This Rapier was deemed too dangerous to save because of the risk of asbestos contamination
A local authority has come under fire for scrapping a Sunbeam Rapier because it had been stored in an asbestos-roofed lock-up garage.
The 1971 Sunbeam Rapier automatic had been in the council-owned garage for 20 years and was said to be in good condition prior to its demise, which only came to light after Dudley Council had decided to demolish the site at The Broadway in Norton, near Stourbridge.
Classic Ford owner Emlyn Bowdler rented another of the garages for his Ford Consul MkI, and contacted the council and the Sunbeam Rapier Club in a bid to save the car. 'We were sent letters by the council a year earlier but we didn't hear anything until just before the demolition,' he said. 'I managed to put my Consul in another council lcok-up, but saw the Sunbeam Rapier still in the garage where it had been all those years and it looked in good condition - certainly saveable.'
Emyln said the council was adamant that because of the asbestos garage roof the car was contaminated and it could not be persuaded otherwise. 'It was very annoying and sad. A good going over with a hosepipe would have cleaned it,' he said.
Dudley Council said all the garage licence holders were sent written notices ending their licence agreements in the summer of 2014. A spokesperson said: 'The council took the decision to do this in light of the danger posed by the state of the garages. The licencees were given a contact number if they wished to discuss the situation. Further notices were posted on the site. The council believes it has acted reasonably and correctly.'
The Sunbeam Rapier Club managed to find who owned the car via its own records, and said it had been in touch with the local authority about the Rapier's fate.
Glen Mason, club secretary, said: 'There was no reasoning with the council. This was a rare automatic Rapier fastback and it wasn't as if there was no-one out there prepared to save it. I'm sure if it had been a Bugatti it would have had a different fate.'
The club has been unable to contact the Rapier owner.