Sunbeam Imp Sport History

The Hillman Imp was launched by Rootes in 1963 as a rear-engined compact with an all-aluminium 875 cc engine derived from a Coventry Climax racing unit. Sunbeam's Imp Sport arrived in 1966 as a warmed-up version, fitted with twin side-draught Stromberg carburettors, a higher-lift camshaft, bigger valves, and a standard-fit oil cooler — raising output from the stock 42 bhp to approximately 55 bhp and enabling a top speed approaching 90 mph.

In 1970, when Chrysler discontinued the Singer marque, the best features of the Singer Chamois Sport and Sunbeam Imp Sport were combined into a single model called simply the Sunbeam Sport. The entire Imp family was discontinued in 1976; approximately 10,000 Imp Sport and Sport models were built in total across the run.