Sceptre or Rapier?

[vklemans]

The following link will take you to a Webshots page with some interesting photos.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/561736172YLKzYN

Most of us would say this car is a Humber Sceptre Mk 1. It's left hand drive and has a metric speedo, suggesting it was made for a European country, and someone has suggested the number plate is from Portugal.

A closer inspection shows that it is badged (including the grille) as a Sunbeam Rapier, and it has a wooden dash like a Mk 5 Rapier, not at all like the Sceptre dash with it's vinyl and hooded instruments.

Now, it's generally known that the Sceptre was originally intended to replace the Audax Sunbeam Rapier, and to take it's name - it should have been the Rapier 4. The Sceptre even has a chassis/engine number consistent with it being a Sunbeam Rapier. The decision to continue the Rapier and sell the Sceptre as a different make/model was taken at the last minute. So, is this car an elaborate fake/replica/mock up, Or could it be a genuine prototype/pre-production Sunbeam Rapier (Sceptre bodied)? Any ideas?

Cheers,
Vic

[SegaSceptre]

A prototype did exist, cant really tell if thats geniune or not, theres a good chance it is a replica that someone has built.
One car of the sceptre line I do wish still existed was the V8 powered one but that got dismantled a long time ago