To Catch a Thief: Elegance on Wheels
The undisputed star on four wheels in To Catch a Thief is the sky-blue Sunbeam Alpine Series 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.
For Hitchcock, a car was never just a prop. He turned the road itself into a stage and the vehicle into a metaphor for human relationships. In To Catch a Thief, a drive along the Riviera’s hairpin curves plays in multiple registers: in one frame, it’s lighthearted flirtation under the sun, and in the next, a tense turn above a deadly drop.
The car lets Hitchcock shift rhythm effortlessly — from languid glamour to edge-of-the-seat suspense. It becomes his language, a simple object through which he speaks about temptation, danger, and the fragile balance between them.
The History of the Sunbeam Alpine
The Sunbeam Alpine was a refined British sports roadster, produced between 1953 and 1955 in its early Mark I and Mark III forms, with only about 1,582 units built — fewer than 200 survive today. These early Alpines were hand-crafted by the coachbuilders Thrupp & Maberly and were essentially sporty, open-top versions of the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 saloon.
Under the bonnet, they carried a 2,267 cc four-cylinder engine that produced between 80 and 97.5 horsepower, making them competitive in rallies of the period. In fact, the Alpine shone at the Alpine Rally of 1953, winning the prestigious “Coupe des Alpes” and cementing its reputation in British motorsport.
A later version, the Sunbeam Alpine Series I (1959–1960), was more accessible and mass-produced, fitted with a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine delivering around 78–80 horsepower. It could reach close to 99 mph (160 km/h) and sprint from 0–60 mph in about 13.6 seconds. While not the fastest car on the market, it was praised for being lightweight, stylish, and easy to handle — a quintessential symbol of mid-century British motoring elegance.
The Alpine was perfectly suited for Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. Graceful and compact, with a soft top and clean lines, it seemed designed for the sun-soaked serpentine roads of the French Riviera. Its aesthetic of lightness and understated glamour amplified the film’s themes of freedom, romance, and elegance — making it the ideal choice for one of cinema’s most iconic driving sequences.
The Sunbeam Alpine was a refined British sports roadster, produced between 1953 and 1955 in its early Mark I and Mark III forms, with only about 1,582 units built — fewer than 200 survive today. These early Alpines were hand-crafted by the coachbuilders Thrupp & Maberly and were essentially sporty, open-top versions of the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 saloon.
Under the bonnet, they carried a 2,267 cc four-cylinder engine that produced between 80 and 97.5 horsepower, making them competitive in rallies of the period. In fact, the Alpine shone at the Alpine Rally of 1953, winning the prestigious “Coupe des Alpes” and cementing its reputation in British motorsport.
A later version, the Sunbeam Alpine Series I (1959–1960), was more accessible and mass-produced, fitted with a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine delivering around 78–80 horsepower. It could reach close to 99 mph (160 km/h) and sprint from 0–60 mph in about 13.6 seconds. While not the fastest car on the market, it was praised for being lightweight, stylish, and easy to handle — a quintessential symbol of mid-century British motoring elegance.
The Alpine was perfectly suited for Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. Graceful and compact, with a soft top and clean lines, it seemed designed for the sun-soaked serpentine roads of the French Riviera. Its aesthetic of lightness and understated glamour amplified the film’s themes of freedom, romance, and elegance — making it the ideal choice for one of cinema’s most iconic driving sequences.
Still from the film To Catch a Thief (1955), © Paramount Pictures.
The Car and Suspense
Hitchcock was a master at turning ordinary moments into nerve-wracking experiences, and the Riviera drive in To Catch a Thief is one of his finest examples. The car doesn’t just move the characters from one scene to another — it becomes a source of tension itself.
As Grace Kelly steers the Sunbeam Alpine through the twisting mountain roads, the camera lingers on sheer drops, sharp turns, and the thin line between control and catastrophe. The audience feels every curve as if the car might slip at any second. Glamour and danger intertwine: the sunlit elegance of the Riviera collides with the possibility of disaster.
Still from the film To Catch a Thief (1955), © Paramount Pictures.
From Citroën to Cadillac: The Supporting Cast on Wheels
While Grace Kelly’s Sunbeam Alpine steals every scene, the streets of Cannes and Nice are alive with other period cars that subtly enrich the film's world. These vehicles aren’t just extras—they help build a textured backdrop of wealth, style, and jet-set culture.
Citroën 11(B) Traction Avant
These classic front-wheel-drive sedans—built from 1934 to 1957—pop up on the Riviera streets as everyday Muggle transport. With their elegant, low-slung bodies and refined lines, they silently remind us of the region’s enduring French elegance.
Classic Luxury Sedans
On the roads and by the casinos, you can spot grand limousines and large sedans—including models like the Bentley Mk.VI Sedanca Coupé, Buick Super, and Cadillac Fleetwood 75—which quietly signal wealth and leisurely excess.
Each background car contributes to an era's portrait: a luxury getaway destination where every vehicle is as carefully chosen as a costume. These cars don’t race into our view; they simply arrive, park, and linger—adding depth to Hitchcock’s Riviera tapestry, reminding us this world brims with power and privilege.
While Grace Kelly’s Sunbeam Alpine steals every scene, the streets of Cannes and Nice are alive with other period cars that subtly enrich the film's world. These vehicles aren’t just extras—they help build a textured backdrop of wealth, style, and jet-set culture.
Citroën 11(B) Traction Avant
These classic front-wheel-drive sedans—built from 1934 to 1957—pop up on the Riviera streets as everyday Muggle transport. With their elegant, low-slung bodies and refined lines, they silently remind us of the region’s enduring French elegance.
Classic Luxury Sedans
On the roads and by the casinos, you can spot grand limousines and large sedans—including models like the Bentley Mk.VI Sedanca Coupé, Buick Super, and Cadillac Fleetwood 75—which quietly signal wealth and leisurely excess.
Each background car contributes to an era's portrait: a luxury getaway destination where every vehicle is as carefully chosen as a costume. These cars don’t race into our view; they simply arrive, park, and linger—adding depth to Hitchcock’s Riviera tapestry, reminding us this world brims with power and privilege.
Today, the driving sequence with the Sunbeam Alpine is considered one of the most iconic car scenes in cinema history. Grace Kelly’s roadster has outlived the film itself, becoming both a symbol of mid-century Hollywood glamour and an enduring icon of classic automotive design.
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.
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.
