It seems that Britain’s Lord Rootes was no stranger to odd business decisions. He famously turned down the opportunity to take over Volkswagen at no cost following World War II. He could see no benefits in manufacturing the Beetle but eventually succumbed to the temptation of developing his own small rear-engined car in the 1960s. His effort not only proved to be horribly unreliable, but its final sales total was little more than 3% of those achieved by the Volkswagen. Had his business decision been different, the Rootes Group may still exist today as a giant in automotive manufacturing. The Sunbeam Tiger is another example of this odd thinking. The company developed this classic specifically for the American market, but with a desire to maintain control at all costs, he decreed that the Tiger was to be British built. This thinking made the car the subject of a convoluted build process where unnecessary costs ate into profit margins. Today, excellent examples of the Tiger can achieve some impressive prices in the classic market. This 1966 model presents beautifully, but somebody has performed modifications that undermine its status as an original survivor. However, these changes should also unleash additional performance designed to satisfy the most hardened of enthusiasts. Located in Modesto, California, you will find the Tiger listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has hit $20,200, but this remains shy of the reserve.
Finished in Sherwood Green, it is hard to find fault with this Tiger’s presentation. It isn’t clear whether it has undergone any previous restoration work, but the paint holds an impressive depth of color and shine. There are no visible faults in the supplied photos, and the owner doesn’t mention any problems in the listing. The panels are laser straight, and while the fit of the passenger door is a little bit off at the bottom, it still looks pretty good. There is no evidence of rust, and the lack of surface corrosion over various other aspects of the vehicle suggests that life in California has been beneficial. The chrome appears excellent, while the same is true of the glass and the Minilite wheels. It seems that the car has a black soft-top, but there’s no information on its condition. This is a striking-looking car, and it is sure to turn heads wherever it goes.
Some people have a misconception that Sunbeam took standard Alpine and simply shoehorned a V8 under the hood to create the Tiger. While it does feature substantial Alpine DNA, the changes required to accommodate the bigger motor and cope with the additional power were significant. Completed bodies were shipped to Jensen for final assembly, with the company finding itself at a loose end following the end of its contract to assemble Volvo’s P1800. This brings us to the point of another odd decision by Lorde Rootes. There had been a move to have the car produced by Shelby in America, but the infamous Lord would hear nothing of it. He was determined that the vehicle be assembled in Britain, but the engines originated in North America. His determination led to a situation where motors were being shipped to Britain to be fitted to cars, and then cars were being shipped back to America for sale. That essentially doubled the freight costs, chewing into the profit margins for the Tiger. Originally released with a 260ci V8 under the hood producing 164hp, our feature Tiger has received an upgrade. The Mark II version rolled off the Jensen line with a 289ci motor, and that’s what we find in this car. It isn’t clear when the engine change occurred, but the new motor should provide a substantial increase in power. While the original Alpine made do with 93hp, this motor should be churning out over 200hp. It’s little wonder that the Tiger was capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds before winding its way to 122mph. The owner indicates that he recently rebuilt the carburetor and front end and installed new suspension bushes. The car runs and drives well and is ready to be enjoyed by a lucky new owner.
When we turn our attention to this Tiger’s interior, we are confronted with another aspect of the car that presents beautifully. The leather-upholstered seats look soft and supple, with no evidence of wear or other problems. The same is true of the door trims and dash pad, while the walnut dash fascia is immaculate. The timber-rimmed wheel perfectly complements it, and the carpet shows no signs of wear or fading. In keeping with British sports car tradition, the dash houses a nice cluster of clear and crisp gauges along with a good collection of toggle switches. The interior needs nothing and must appear pretty inviting for potential buyers.
Even though it is not 100% original, I’m not surprised that the bidding on this 1966 Sunbeam Tiger has been healthy. It presents superbly and appears to need nothing. I would expect the bidding to get beyond $30,000 before it hits the reserve. If two or more people want it badly enough, it could easily reach $40,000 before the hammer falls. For that money, somebody will get a vehicle that perfectly combines the charm of a British sports car with the power of an American V8. I can’t really see a downside to that equation, can you?
Andy Rooney,,”did you ever wonder why,” ( the world is so messed up),,,I added that last part, but he was great. A mentor, of sorts, for me. He had a green ’66 Tiger and loved it. That “alta cocker” ( old fart) lived to be 92, pixxin’ and moanin’ until the bitter end. Method to my madness? We’ll see.
Ever since I was a kid, there was one car for the masses I truly wanted, was a Tiger. As poor a vehicle as it is, it combines the best of both countries. The Sunbeam, which was a pretty high end car for the Brit’s, and a small block Ford V8, none better. I don’t care about the Shelby schtick, it has to be one of the most responsive cars to drive, and not some goofy( to me) laser designed,,heck, I don’t even know what to call a modern looking Corvette type.
As a tribute to Andy, one of his quotes is my favorite, “There are idiots who will buy anything,,if it costs enough”,,
Howard, I hope you never decide to quit commenting on here. Your comments are sometimes tongue in cheek, sometimes bordering on caustic, but I look forward to reading them everyday! Keep it up!
Same here , Howard
To me, the new Corvettes are ugly, I don’t care how fast they go or how good they handle, they haven’t made a good looking vette since the ’80s imho.
They haven’t made a good looking vette since 1972 !!!
“Pardon me while I get my shoe phone”
“Sorry about that, Chief”,,,he was pretty funny too. You know, as we get older, those sayings probably don’t mean much to younger folks. To me, that was the golden age of TV, and we were glued to it. Not sure what the inspiration was for the writers of those shows, I can only imagine. With the dawning of “observational humor”, they had a lot of material to work with. I remember as kids, we thought that “shoe phone” was just the ultimate in personal communication,,,with a rotary dial,,
Missed it by that much!!
And do not forget, one of the main reasons for Get Smart being a classic: Mel Brooks.
Don Adams liked the car so much that he drove it home every night after they wrapped it up.
@370zpp: In fairness, Mel Brooks (genius) AND Buck Henry (also genius!
Wow! Lots of Maxwell Smart fans! I find it odd that through all 5 seasons of Get Smart, Maxwell progressed from a Ferrari 250 Cabriolet, to a Sunbeam Tiger, to a VW Karmann Ghia, and finally to an Opal GT. My favorite was the Sunbeam. For anyone with too much time on their hands, here is a link to all of the opening and ending scenes of get smart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csqhWHSrbdY
A while back,they had a Tiger meet in Eureka,CA.They had
the two prototypes there.The one Shelby’s shop built was fairly-
well finished,and the one built by Ken Miles looked like he’d drank
a 12 pack of cheap beer before he worked on it.
I helped along with members of the Redwood Sports Car Club,
to stage a road rally,& an autocross.The person in charge constantly
complained about how things went.
The local newspaper did an article on the event where they
quoted Norm as saying “This is the best event we’ve ever had”.
There are some cars that you just have to drive to truly appreciate, and when you do…. you are changed forever. The Tiger is such a car. When I was younger I helped with final assembly of a MK I Tiger restoration. As a reward, I was allowed to drive it. It was magic. The 260 seemed to propel the car effortlessly. The ride was so much better than my MGB. The cockpit was comfortable and roomy. I try to emulate that driving experience in every car I build. Not a rocket, but fast enough. A car you could drive for hours and enjoy every second. I have not driven a new car that makes me feel that way for years.
BINGO!! I had a stock ’65 (260) in the late ’60’s. The car was a rip to drive, every time I got in it. Small and tossable, with plenty of grunt. Sold, only because I needed money to move from Biloxi to Orlando. I’ve owned a TR8, Pantera (23 yrs.), R5 Turbo II and others, and the Tiger is the one I would most like to have back.
Beautiful cars. I’ve always appreciated the design. Scale it up and it would rival other full size drop tops of the era.
“The leather-upholstered seats look soft and supple…”
Don’t think so. Tigers had vinyl upholstery from the factory. They were never offered with leather and the seller doesn’t claim the seats have been redone in leather.
“…it could easily reach $40,000 before the hammer falls.”
Or beyond. Nice Tigers usually sell for much more than $40k these days (though one sold recently for $41.5k on that other site).
Few photos, sparse description and lack of TAC certification looks to be keeping the bids down here. But I’d guess the reserve is well above $40k.
tiger66 and others in the know on these cars: Does a non-original engine hurt the potential value a lot, like it does on a Corvette?
Doesn’t seem to, in the way, say, a 350 crate motor in a C2 Corvette makes for a less valuable car. Even back in the ’70s, swapping the 260 for a 289 was a common Tiger mod. The exception today might be if you had an unrestored, mint original car. In that case you would want to keep it all original. But otherwise an engine swap and other mods can make the car more desirable to a larger pool of buyers and thus increase the value (in my opinion of course). A Tiger with a 302 just sold on that other site for $80k.
Thanks for the info., tiger66. I have always liked the idea of these cars in a similar way that the Cobra is interesting.
I would much rather own one of these, though, I like that classic British car look.
the vin numbers show this to be an original right hand drive car. U.S. cars had the suffix LRXFE, L = left hand drive, X = export, FE = ford engine. so all tigers had the FE at the end. HROFE was H= home (i think). this is an UK delivered car that has been converted to left hand drive. pretty sure.
Having owned Alpines and driven Tigers, I have to say that the Tiger is too much weight/power with too little brakes/suspension. With the Alpine you can drive it hard with full control. With a Tiger, you are basically hanging on and hoping. Don’t get me wrong, I like Tigers and if this was in my driveway I’d have a huge smile. Much like what is said about the Piper Cub being “Barely able to kill you”, the Alpine is like that. The Tiger is ACTIVELY trying to kill you….Nice car in the correct color!
I can only imagine, like a Kawasaki Z1, it would be tough to drive slow,,,
That VIN # is not this cars VIN. That # car belongs to the owner of Sunbeam Specialties. This car is B3822093LRXFE. Should have pics of the underside as these cars are famous frame rusters. The 289 is a good upgrade.
Sweet, i hope they use a air cleaner. Sellers feedback (0).
Between the time Shelby American built the prototype and actual Tiger production Shelby had been tasked by Ford to build the GT350. He wouldn’t have been able to handle assembly of both so was apparently happy with the decision. He was paid a royalty for each Tiger sold because of his involvement.
My stock 5L Lx got dusted 2x in a row in a friendly street drag buy one of these.. He must have had a massaged 289 ?
it beat me a car and a half lengths both times.
If you live or lived in Central Florida, yes, it was a Very Fast Tiger. Very much massaged 302/347 depending on when. LOL!
I was fortunate enough to own three Tigers in the early ’70s (2 ’65s and one ’66) – all were daily drivers, and all had the optional fastback fiberglass tops. They were delightful cars to drive – unlike many small British sports cars of that same era, and especially in local autocross events. I sold the last one (a ’65) only because my interests had moved to ’49-’51 Ford woodies. Other Tiger folks and I formed the Tiger Team club in San Diego in 1971-72 great times, very nice people about twenty members (30%, active military) but all of us paying super high insurance rates as usual for anything fun to drive in California..
All great comments. Now back to this one. Seller has zero feedback. Lots of pics but limited commentary. Says its not in the registry. One of the guys said the vin looks legit for a right hand drive car. I’d assume that a serious buyer would look this over with a fine tooth comb. Bidders all over that place but they might be fishing for the reserve. The front ends on these are experiencing fatigued control arms as the stock arms were used for the stock mill. Forewarned is forearmed. If its a legit tiger you might have to have a meeting under the cone of silence.
I am guessing the car has had a full restoration. The interior is far too nice for it to be anywhere near original and the paintwork definitely wasn’t applied in the factory. They were never available in a metallic pearl – don’t think pearl finishes has been invented then either.
Re your intro, a brief history lesson is appropriate. Your take on the decision by William Rootes, later Lord Rootes, to turn down the 1945 offer to take over Volkswagen is, with all due respects, simply Monday-morning-quarterbacking. It takes no account of immediate post WWII conditions and the car that was being offered. In 1945 Rootes and the other British car makers were rebuilding their bombed factories and scrambling to get back into car production; the quickest way, making the most economic sense, was to resume production of pre-war models, then go forward with plans for new generations. The Americans were doing the same. So what would have been the business sense, under those circumstances, of embarking on the build of an untried car (other than 200 prototypes hand-built pre-war), two-door only, rear-engine and air-cooled – new territory — — new tooling — and slow and noisy with a transmission that had no synchromesh? Not to mention the challenge of marketing, soon after the war, a car that had a Hitler/Nazi heritage? The car being was far from problem-free: fully two years later, in 1948, when the British army handed over management of Volkswagen to ex-GM engineer Heinz Nordhoff, he described the car as having “more problems than a dog has fleas”. And it wasn’t only Rootes who turned down the offer. It is on record that Morris (Nuffield) emphatically rejected it, probably also other British manufacturers such as Austin and Standard. And not just the British: in 1948 the offer was made to Ford, and Ernest Breech, Ford board chairman, told Henry Ford II “I don’t think what we are being offered is worth a dime”. What needs to be recognized is that the success of the Beetle was not in the car itself, nor the Wolfsburg plant (in ruins in 1945), but the result of Heinz Nordhoff’s conclusion that the only way this very unconventional car would to make its way in the marketplace was on a firm reputation of product quality and absolute reliability. And he achieved that brilliantly. Yes, the British, Renault, Fiat, et al, failed miserably to compete with the Beetle in reliability, and so VW eclipsed them. But that was years later. In 1945, based on evidence then available, the decision taken by Rootes was a rational one and to ridicule him, as is fashionable, is to show a lack of knowledge of the circumstances of the time.
Thank you for sharing the other side of the story, it is always good to know
Btw
I am watching a documentary ; hitler. the greatest story never told
Funny , how information is suppressed to make situations look different
OK. so, time to eat humble pie. I stand corrected by the junkman. previous post by me noted that the vin was for a right-hand drive car. and the picture in the listing of the vin is for a right-hand car. but the picture is lifted from the vin number description in Sunbeam Specialties catalogue. and it is from the owner’s own car (I guess). that picture does not match the vin listed in the verbiage of the ad. I guess he just wanted to show a vin. why he didn’t show the actual one on the car, who knows. Also, Don Adams was gifted the red car by the West Coast Sunbeam importer, Ian Garrad. Don Adams kept it until he passed.
I have had probably 25 Sunbeams, the majority of which were Tigers. Everyone that I ever let drive mine, usually bought their own within a few months.