When is a Sunbeam Tiger, not a Tiger? When it’s just a regular old Alpine such as this fantastic looking 1967 example. What I’m alluding to here is how so much attention gets lobbed on the V8-powered Tiger though the regular, in this case, Series V Alpine has plenty of cred on its own – it’s my favorite ’60s British sports car design. The seller claims all original and unrestored so let’s see if we concur. This sharp two-seater is located in Annapolis, Maryland and is available, here on craigslist for $13,500. This tip came to us courtesy of Mitchell G.
Our subject car was built close to the Alpine’s conclusion as ’68 closed the door on this iconic design. Introduced in ’59, total production totaled close to 70K units. The seller tells us this Alpine has experienced two owners and while the unmarred finish is original, though showing some age, the folding top is not. It’s a more recent replacement and has supposedly been installed incorrectly – no more elaboration. There are only a few pictures included in the listing, and while not of high detail, there’s no sign of rust, crash damage, or missing parts. I don’t know these cars well enough to comment on the wheel covers but from other examples that I have researched, they appear to be correct – and a nice original touch. Also included is a claim of, “Has not seen rain in decades“!
Powering this stylish convertible is a 93 HP, 1.7 liter, in-line four-cylinder engine married to a four-speed manual transmission. The seller adds, “Top-end engine rebuild under 1k miles ago including refreshed cooling system and all new hoses/belts, etc. Electric fan installed…Car starts on the first try and runs perfectly every time“.
There are no real interior images included but the seller tells us, “No rips or tears in nice clean upholstery (except convertible top boot cover needs small repair)“. What can be seen appears to be a standard black vinyl environment, and while I have no reason to doubt the seller’s description, I’d still like to see a comprehensive image. Sometimes my interpretation of “nice and clean” does not align with other’s use of those descriptors.
This Alpine would seem to measure up, the seller states that he has maintenance records back to ’69, the original tools and hand-crank (?) are included and indoor storage has always been the order of the day. The mileage is said to be 81K, and maybe the records can lend some authenticity to that recording. I see nothing wrong here, it seems like a reasonable buy to me but what says you?
Nice example! If you want it Tiger-ish, just get an extra set of aggressive wheels and tires and ‘sport about’. Nice examples of Alpines are probably much rarer than Tigers. Just a great car to go through the gears without excessive power. Seems like a a very fair price these days for what goes on in the classic car market!!
Hello chief, its me Max. Me and 99 are heading back to Control.
Don’t forget the steering wheel phone in Max’s Tiger!
Speak English !
Nice car. Very good drivers in all respects. BTW, a lot of the early British cars came with a crank to start the engines manually if the starter wasn’t working or the battery wasn’t fully charged. Tried one once and decided it was safer to push the car to start it.
True! My very early TR250 (no. 102) had a hole in the front-center bottom of the grill, with a corresponding indent in the front facia that aligned perfectly with the crank bolt. There was no hole in the radiator, however, so it was purely cosmetic!
The red headed step child here. I’ve always liked Alpines from the time I got my series 1 when I was a freshman in college. More room than a MGB and fast enough through the gears. All the attention has been on the tigers for years, so these were kind of a sleeper and prices were more realistic. What the lower body indicates on this one however is reason to inspect closely. It’s missing the pentastar emblem on the front fenders and it looks rough under the rear bumper. Really need a look under to inspect closely.
I agree- and the black-painted rocker panels make me just a tick nervous, too. In my experience, that usually means somebody did some amateur rust repair and rattle-canned it to hide the evidence. I’d want to see more pics.
while i have seen many a “bag and bondo patches” over the years, i will add this… that blacked out lower is also an inexspensive way out of doing complete paint to get color match on a very old red. yes check the quality of the repair but not all of us bailed on the bondo. how do i know??? many years of owning one of the last bodyshops that would do rust repair in my area. and for the record it was actually cheaper and faster to weld in fresh metal than it was to pile on the mud.
al in all it’s a nice looking ride. my only personal connection is being a fan of get smart. i cried when he got a new one and it wasn’t red
This is what I’m talking about. As a stout British roadster fan, I always felt the Alpine was so underappreciated. Overshadowed by that monster, the Tiger. Lie people were disappointed if it wasn’t a Tiger. Sunbeam has a long British history of building high class cars for the masses. Kind of between a MGB/TR4 but not quite a Jag or TR6. I want to apologize to bobhess, I lashed out when he suggested an Asian 5 speed in British cars. Upon rethinking, he probably is right, as the British never really had a 5 speed then, relying on the tried and true O/D, that many didn’t go for, because of its operation and extra cost. 5 speeds were offered from other companies, Britain, I felt, always lagged behind. I believe you could put a LdeN O/D on anything British, or these came with B/W automatics on early ones, but dropped for the series V. I think the TR7 was the 1st integrated 5 speed, and by then it was too late. SUPER nice find. You won’t see many as they simply were ignored by most.
The 1970s Toyota Celica 5-speed gearbox can be fitted to Morris Minors, so would probably fit other things too with a bit of jiggery pokery…
There is also a company out of Australia that makes a bell housing that marries a mid 80’s Toyota T50 5-speed transmission. I’m just waiting to install mine once I get the wiring harness installed in my series 1 Alpine.
Also a favorite of mine. 21 years ago found a solid. BR green driver sitting in a parking lot with a for sale sign . $2200.00. We were expecting our first child seemed …. Unwise. Kicked myself many times since then
They were much less common than MG’s and Triumphs, and are seldom seen today. The mechanic who worked on my MG in the 80s said most Sunbeams succumbed to rust.
They were much more comfortable inside as they provided the best leg & interior width for both driver and passenger comfort!
My first car in 1971 was a ‘63 Alpine Ser II. I’m restoring a ‘67 Ser IV just like this one, so I know these cars well.
Whenever I see a painted-below-the-door or stainless rocker cover, I say No thank you. There could be a bodged rust repair and likely soon to be serious problems with the unibody underneath.
It’s highly suspicious whenever sellers fail to photograph the underside and floor pans.
That was my very first thought… it’s painted below the doors!!! NOPE. My parents each had ‘60s Alpines in the ‘60s. Not really family cars. Had to take both cars everywhere. Dumb decision to get them. First, impulsive Dad, then, outraged Mom. Nice cars but stupid parents.
I owned a ’67 when I got out of the service in ’68. Loved that car. I’m 6′-3″ and had all the room I needed. I had wire wheels on mine. The only issue I had was the throw out bearing. It is carbon faced, not a true bearing and that thing would go bad at around 6 months. Got very proficient at pulling the tranny!!
You likely had a “bleedback” problem in the clutch hydraulic system. The carbon bearings were actually quite efficient.
For that price, give me a Fiat 2000 spider. Better in all respects!
Except for rust. Both rusted horribly in New England. I tend to see more Alpines/ Tigers that survived the “tin worms” up here
I had one back in the early 70’s when i lived in England ,great little fun car on the twisty roads there.
Ah, had one of these while living in Cali back in 1972 and 73. Nothing like driving along the Pacific Coast Highway with the girlfriend, top down, radio loud and her hair a blonde flag flapping in the breeze. A ’67, red, black interior like this one, but I had the wire wheels…those were the days!
Sounds like my kind of dream Radar.
It looks nice, but I’d want to see pics of the undercarriage, doors etc.
There couldn’t be many Alpines left, they were notorious rusters. The ’67 bears the distinction of being the last Rootes sports car. Their last car sold in the USA was the 1971-’73 Hillman Avenger, badged as the Plymouth Cricket. It was a sad ending for a proud marque.
I had a 1966 Sunbeam Alpine years ago. This one has had rocker rust repair. So it is not original paint. Rockers should be body color, so they made a cheap repair. What else was done on the cheap. These cars all had brake boosters that were remote mounted on the engine strut next to the ignition coil. It is missing on this car.
I will echo what John above has written. I too noticed that black, non-original paint over the rocker panels. That needs to be looked into carefully, because sometimes people will just sand down rocker panel rust bubbles, put in a touch of putty if a rust hole presents itself, and then get a can of matt black paint and spray such a lower line that can cover a multitude of sins. If there indeed was no rust to conceal, why tamper with originality? A good look at the underneath from up on a hoist is highly recommended.
I will echo what John above has written. I too noticed that black, non-original paint over the rocker panels. That needs to be looked into carefully, because sometimes people will just sand down rocker panel rust bubbles, put in a touch of putty if a rust hole presents itself, and then get a can of matt black paint and spray such a lower line that can cover a multitude of sins. If there indeed was no rust to conceal, why tamper with originality? A good look at the underneath from up on a hoist is highly recommended.
The Craigslist listing has already been taken down. Probably because of the questions about hidden rust.
Or it sold.
Having owned 3 Sunbeam Alpines and a bunch of MGBs and MGAs, I liked the Sunbeams better, especially after they abandoned the outlandish fins. They had more room and drove better than any of the MGs. I would buy one again if I could find the right one at the right price.
My mom had a 1969 Alpine GT coupe.
It was a fun car to drive around. I learned to drive a manual transmission with that car. Even back then the parts were hard to find for that car
Ready to buy now. What do I have to do?
Fun cars, drove this from Minneapolis to Indiana way back when.
Looks like a very nice Alpine…but I would never have put on those 1980s Datsun ZX wheels with added-on red paint! I also dislike the matt gray Motolites that so many people put on Alpines and Tigers! Correct factory optional wire wheels (especially chromed) or the standard hub cap wheels are the way to go…in my opinion.
Which do you think is a more even comparison to the Alpine / Tiger.
The 190SL / 300SL
The AC Ace / Shelby Cobra
I vote for Ace / Cobra.
I’ve always liked the styling of these cars, reminds me of an even smaller version of the 55-56 t-birds. But being a die hard muscle car guy, I would need to have the V-8 Tiger. Sorry