The undisputed star on four wheels in To Catch a Thief is the sky-blue Sunbeam Alpine Mark I. In one of the film’s most iconic sequences, Grace Kelly takes the wheel and speeds along the winding roads of the French Riviera. The scene is pure cinema: the sparkle of the Mediterranean in the background, Kelly’s elegance in the driver’s seat, and the Alpine hugging the hairpin turns with just enough danger to make the audience grip their armrests.
The History of the Sunbeam Alpine
The car featured in the film is the Sunbeam Alpine Mark I, produced between 1953 and 1955. It was a rare, hand-built roadster derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 saloon.
Unlike its mass-produced successors, the Mark I was a true coachbuilt vehicle, crafted by the prestigious firm Thrupp & Maberly.
Under the bonnet lay a 2.2-liter (2,267 cc) four-cylinder engine producing around 80 horsepower.
While it wasn't a supercar by today's standards—taking about 18 seconds to reach 60 mph—it was a capable rally machine, having won the Coupe des Alpes in 1953.
But on screen, speed numbers didn't matter.
What mattered was the silhouette: high-waisted, devoid of sharp fins, and painted in a stunning Sapphire Blue Metallic.
The driving scene is a masterclass in subtext. While Cary Grant grips his knees in terror, Kelly is calm, turning the wheel with one finger while casually lighting a cigarette.
The car allows the director to shift the rhythm effortlessly—from languid glamour to edge-of-the-seat suspense.
It’s a scene where the car becomes an extension of the flirtation, proving that in 1955, the most dangerous curves weren't always on the road.
The investment case for the Sunbeam Alpine rests entirely on the distinction between the mass-produced later models and the hand-crafted Mark I featured in To Catch a Thief. With only 1,582 units originally coachbuilt by Thrupp & Maberly and fewer than 200 surviving, the Mark I has graduated from a mere vintage car to a scarce historical artifact. This extreme rarity creates a resilient price floor that fundamentally separates it from its successors.
However, the economics of ownership are complex. The hand-formed bodywork dictates restoration costs comparable to high-end exotics, creating a massive value gap between "project" cars and Concours-level examples. Furthermore, the "Grace Kelly effect" is a tangible market force; examples in the correct Sapphire Blue command a significant premium. Relative to contemporaries like the Jaguar XK120, the Mark I remains an undervalued blue chip, offering coachbuilt pedigree that the market has arguably not yet fully priced in.
While the Alpine steals the show, the streets of Cannes in the film are alive with automotive history.
The black Citroën 11B Traction Avant police cars provide a menacing contrast to the Riviera's sunlit luxury, while the background fills with Bentley Mk.VI and Cadillac Fleetwood 75 limousines, silently signaling the immense wealth of the film's setting.
Today, the Sapphire Blue Sunbeam Alpine remains one of the most enduring images of Golden Age Hollywood.
It is a reminder of a time when cars were built by hand, and driving was an act of elegance.
To Catch a Thief is more than a suspense thriller. It’s a film where the car embodies freedom, risk, and elegance all at once. The sky-blue Sunbeam Alpine will forever remain one of the most unforgettable screen cars of Golden Age Hollywood.
Vehicle ID: Verified via IMCDb
Production Numbers: Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register (STAR) — Historical production records for Mark I & III.
Market Valuation: Data aggregated from Hagerty Price Guide and Bonhams auction results (2024-2025).
Historical Context: Hemmings Motor News, "Sunbeam Alpine Mark I and III History".
Grace Kelly’s stunning drive in To Catch a Thief (1955), this section gathers what audiences often search for — like which Sunbeam Alpine was used, how Hitchcock selected cars for the French Riviera, and why that sky-blue roadster remains a cinematic classic. Viewers type in queries such as “To Catch a Thief car model Sunbeam Alpine,” “Grace Kelly Riviera drive car,” “classic cars in Hitch-cock films,” “French Riviera cars in 1950s movies,” and “Hollywood roadsters used in vintage crime dramas.”
The Sunbeam Alpine isn’t just a star car — it captures elegance, speed, and glamour. Built during the early 1950s with a lightweight British roadster body, its aesthetics matched the film’s themes of romance, danger, and luxury. The supporting cast of period vehicles — limousines, sedans, Citroën, Bentley, Cadillac — helps flesh out the world of wealth and leisure on the Riviera. Whether you’re drawn by car specs, vintage design history, or classic Hollywood style, this article reflects why To Catch a Thief still shines as a gold standard for cars on film.
