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101 Cars: Sunbeam Tiger
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com   
06/01/2008 - 11:29 AM
Charlotte, North Carolina
 
The most well-known Sunbeam of all time. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) ยป More Photos

The AC Ace wasn't the only British sports car looking for a new motor. Carroll Shelby stuffed in a Ford small-block V-8 and created Cobra magic. The folks at the Rootes Group had the pleasant but average Sunbeam Alpine and contacted Shelby about doing the same. The engine was a tighter fit, but it worked, and Lord Rootes approved the project after a tire-shredding ride in the prototype. The cars are reasonably well built (in a 1960s, British sports car sort of way) and have nicer interiors and better componentry than the contemporary MGB and TR4, but the chassis isn't up to the rest of the car. Its teensy 86-inch wheelbase, leaf-sprung solid axle, and arm-tiring steering make the car a handful, but that won't stop you from enjoying its effortless power and "where did that noise come from" V-8 sound. There are other foibles too (they rust like crazy and tend to run warm), but the Tiger clubbies and the aftermarket specialists have all that figured out. There's even a group that inspects cars to ensure they are legit Tigers and not "Algers" (Alpines with V-8 engine swaps).

Specifications
Engine: 260-ci OHV V-8
Horsepower: 164
0–60 mph: 74 seconds
Top Speed: 122 miles per hour
Price New: $3,659
Value Now: You won't find a rust-free, sorted example for less than $20,000. Nice ones are more like $30,000. Add $10,000 for the Mk. II.
Sunbeam Tiger Photos



Claim to Fame

The most well-known Sunbeam of all time


Soundtrack

"Tiger Rag" (Hold that Tiger!), which is also the Clemson U fight song


Perfect Passenger

Cary Grant. Hopefully he won't mind swapping seats.


Behind the Wheel
There are some for sale, and the rare '67 Mk. II had a more powerful 273/318 V-8 wouldn't fit in car's engine bay.


Did You Know?
Chrysler bought the Rootes Group and, for 1966 and 1967, was forced to buy engines from rival Ford for Tiger production because the Mopar 273/318 V-8 wouldn't fit in the car's engine bay.


The Perfect Drive
Wherever Cary Grant took his...



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