Talbot Sunbeam Lotus in Embassy Black (1:43 scale)
- Chrysler UK’s rallying programme didn’t live up to expectations during the seventies, mainly because their BRM twin-cam engine failed to give the neat handling Avenger enough power to beat the all conquering Cosworth BDA engined Escorts. So when competition manager Des O’ Dell saw the prototype of the company’s new Avenger-based small hatchback the Sunbeam, he hatched a plan to shoehorn in the Lotus 907 engine & create, at last, an Escort beater.
It worked, from March 1979 over 2300 road cars were produced & the under financed team from Coventry had their year of years in 1981, winning the Manufacturers’ World Rally Championship.