The Tiger was a V8 derivative of the Sunbeam Alpine sports car. My first recollection of the car was the red Alpine driven by Secret Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the 1960s TV series, Get Smart. The Tiger got its power from a Ford V8 engine, with most built with the 260 motor and a few later ones with the better-known 289. The seller bought this one out of college in 1978 and has wanted to have it restored as of late, but finances are now in short supply. So, a new owner can return this driver to its former glory.
Sunbeams were a product of the Rootes Group in England. Design of the Tiger got an assist from American Carroll Shelby, and it was in production from 1964 to 1967. Shelby had tried his hand earlier with the V8-powered AC-Cobra and hoped to build the cars in the U.S., but that did not come to pass. Total Tiger production was 7,128 units and all but 633 had the 260 motor with a 2-barrel carburetor. Some changes under the skin had to take place with the Alpine chassis to accommodate the V8.
The seller has owned this classic for 46 years and the time has come for someone new who can put time and money into the Tiger. At some point, the seller had the color changed from dark green to the yellow you see today. Besides some bodywork and paint, the interior needs attention, as well. The top is mostly okay except for a hole in the plastic window. And the side windows no longer roll up and down.
At 95,000 miles, the car is said to run fine, and serious buyers can take it for a spin. The seller suggests this could be a six-figure vehicle down the road, but so far no one has placed the opening bid of $20,000 here on eBay. For a personal inspection, you’ll have to trek to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
A Tiger in the Badger? That’s a new one for me. We didn’t see many Tigers, and believe me, I would have noticed such cars. Wisconsin Dells would make sense, a local businessman in my hometown had a car museum there. This car hasn’t been on the road in quite some time, Wis. stopped using that plate in ’93, and the sticker says 90, so keep that in mind. Tigers were probably the coolest car a baby boomer could have. Historically, Sunbeams were almost top of the line in England, and the Ford V8 “Americanized” it just right. The fact the ad says 171 viewed and not one bid, AT $20 GRAND?,,which is peanuts for this car, sure tells me, like the great Bob Dylan once sang, “and these times they are a changin”.
The upside, if the car is too much for you, the day won’t be wasted at the Dells, that’s for sure.
Did these come available w a Ford 289 later on ?
Yes. The Tiger Mk II was built in 1967 and had a 289 from the factory as well as an egg crate grill. Chrysler dropped the Tiger after their acquisition of Rootes Group due to the LA engine wouldn’t fit and Chrysler wasn’t going to sell a car with a Ford engine in it.
Yes, apparently, the “633” the author refers to, are the ones that had the 289.
rockers look like filler on them & subframes underneath rusted out some, first bid price would be about right.
Cool, but a bit rough on the bottom. Should get at least one bid. Good luck to all.
Yep…saw the frame was a little crusty….
you would want to look at this on a hoist,seems to be looking from the pics to be suspect, fair bit of original stuff in the pics but for that price have to look closely
Was always an Andy Rooney fan, and read a couple of his books.
Come to find out he had a Tiger that he purchased new and drove it semi regularly. Didn’t really picture him as a Tiger type.
His daughters and son had a sympathetic restoration done to it after he passed away
IF this wasn’t so far away I’d drop by to check it out and possibly be a player…
It would probably start getting bids if the opener was $50.
Sunbeam’s, whether Alpine or especially Tiger, were cool back in the day, and it seemed the scenes that Maxwell drove them in on Get Smart were too short for a budding car nut.
The owner sure got his money’s worth out of this Cat, but it’s pretty tired, too bad he couldn’t keep up with maintaining its luster. It needs a lot, and the starting bid seems a little too tall, but I’m no expert on these.
Regardless, whomever buys this, PLEASE remove yellow, reapply green…preferably something near the British Racing hue.
colour code 86…forest green its a dark green
” The seller bought this one out of college in 1978 and has wanted to have it restored as of late, but finances are now in short supply”
Graduated from college 46 years ago but still can’t afford to fix it up?
If you don’t have the talent or equipment to fix this yourself, you’re gonna be upside down big time. It is a great starting point, but the market seems to be softening. A good car to do if it’s on your ” bucket list”. I’m not confident it could be made respectable to the eye for less than end value.
I graduated collage in 92 , so 32 years ago , also still can’t afford it. Humanities major. Nuff said 🤣
The Tigers were wickedly fast and handled well if you didn’t push it. The Alpines were quick too, just a little more sedate.
“handled well if you didn’t push it. Good call, Steve. A friend’s mom had one, he and I were on the highway when he changed lanes with a bit too much throttle. The thing almost spun out. Ever since, in my mind these are “ unsafe at any speed.”
Sorry, Alpines weren’t quick. Another friend had one of those. It was like a girl’s sports car.
Ken Milles had no problem winning national champions in Alpines
rough. pass.
Mine was a green 260hp. It was marginally fast but was hard to keep alignment correct and had a severe shiny
Over 100 mph. I sold it in 1966.
The engine is too heavy for the sunbeam.
never had a problem keeping my mk 2 in line,and no shimmy doing laps full throttle last summer on the corvette test track. engine weight not an issue
Had a ’67 Alpine. Fun to drive but the Positive Ground gave me headaches. That and the fact it was in ND and no floorboards. Lucklily for me I gave $300 for it, and got $300 for it. Friend bought it and a local Tech School restored it, or at least had floorboards again. Tried to buy it back a few years ago, but friend has fallen off the perch and family sold it.
67 should have an alternator ,and be negative ground
Love Tigers, but for one stored indoors and never driven in winter, it must have seen every rain storm because the underside looks rough. I’d imagine it would look worse up on a lift. Going to need $$$$$.
BF: “…all but 633 had the 260 motor with a 2-barrel carburetor. ”
633 is an outdated, optimistic figure for the 289-powered “MkII” Tigers (it does appear in Wikipedia, not always the best source). The more accepted number from Tiger clubs today, based on chassis numbers/VINs, is 536.
BF: “My first recollection of the car was the red Alpine driven by Secret Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the 1960s TV series, Get Smart.”
Adams may have driven an Alpine in some sequences but when he did it was rebadged as a Tiger. He drove a real Tiger in the opening credits.
Adams himself owned a Tiger for years after the show ended.
I believe James Bond drove one in Doctor No.
cool car.
Ended today, no bids.
Relisted now with a $15k starting bid.