The automotive hobby is massive, when you think about it, in terms of what people collect and the multitude of makes and models to choose from. However, that depth doesn’t really sink in until you see a car like this one, which is a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine 289. While it’s a Tiger in every possible way, this is one of three examples exported to France, which already had a model for sale with the name “Tiger.” Therefore, the nomenclature had to be adjusted to avoid any conflicts, and the Alpine 289 was born. This rare specimen has been stored and on display for many years and will need some reconditioning. Find it here on eBay with one bid to $58,000 and the reserve unmet.
I love cars like this. First of all, who would have thought that such a niche vehicle would have been exported in a quantity of three to a country like France? That alone is shocking, but then also realizing that another manufacturer would actually be concerned with such a special performance vehicle causing confusion with whatever French-market oddball was already on sale is equally surprising. The Tiger features a special riveted plaque inside the door jamb with “Societe Des Automobiles Simca” stamped on it, a clear clue this Tiger wasn’t originally destined for the Milwaukee market.
The French connection is the first detail you notice, but then we get back to what makes a Tiger awesome, and that’s the impressive performance that came standard. The Tiger was a Carroll Shelby project, as he wanted to recreate the magic of the Cobra with a car produced at his facility in the U.S. It didn’t pan out exactly that way, with production remaining overseas (and you can bet if the Tiger was made at Shelby’s facility, there would have never been a French market car.) The MK2 is the rarer and more sought-after model, which this one is, produced in far more limited quantities and with the desirable 289 under the hood (earlier cars came equipped with the 260.)
The seller claims this Tiger is not rusty but that it will still need work to be drivable again. I enjoy seeing cars parked indoors and in living spaces, so I applaud the use of this Tiger as a piece of office art; however, one should always be careful not to make it so inconvenient to park that said vehicle never gets any exercise. This Tiger is a desirable example not only for its condition but for its unusual story and place in the short history of the Sunbeam Tiger. If you want one that no one else will have, this is likely the car to buy.
Interesting car. Bright and shiny on the outside, surface rust on all the underside, and an engine compartment about as grungy as they get all for a pretty hefty price up to this point. Our weekly trash truck’s engine compartment is cleaner but obviously the outside of the Alpine looks much better.
Somewhere along the line, someone cut up the hood to add a scoop and a pair of NACA-style ducts. I’d want to replace that panel.
This is somewhat like the “T5” Ford sold in Germany because the “Mustang” name was already spoken for. I doubt anyone would mistake this for a Panhard Tiger, though….
Aside from the odd name and the added manufacturer plate, there’s nothing really to differentiate this from other Tigers. Not sure how much that increases the value.
Certainly, a lot of attention to cosmetics and addressing any mechanical issues would make this more desirable. I have always suspected that Chrysler’s lack of interest in selling a Ford-powered vehicle contributed to the Tiger’s demise in a major way.
That was a major factor of course, but also by 1967 the Alpine/Tiger was a dated design, that would have had to been brought up to the new EPA/DOT standards for the 1968 model year, if it was to keep its US export market. This was also a problem for the Austin Healey 3000, also a car dating to the early 1950’s.
At this time, when Chrysler took full control of Rootes, its bread and butter vehicles were the priority, not these. The inability of the car to accept the Chrysler Corp. V-8 was certainly the last nail in its coffin.
I’d take that one bid and run! Before the bidder does.
That hood is what they call a LAT(LosAngeles Tiger) after market part offered by Sunbeam dealers. The VIN. # indicates This car as a latter production model as only 536 MK2 Tigers were built before Chrysler shut down the Tiger project. Mark 2 cars are highly sought after because of their low production#s and the 289. The current bid is an expected range and could certainly climb much higher depending on who is paying attention right now. The trim parts on this are worth prolly 20 to 30k.
So there we go already at $72,100 with another day to go.
I am more leaning for a family room conversation piece over Living Room
Its a cool car.. I hope it gets restored and gets to something go thru a drive thru other than be in the place the food arrives after the driving is done.
Good Luck with the sale.
Pretty sure the hood is from the LAT ( factory option) catalogue , along w the rims. Loaded up for export I guess. Nice car but lots of nooks and crannies under the car. It needs to be up on a lift and inspected.
This car could be imported to the US. The steering wheel is where it belongs.
I need to totally rethink the way I decorated my home.
That is the optional LAT hood – not a cut up one.
I had one, it had so many problems too numerous to list. I owned it for one year and sold it to a car dealer that had the resources and mechanics to fix it.
This is a mark II Tiger so that in its self is rare. Bidding sits at $72K, I’m sure this could get to $80K or more. There is a lot of up side to this Tiger including the LAT option, though I think the hood is a repo, side trim intact, headlight bezals intact and lack of rust. Fan shroud doesn’t look original and the location of the oil filter. If I had the funds I wound definitely be bidding. Great find.
I had two. 1967 red new. Couldn’t afford the payments and a new wife. Coupla years later, 1967 white used, New wife. Both cars were 260’s. There is a hole in the tranny (careful) tunnel driver side to get to the sparkplug. The 260’s were dogs as delivered. 2.88 rear one wheel peel. Massive understeer. Never could afford to k code the second one I had. Wife #2 had other places to spend money. I don’t remember the filter being there. Same cheap vinyl seats.
The fan shroud appears correct, but the Girling brake booster is gone, the remote oil filter is in it’s place. The rat’s nest of wiring is a ticking fire bomb.
I am not aware of any Tiger 2 being exported beyond the U.S. and Canada. If this car was exported to Continental Europe, it’s the first one I’ve seen.
Read the post! There were three exported to France.
I’d sure like the how it got in the living room story. Fear of theft? That engine bay is a real mess and who knows what work it will need. And that engine is really shoe-horned in that space so have fun working on it. The gas tanks are probably rusted up inside as all Sunbeam tanks get after a time so I’d expect to have to tear them out, clean and coat. Not a fun job, either. Frankly with the appearance of the interior and engine bay, I’m surprised it’s up to 72K. A lot more money will need to be spent to get this car nice.
I always wanted a car in my living room. The ultimate bachelor pad item. The wife did say I would likely rather have the Hayabusa in the bedroom over her. HMMMM! I know nothing about these cars. I like them. I almost bought an Alpine eons back but rust and lack of knowledge scared me away.
Does he keep the Issetta in the pantry?
to say “The Tiger was a Carroll Shelby project, as he wanted to recreate the magic of the Cobra with a car produced at his facility in the U.S.” is probably a bit of a stretch. He did not come up with the concept. He was contracted by Rootes group to develop a proof-of-concept prototype. Which he did, and that led to the model being signed off for production. Rootes actually commissioned Ken Miles* to build a second prototype at the same time, which he also completed, though the Shelby version was the preferred one and the production cars were closely based on Shelby’s.
In 1962 racing driver and Formula 1 champion Jack Brabham proposed to Rootes competition manager Norman Garrad the idea of fitting the Alpine with a Ford V8 engine. Garrad relayed to his son Ian, who was the West Coast Sales Manager of Rootes American Motors Inc. Ian Garrad lived near Carroll Shelby’s Shelby American operation.
*Ken Miles was later to team up with Carroll Shelby to help Ford win Lemans with the GT40. If you’ve never seen it, the movie “Ford vs Ferrari” (2019) about that campaign and Shelby/Miles partnership is well worth a watch.
As for the Tiger in the living room….I did once consider doing something like this. I had a 1963 BMW R69S motorcycle that I had restored to perfection over a number of years. For various reasons I wasn’t riding it but didn’t really want to let it go….I considered mounting it on a stand and keeping it on display inside the house. The problem is – even if you drain down all fluids, oils and gasoline and dry it out, an engine will tend to smell of fuel and oil for a very long time. We get to know and love that smell when it’s in the garage or workshop…but I did not have a separate “man cave” area to put it, and it wasn’t quite acceptable inside the house. My wife’s pretty understanding of my habit, but there are limits. sadly, I ended up selling that BMW on to fund other projects.
Tiger MK 2 is extremeky rare in Europe and this has period features which add value.
Why are you surprised that Rootes sold cars in France. It’s 20 miles from Dover to Calais and they have ferries….
My wife wants me to sell a car so I can get my ’41 Plymouth out of “her” garage. She needs to see this to better appreciate her situation….
“Missed it by that much.”
The greeting card business was tough back then.
TRES STUPIDE, MON AMI
I find the need to remove the name “Tiger” for the French market a bit odd…even though it obviously did occur. By 1967 the French car that already had the name–the Panhard PL 17–had been OUT OF PRODUCTION for two years…and it was spelled “Tigre”…making it even more bewildering that the French would not have allowed the different English spelling of “Tiger”…as if anyone was going to confuse an-at-the-time fast and cool Anglo-American sports car with a defunct French car that looked like a fish. As if all this were not bizarre enough, in 1967 there already was a French GT car with the Alpine name–the Renault Alpine…which had come along AFTER the Sunbeam Alpine, yet the French had allowed their own car to use the name of an existing English car already being sold in their market since 1959. I suspect that in the era of General De Gaulle, antagonism against anything English and American within the echelons of French bureaucracy, may have had something to do with these apparent arbitrary decisions.
Dan Tana (Robert Urich) in the Crime series Vega$ used to park his T-Bird in his living room. I thought was a cool show until Spencer for Hire came out with his Dark Blue 66 Mustang Fastback. He didn’t park that one in the LR.
I wonder if the winning bidder will have to help the seller remove a wall in order to get the car out. Just sayin….