Membership
The Sunbeam Rapier Owners Club was formed in June 1979 by Hampshire based, David Parrott who owned a Series IIIA at the time. The ethos being to promote and preserve the entire surviving marque and from humble beginnings with 22 founding members, the club has grown in the past 40 or so years.
Catering for all Sunbeam Rapiers from 1955 - 1967 when they were known as 'Series' cars (I - V during the production run) as well as the later models introduced in 1967 and produced until 1976: known as the 'Fastback'. These latter models included variants called H120 (introduced in 1968) & Alpine Coupé (introduced in 1969). The club now has around 300 members, most with cars, but some without - it is not necessary to own one to be a member.
The club is active and is usually present throughout the year at local shows around the country. A National Rally is often held each year too. We are always happy to welcome new members and do our best to provide support with technical knowledge and spare parts, so if you are not a member do consider joining us and for those who already are; thank you for your continued support."
The very first 'national' meeting was the 1980 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 26 April at the United Reformed Church Hall in Harrow. Many of the people who attended that inaugural meeting are still club members, and AGMs are still held every Spring. At these any paid up member can vote on issues and business is transacted in accordance with the constitution of the club. From an original committee of 3, the Club now has 12 designated committee posts, and 3 undesignated ones. The committee meet 4 times per year to discuss ideas and ways to move the club forward and meet the needs of the membership.
Very soon after it was formed the club offered a spares service to it's members. GBP 3.00 of each member’s annual subscription is put into the parts fund. This assists with the re-manufacture of certain, now very scarce, parts. There are separate Spares Secretaries for Series cars and Fastbacks.
The club has always prided itself on the excellent quarterly magazine called 'Cut & Thrust', which contains Rapier features; events; technical information; letters and articles: cars and items for sale etc. etc. It has received several awards over the years and is one of the best quality magazines around for a club with under 500 members. The magazine is supplemented by an occasional newsletter called ‘Short Cuts’, updating members of important happenings between magazine publications.
Over the years the quarterly magazine, combined with the various local meetings and national events, has enabled us to cultivate a spirit of common interest, where information and ideas are freely exchanged between members. Whether you are an owner or merely an enthusiast with a common interest in the marque why not join today.
The membership fee structure has recently been simplified to just a single membership class. Membership fees relates to the calendar year and there is a sliding scale of fees depending on when joining, with subscriptions as follows:
| Membership Subscription Rates | |
|---|---|
| January - December* | £20 |
| April - December | £19 |
| July - December | £13 |
| October - December | £7 |
- New Member Form for those joining for the first time.
- Existing Members renewing their membership.
Please send your cheques or Postal Orders, made payable to SROC to:
Mark Carter,
SROC Membership Secretary,
6 Goldstone Lane,
Hove,
East Sussex,
BN3 7RN
Tel: 07766 187 020
Or you can pay via Pay Pal to membership@sunbeamrapier.co.uk but don't forget to download and send off the joining/renewal form to Mark.