United X – 1986

by Dan Morris

Over twenty years ago I drove an eighteen wheeler car hauler to the Jacksonville, FL, shipyard to pick up a load of foreign cars. When the dock men brought out the cars they were unfamiliar, but their name was not–ten years earlier I had a spectacular ride with my Uncle Henry (who drove stock cars at the time) and that car was a Sunbeam Talbot.

I got in one of the new cars, and I could not believe it! Most of the British cars I had hauled wouldn’t pull themselves up onto the truck, but these babies would almost jump over the truck! What a car! I thought it would be great to own one of these, but they were out of my reach ($) at the time.

Not long after that I quit the company I worked for and went into car transporting on my own. I did not see any more Tigers for many years; but, occasionally, I would remember smoking the tires on the pier in Jacksonville.

My family grew up and my youngest son became interested in ‘Beams. We bought an Alpine two years ago; and while we were in Indy for United X, my wife found and bought another Alpine for me for our 25th Anniversary!

We had a great time at United X and made a lot of new friends there, but three days is just not long enough to get to know everyone. I still haul cars from MI to the east coast and FL, and I hope to see you all at United XI in 1987!

A tip of the Sunbeam bonnet to those who helped make this newsletter a reality. In addition to the writers (acknowledged with bylines), we would like to say a big thanks to our photographers: Scott Woerth, Steve Hansen, Mike & Linda Smith, Tom Ehrhart, Russ O’Brien, Steve & Joyce Yates, Sylvia Grubbs, Gary & Andrea Hellings, Barry Schonberger, and Joan Farmer for their big assist. Many thanks, folks! TE/AE is surely a group of Sunbeam lovers who willingly give time and lots of effort (not to mention the TLC) to sustaining and furthering the marque!

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