill to provide some structural rigidity and which consequently made the loading and unloading of luggage rather difficult. Although it was a good looking car with clean modern lines, the tricky luggage compartment and the lack of alternative bodystyles - a reasoning being that the Avenger range already offered saloon and estate variants - ultimately compromised the car's appeal in the UK market. The Sunbeam's main competitors in the UK, the Ford Escort, Vauxhall Chevette and Austin Allegro were produced in different body styles to cater for a broader range of customer.

On the interior side, the GL version is the first car ever to sport printed "melded" fabric from Cambrelle on its seats. These have been considered similar to the Avenger in their comfort.

The story of the car's name is also interesting - until the R424 launch, most Chrysler UK products were marketed in export markets under the Sunbeam brand of the former Rootes portfolio. Chrysler, however, was striving to cut down on the Rootes brand palette (which at that time existed solely by means of badge engineering) and introduce a pan-European image using the Chrysler brand as the only one for the whole range. The result was naming the car "Chrysler Sunbeam", and the Sunbeam brand was discontinued, with the remaining Rootes Group models also rebranded as Chryslers in 1976.