1966 | Sunbeam Tiger Mk I

The Sunbeam Tiger was developed by the Rootes Group and Carroll Shelby as a budget alternative for the AC Cobra. By changing the engine from the Alpine by the Ford V8 260 ci 'small block', they created quite a spectacular sports car. Most of the Tiger went to the USA, but it remained quite rare as only 6495 units were produced.

This example is a very rare European specification example. It was delivered new in Denmark on the 28th of October 1965, and first registered on the 6th of April 1966. The Tiger was one of only 6 examples supplied new in Denmark, and the first owner was Mr. John Darville, a well known Jazz trombonist and playing worldwide with the Arnvid Meyer Jazz Orchestra. During a stay in London to play some gigs, he saw a Tiger Mk2 and immediately wanted such a version. Unfortunately the Tigers were not longer in production at that moment, and he decided to get his Mk1A converted to Mk2 specification (which it still wears now). Also the original 260 ci engine was replaced by a Mk2 spec 289 ci. John Darville sold the Tiger in the nineties, and it went via the late Palle Murmann (founder of Daytona Cars in Copenhagen) to another Tiger enthusiast who kept his pride and joy in fantastic condition. This is all documented in a huge file with many invoices, period brochures and magazine articles.

The last owner bought the car 5 years ago, and spent quite some money on it to make it better. The car was partially restored, the interior was completely retrimmed in beautiful red leather (also a factory option), and he also replaced the 'standard' 289 ci engine with a mighty 289 ci Hi-Po engine (same specification as the Shelby GT350) producing in excess of 300 bhp. This turns this friendly looking convertible into a very fast machine which matches modern sportscars in terms of performance ! New wheels and tyres were fitted at the same time to cope with the power increase.

Driving this Sunbeam is a bit of a revelation. When you turn the ignition key you are welcomed by a big fat V8 rumble : a promising start for what is to come... The car accelerates tremendously fast, and has good handling. This is no doubt why the factory Tigers were so successful in international rally sport in the 1960s. This is really the forerunner of the Q-cars : the Tiger looks like a standard Alpine but with minor modifications, but the performance is of a completely different order and in this example it can even be compared to an AC Cobra 289.

The Sunbeam Tiger is still a relatively unknown super sports car from the 1960s. A very classy look combined with brutal horsepower. Moreover, they are very rare, and certainly hard to find in this exceptional condition. So if you are looking for something very special to put in the garage, this might be the ideal candidate.