Lot details Registration No: 74 VYC Chassis No: 9471912 Mot Expiry: May 2012
OFFERED FROM A PRIVATE ENTHUSIAST'S COLLECTION
The Sunbeam Tiger was conceived in the West Coast of the USA and inspired by the success of the AC Cobra - the result of inserting a small-block American V8 engine into the nose of the British designed and built AC Ace. Rootes American Motors Inc. saw the potential for performing a similar operation on the stylish but rather pedestrian Sunbeam Alpine, whose 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine made it more of a loping GT car than an out-and-out sports machine. Preliminary research suggested that the engine used to produce the Cobra - Ford's 4.3-litre (260 cu in) `Windsor' unit - would be the appropriate powerplant, and a prototype was commissioned from Carroll Shelby, the man behind the Cobra project. The basic layout of the Alpine was retained and the car featured independent suspension at the front using coil springs and a live axle at the rear supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs. The 164bhp engine endowed the car with a top speed of around 120mph and a 0-60mph acceleration time of under eight seconds, leading Tigers to enjoy success in both racing and rallying over the years. A total of some 7,085 Sunbeam Tigers were eventually produced, including 536 of the now very rare 4.7 litre MK 2s.
The Tiger about to leave its den is a right-hand drive MKI model that was manufactured in 1965, so is powered by the original 4.3-litre (260 cu in) engine. The Sunbeam sports Dark Blue paintwork complemented by a Red interior and was the subject of a restoration in 1992/3, since when it has apparently covered just 790 miles. Featured on the front cover of Mike Taylor's book Tiger: The Making of a Sports Car, `74 VYC' comes complete with MOTs dating back to 1994 and won't require a further test until May next year.
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