Link: Registro Internationale Touring Superleggera
Link: Rootes Parts
SUNBEAM VENEZIA GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 256,4 cm
Track – front 130,7 cm
Track – rear 123,2 cm
Length overall 449,0 cm
Width 156,0 cm
Height 137,0 cm
Ground clearance 16,0 cm
ENGINE
Cylinders 4
Bore and Hub 81,5 x 76,2 mm
Cubic capacity 1592 cc
Compression ratio 9,1 : 1
WEIGHT
Unloaded (no petrol, no water) 1045 kg
Unloaded (with petrol and water) 1095 kg
CAPACITY
Petrol tanks (2), total 59 ltrs.
Oil sump 4,55 ltrs.
PERFORMANCE
Brake Horse Power (gross) 97 @ 5800 RPM
Brake Horse Power (nett) 88 @ 5800 RPM
Torque max. 13,1 mkg @ 3500 RPM
VEHICLE SPEED AT 1000 RPM
-overdrive in fourth 32,5 km/h
-fourth 26,0 km/h
-overdrive in third 23,3 km/h
-third 18,6 km/h
-second 10,1 km/h
-first 7,7 km/h
-reverse 5,1 km/h
LUBRIFICATION
Normal oil pressure 3,84/4,5 cmq
Filter disposable type
DIFFERENTIAL
Ratio 4,22:1
Crown wheel 38 teeth
Pinion 9 teeth
TOTAL TRANSMISSION RATIO
-overdrive in fourth 3,38:1
-fourth 4,22:1
-overdrive in third 4,71:1
-third 5,87:1
-second 9,03:1
-first 14,12:1
-reverse 17,89:1
SUSPENSION – FRONT
Coil springs external diameter 11,7 cm
length at static load 20,0 cm ± 0,25 cm
static load 576 kg
length unloaded 27,6 cm
Wheel jounce 8,9 cm
Angle of incidence 45' ± 30'
SUSPENSION – REAR
Leaf spring, semi-elliptic
length between centres 127 cm
width 5 cm
number of leaves 3x5,9 mm + 1x6,3 mm + 1x7,1 mm
SHOCK ABSORBERS
Shock absorbers telescopic type, direct acting
STEERING
Make and type Burman, recirculating ball type
Number of turns left/right 3 ¼
Angular movement steering arm 76°
Turning circle 9,14 mtr.
BRAKES
Make and type, front Lockheed, with servo
Disc diameter front 26,2 cm
Rear: drums. diameter 22,85 cm
Total brake surface 1923 cm2
Hand brake mechanical
CARBURETTOR
Make and type Solex B.32 P.A.I.A.
Air filter paper element
COOLING SYSTEM
Type Mechanical water
pump
Fan diameter 36,8 cm
Extra appliance: Oil cooler
CLUTCH
Brand and type Borg & Beck single disc diaphragm, hydraulic operation
TRANSMISSION
gear ratio fourth 1000:1
third 1392:1
second 2141:1
first 3346:1
reverse 4239:1
speedometer gear:
pinion cog wheel dial
5031066 K.25632 1224085 S/N 5338/00 = MPH
5 teeth 12 teeth 1224084 S/N 5338/01 = KM/H
Overdrive on third and fourth Laycock de Normanville
DRIVE SHAFT
diameter 7,6 cm
between centres 116,3 cm
length total 134,1 cm
TYRES
Pirelli Sempione 'S' 6.00 x 13
Spare tyre Mounted under boot
BATTERY
Make and type F.I.A.M.M. 12 V 42 Ah
Earthing Positive earth
VOLTAGE REGULATOR
Make and type Lucas RB.340
DYNAMO
Make and type Lucas C.40.L
Tension brush springs 0,36/0,85 kg
Field resistance 5,9 ohm
Max. output 25A @ 2275 RPM
OTHER APPLIANCES
Wiper motor Lucas 6W, two-speed
Lighting front Carello
Fusibles Alasonatti S.p.A.
Wheels pressed steel wheels
Safety belts option (fixing points available)
PAINT COLOURS
Paint manufactured by Italver or MaxMeyer
Blu Laguna (dark blue)
Bianco Lido (white)
Grigio Rialto (metallic grey)
Verde Torcello (green)
Azzuro Venezia (metallic light blue)
Nero (black)
TRIM COLOURS (all artificial leather)
Tobacco Beige
Rosso (red)
Two-tone Blue
Fumo di Londra Nero (charcoal)
Carpets in boot: charcoal (grey)
Maintenance scheme for Sunbeam Venezia in French:
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Sunbeam Venezia Entretien Periodique Download |
Maintenance scheme in English (shown is the scheme for the Humber Sceptre,
the Sunbeam Venezia version only differs on details)
Over the years, Rootes have issued a number of Service Bulletins for their vehicles.
The following are relevant to the Sunbeam Venezia:
Service Bulletin on Front suspension swivel bearings
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Front Suspension swivel bearings Download |
Service Bulletin on Overdrive failure
Service Bulletin on Solex 32 PAIA carburettor
What if a V8 Humber Sceptre would have been put on the market: a V8 Venezia?
This is what Bob Walton, former Rootes Group engineer remembers:
Great to know there are some Rootes Group fans out there. I did my training with Rootes in Coventry and have great memories until I finally had enough of the English climate and secured a position with Holden (GM) in Australia in 1968. By that time Rootes was on the rocks along with most of the other British motor manufacturers. I am familiar with the Humber Sceptre V8 prototype, it was a fanciful idea at the time to secure a piece of the sports sedan market dominated by Jaguar with their MkII range but with Rootes on it's knees and Chrysler having an influence on future products the Sceptre V8 was destined to the scrap pile. In fact I approached Peter Wilson, the boss, if I could buy it and the answer was that he was on top of the list if it was permitted to be sold. Although a number of prototypes in various guises were sold to employees, the Sceptre V8 was to be scrapped, I can clearly recall the car being stripped of all its interior and mechanical parts and the body being taken to the factory scrap area and 2 tinsmiths with oxy/acetylene cutting it into several pieces. I am unashamed to say a tear or two was shed by me. It was a great Q car, I did many many miles in the car both at MIRA (proving ground) and on public roads, the best fun was on the M1 motorway between Birmingham and London (no speed limits at the time) and most car manufacturers found it to be very convenient for high speed testing!! The Jaguar MkII 3.8 with overdrive trans and chrome wire wheels was the 'King of the Road' in the sixties in Britain and occupied the outside lane (fast lane) on the M1. The senior executives and sporting types and some crooks had little trouble sitting on 125mph all the way up and down the motorway, a flash of the headlights soon shifted the errant Morris Minor out of the way. Well, a Jag 3.8 driver looking in his rear view mirror and seeing what appeared to be a Hillman Super Minx approaching very quickly with its headlamps flashing saying "Move over baby I'm coming through": if only we had mobile phone camera's in those days to see those driver's facial expressions as you gave a courteous wave as you cruised past. Fabulous times. I am testing my memory on fine detail of the car, it was LHD, metallic mid blue in colour, auto trans, Salisbury LSD, may have had discs F&R (a la Tiger Mk2) and a very large transmission tunnel, the bulkhead had received substantial modification to accept its new Yankee motive power,the car was driven on trade plates as most prototypes were.
Sorry no photos, only memories. Hope you find this helpful in your search for info on this now dusty history.
courtesy Gary Martin
On the subject: excerpt of contract between Ford/Shelby regarding V8 for Tiger and Venezia:
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Full article Relationship Touring-Rootes Download
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