1927 Paris

The Experimental Car :

Engine: 4.9lt; 1935 -Bentley 4.5lt; 1960s – Lincoln V12 engine; 1965 – original Sunbeam 4.9lt no.3 with Claudel Hobson carburettors reinstated.

Body: Pointed G.P tail two seater; 1927 – McAlister Co. aluminium single seater

Livery: 1922 unpainted bonnet; 1922 unpainted bonnet liveried ‘Sunbeam’; 1924 – painted bonnet liveried ‘Sunbeam’ on bonnet; 1927 -Alzaga ‘signature’ white stripe on the scuttle; 1960s – grey body, red chassis; today – green no.3

The Works history of this car (1921-1924) cannot be confirmed however; the suggestion below is likely; subsequent history is documented.

Notable for being the prototype for the effective combination of a 4.9lt engine with a 1921 G.P. chassis, the car had achieved considerable success for S.T.D. Works in Britain. Subsequently purchased by self-proclaimed “first and only Argentinean playboy” Alzaga Unzue, in whose hands it participated in the 1924 French Grand Prix and obtained the first international victory for Argentina. The same year it crashed in the Spanish Grand Prix, the engine was successfully used for motor-boat racing before it was reunited in 1927 with the chassis now in a single-seater form. It was imported to Argentina where it continued to race with various engines before it was put on display in 1965 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum where it remains with its original 4.9lt engine.

1924 Alzaga Miramas

History:
1922

  • March 25, Kop Hill, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6, Vandervell 2nd fastest 27.2sec
  • April 17 Brooklands 100mph Short and Long handicap, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6, H.O.D. Segrave races 5 & 10 race no. 1; 3rd & 2nd
  • May 13, Brooklands 100mph Short and Long handicap, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6, H.O.D. Segrave races 5 & 7 race no. 1; 1st & 3rd
  • May 18, Brooklands Class F Records, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6, H.O.D. Segrave; 0.5mile (fs)-5mile(fs) – (115.26mph-114.95mph)
  • May 20, Brooklands Duke of York Long & Short Handicap and the Athlone Lightning Long Handicap; two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; H.O.D. Segrave; 2nd in both Duke of York races and 1st in Athlone race (109.82mph)
  • June 05 Brooklands; two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; H.O.D. Segrave races 5 & 10 race no. 1
  • June 17, Saltburn Speed Trials; two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; Leo V. Cozens no.15,ftd class O (5 litres) 22.8sec
  • July 01, Spread Eagle; two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; M. Campbell DA6521, ftd and new hill record 41sec
  • July 08, Holmes Moss Hillclimb, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; M. Campbell, DA6521, ftd and new hill record 80.8sec
  • July 29, Shelsley Walsh, two seater, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; C.A. Bird,2nd 54sec (tail is not visible in photos and it can therefore be one of the Coppa Florio T.T. tail cars – Blue Bird or T.T. winner)
  • September 30, Brooklands Speed Championship; two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; H.O.D. Segrave 1st in class, 105.58mph

1924

  • March 29 Kop Hill Climb, single seater D. Resta registration DA6207 2nd fastest 29.2sec
  • 1924 July 13, Grand Prix de Provence, Miramas, 100 mile inauguration race, Martin Macoco Alzaga Unzue, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6 ‘Sunbeam’ liveried on bonnet; 1st (92 mph, lapped at 94mph). First International victory for Argentina.
  • September 27, St Sebastian, two seater pointed G.P. tail, 1916 4.9lt in-line 6; M.M. Alzaga Unzue no.17 DNF (crash)

1925
St Sebastian Spain, Copa del Rey, 4.9lt engine installed on ‘Papirus’ motorboat Despujols design, M.M. Alzaga Unzue 2nd place. It is recorded that Alzaga was successful in 1925 with ‘Charabon’ in Biarritz and San Sebastian boat races; he may also have participated successfully in the Monte Carlo event. It is said that ‘Charabon’ was a 12 cyl Sunbeam engine boat; did Alzaga have two boats with two engines? If not, it may have actually been the 4.9lt Sunbeam 6cyl engine:

  • March 28, Monte Carlo Meeting, some, all or none of “5 Firsts, 1 Second”
  • August 17, Biarritz, some or all of “Championship of the Sea, Olazabal Cup, 2 Second Prizes, 3 Special trophies”
  • September 8, San Sebastian, some or all of “7 trophies and valuable money prizes”IMG_7119

1927

  • Rebuilt by McAlister Co. Isle de la Jette, Neuille sur Seine, Paris as a single-seater, central steering with clutch and brake pedals flanking; brake lever on nearside, aluminium bodywork with under-tray; liveried with Alzaga ‘signature’ white stripe on the scuttle; Talbot radiator, registered 2546 W1.
  • December 5 arrived at Buenos Aires on board the Cap Arcona.
  • For sale by Alzaga in Buenos Aires, Argentina through his motorboat, car and bodywork company Ysozaga y Compania

1928

  • January San Martin Autodrome Argentine, tested successfully during race.
  • May, might have been purchased by Francisco (Fernandez?) Hampton who may have run a training lap for the 500 Miles which he nevertheless did not participate in. Tuned by Luis Viglione (who continued working with Alzaga well into the thirties) at an estimated 124mph for 6000rpm

1933

  • Engine rebuilt (?) by Domingo Filippini, Buenos Aires

1935

  • Eric Forrest Greene Argentina. Prepared for racing – engine re-boared to 192.5CID, seat changed, copper fuel tank exposed or replaced – Argentinean manufacture plate attached .
  • August 09, 500 Millas Argentinas, retired with poor handling and magneto failure, E Forrest (modified dashboard)
  • December, Parana Argentine, E Forrest DNF
  • E Forrest fited his Bentley engine and it was known as the ‘Ben-Sun’

1936

  • Lincoln Argentine, E Forrest with either 4.9lt or Bentley engine, 2nd in the heat but retired in final lap

1954

  • Eric Forrest Greene passes away in Argentina

1960s

  • Roberto Noccetti owns the car (fitted Lincoln V12 engine?) painted grey body, red chassis

1964

  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum purchased via J M Ahumada of NYC and E H Jurist (Vintage Car Storage NY) for $5,000 installed with the Sunbeam 4.9lt engine, Claudel Hobson carburettors, magneto ignition. Wheelbase 105.5 inches, front tread 56.25 inches, rear tread 54.5 inches.
  • The car today remains highly original and continues to be installed with the 4.9lt engine; body painted green liveried no.3. The single seater body remains in 1927 configuration with some minor modifications including additional blisters on bonnet, change to cockpit line, absent fairing, brake lever moved offside, gear lever moved, and the under-tray is absent.