Golden or Royal Sunbeams with painted rather than plated parts were the most expensive Sunbeams on offer. Green paintwork was offered in the 1910 catalogue, but it disappeared as a catalogue option within a few years. Nevertheless, the catalogues were only a guide, and a customer could order whatever they wanted.
As you can see in the Sunbeam prospectus below: ‘Enamelling Royal Sunbeams in colours, including Gold Leaf lines’ cost an extra 20/- (£1).
The total price for this Golden Sunbeam for Gentleman in 1910, including green paintwork and Sunbeam three-Speed gears, would have been 17 guineas (£17 17/-).
It was the company’s most expensive machine. Sunbeam maintained that their patent epicyclic two-speed system was the equal of a Sturmey-Archer or BSA three-speed. But by now, with Sturmey-Archer’s extensive promotion of its three speed gears, the public was at last sold on the idea, and Sunbeam was obliged to offer an in-house three-speed option. Sunbeam’s own hub gear is actually a BSA gear with the BSA name removed.
At 17 guineas, this Sunbeam was one of the most expensive bicycles in the world. Centaur’s 1909 Resilient was also 17 guineas. To compare other upmarket three-speed British bikes from 1913, a top-of-the-range Elswick was 15 guineas, Raleigh Superbe X-Frame 15 guineas, Beeston Humber £15 12/- 6d, Ariel (without gears) £15, Dursley-Pedersen £12 7/- 6d, Triumph 10 guineas, Royal Enfield Duplex Girder £9 17/- 6d, BSA £9 15/- and Rudge-Whitworth £9 12/- 7d.
1912 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen
Dark Green Enamel with Gold Lines
Sunbeam Three-Speed Gear
24″ Frame
28″ Wheels
Sunbeam rear carrier (optional extra at the time, costing 6/-)
Frame No 111116
Green Sunbeams are very scarce these days, and to find one in excellent original unrestored condition is a rare occurrence. The mudguards have been repainted but otherwise it is cosmetically original. This fine example was previously owned by my Essex friend John for many years. He then sold it but I was eventually able to buy it from its subsequent custodian, and you can now see it proudly displayed at my local village pond when I took it for a ride around the village last week. It’s ready to ride.
1910 SUNBEAM CATALOGUE EXTRACTS
SUNBEAM THREE-SPEED GEAR
1912 SUNBEAM BOOKLET
