1967 Sunbeam Tiger MKII Sport Roadster

Sunbeam produced just 536 examples of the Tiger MK II model. The small European sports car was given a powerful American V-8 engine which provided plenty of performance in a small package. The Rootes Group, which owned Sunbeam, as well as Hillman, Humber, and Singer took advantage of the massive demand for these types of cars in North America. A prototype based on the Sunbeam Alpine was developed in conjunction with Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. The design quickly gained approval from upper management at Rootes, who soon produced the car at Jensen Motors in England. The Tiger was first available in the United States in 1964. The following year, it was made available as a right-hand-drive model in its native market.

Sunbeam produced over 6,000 examples of the Mark I Tigers, and just 536 MK II examples were produced in 1967. The Mark II had several important improvements over their predecessors, perhaps the biggest being the Ford 289 V-8 engine that had proven itself in the Shelby Cobra. The 289 engine gave the car a top speed of 122 mph and 0-60 mph took just 7.5 seconds. Styling changes included the addition of an egg-crate grille, lower body stripes, a stainless steel rocker panel and wheel-well moldings, Sunbeam script on the hood and trunk, rectangular reverse lights mounted underneath the rear bumper, an updated oil cooler, slightly revised headlight trim, and an upgraded interior that featured a burled walnut dashboard.

The Mark II would be the last of the Tigers, as the Rootes Group was bought out by Chrysler, and they wouldn't allow the Ford V-8 into the engine bay, nor did they have a V-8 in their repertoire that would fit in the Tiger's chassis.

The current owner purchased this MKII around 2010 and it has recently been given a two-year ground-up restoration. It has all its original trim and its original oil cooler, and it is a matching-number example. It also has a Certificate of Authenticity from the Sunbeam Tiger Owners Association.

The car is finished in Forest Green. It has its original tool kit and a trio of desirable LAT options, such as aluminum valve covers, aluminum wheels, and an aluminum intake, as well as a four-barrel Holley carburetor.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014