Shelby's Other British Roadster: The Sunbeam Tiger

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

We all know the AC Cobra. It was a car made by the British AC company called the "Ace" that had lost it's engine supplier (Bristol stopped making the six cylinder engine they were using) when Carrol Shelby stepped in and made it the legend it is today. The Cobra originally came with the Ford 289 Windsor V8, but later added the Ford 427 FE as an option. What far fewer people know is that Shelby also designed another small British roadster with a Ford 289 swap. This one is the Sunbeam Tiger. It was based off the Sunbeam Alpine which basically just got an engine swap. The Tiger is probably best known as the red car on the 60's TV show "Get Smart!". Around 7,000 were made back then. Ironically, Chrysler bought out the parent company of Sunbeam ( Rootes group) right after the Tiger was released. So, Chrysler was building a Ford engined car! Anyhow, what brings all this to mind for me is a ad on my local Craigslist for a Tiger at the cheap price of $8,000. It's cheap because it has no engine and needs work, but the car has enough provenance that it is surprising to find it at that price. When's the last time a 289 Cobra in ANY condition went that cheap? Yes, I know it's not a Cobra in a lot of ways, but it's still a low price for such an interesting car.

Here's the ad for anyone curious as to what one looks like.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/857962112.html

 

[andrewmp6]

I have drove both a tiger and real 289 cobra the tiger felt lighter and turned better.The first v8 ace was a 260 was 62/63 ford didn't bring the 289 out tell late 64 that is why the 64 and 1/2 mustang had a 260 and 289.The first Shelby cobras where just the ace with a 289 in it but Shelby changed the body some what and gave it a thicker frame.And the 427 used the race ones was all alum.Shelby did make some called dragon flys for drag racing.The only funny part is baldwin motion a chevy dealer that souped camaros like yenko did have a ac cobra they drag raced called the king cobra.Only way you'll find a ac cobra under 50k its a kit car or stolen.In the 80s shelby did a lot of work for dodge and even helped on the viper.

 

[joe_padavano]

A couple of trivia points on the Tiger. First, the engine is such a stuff that there is a small access hatch under the dash on the passenger side so you can reach the rear spark plug on the RH head.

Second was the event that killed the Tiger. Sunbeam was bought by Chrysler in the late 1960s. Chrysler did not think too highly of selling a car with a Ford engine. They attempted to fit a 318 Chrysler engine, but it was too large. Thus the Tiger was canceled.

 

[85_SS]

There is a professionally restored one that started popping up at the local cruise nights here a couple years back. First I had seen one, but I have heard/seen them on TV and such several times since then. Interesting little car.