The Modifications
The body shell of the Lotus Sunbeam has undergone various modifications that vary depending on the intended use of the vehicle.
Latter-day models have a larger radiator and the road wheels are made of alloy. The best modifications are those that were done at a satellite operation located at Lundham airfield.
Immediately upon completion of assembly, the cars had to be transported all the way to Hethel which is 20 miles away from Lundham. Here, final checks were done before they could be delivered to the dealers. One such modification resulted in the Chrysler Sunbeam whose launch was held during the Geneva Motor Show in Geneva in 1979. However, deliveries were delayed until the summer of the year that followed.
The issue of modifications was influenced by the take-over of Chrysler UK by Peugeot. It is only then that the name changed from Chrysler Sunbeam to Talbot. From this time, the cars started to officially be referred to by the name Talbot, with the exception of first models which had been sold during the first pre-production cycle. These cars originally had an Embassy Black color, a grey interior, and silver stripes on the sides. The first -cycle cars after the take-over had twin exhaust pipes.