1967 Sunbeam Tiger

Built from 1964 to 1967, a total of 7,083 examples of the Sunbeam Tiger were constructed. The Mark I version was built from 1964 to 1967 and came equipped with the 260 cubic-inch Ford V8 engine. The Mark II version was built in the final year of Tiger production, and 633 units were constructed. They came equipped with a Ford 289 cubic-inch (4.7 liter) V8 engine.

The Sunbeam Tiger was conceived by Ian Garrad, the U.S. West Coast manager for Britain's Rootes Motors, Inc. The Rootes' Sunbeam Alpine roadster, a small European sports car, was a perfect candidate to receive American V-8 engines. After Garrad obtained approval from Lord Rootes' son Brian, a Ford 260-cubic-inch prototype was developed in conjunction with Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles (soon after, Ken joined Shelby American). The car was tested by Garrad and then shipped to England for evaluation during the summer of 1963. The project soon gained approval, code-named 'Thunderbolt' and Jensen Motors was selected to build it in West Bromwich.

The Rootes Group owned Sunbeam, as well as Hillman, Humber, and Singer. The appropriately named 'Tiger' (in honor of Rootes' own 1925/26 V-12 Land Speed Record car) became available in the United States in 1964, and to the 'home market' in right-hand drive the following year. (The Tiger was never marketed in the U.K.) Six right-hand drive models were purchased by the Metropolitan Police for use in traffic patrols and high-speed pursuits. An additional four examples were sold to important Rootes dealerships.

The Tiger had plenty of performance and nearly won the SCCA B/Production National Championship in 1966. In 1965, it won the AHRA National Championship in its class.

Production continued through 1968 along with two distinct series, with approximately 6,450 examples built. Approximately 6,498 examples of the MK I and MKIA were produced. The updated, 289-powered MKII production reached approximately 633 with most being sent to the United States. After Chrysler's 1967 takeover of Rootes brought the eventual end to the Ford-powered Tiger.

The Tiger MKII had a top speed of 122 mph, with zero-to-sixty mph taking 7.5 seconds.

Styling changes on the Mark II included an egg-crate grille with the distinctive 'grille eyebrow', lower body stripes, Sunbeam script on the hood and trunk, rectangular reverse lights mounted below the rear bumper, and an updated oil cooler. The headlight trim was slightly revised, the interior was upgraded with a burled walnut dashboard, and stainless steel was used on the rocker panel and wheel-well moldings.

Mechanical Specification
The Sunbeam Tiger rested on an 86-inch wheelbase with an overall length of 156 inches, a height of 51.5 inches, and a width of 60.5 inches. The front suspension was independent with wishbones and coil springs, while the rear used a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and Panhard rod. Power-assisted Girling-manufactured disc brakes were at the front, while the rear received hydraulic drums. The front brakes measured 9.85 inches, and the rear drums at 9 inches.

The 260 cubic-inch Ford V8 had a single Autolite two-barrel carburetor and produced 164 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. It was paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The 289 cubic-inch V8 engine produced 200 horsepower. It had 8.8:1 compression compared to the 9.3:1 ratio of the smaller engine. The 289 also had upgraded valve springs, an alternator instead of a dynamo, an engine-oil cooler, a wider ratio transmission, and a larger single dry plate hydraulically operated clutch.

The Mark I was capable of sprinting from zero-to-sixty mph in 8.6 seconds and had a top speed of 120 mph.

The Mark II sprinted from zero-to-sixty mph in 7.5 seconds and had a 122 mph top speed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019