1967 Sunbeam Tiger

The Rootes Group built respectable but not high-performance British automobiles. John Panks, president of Rootes’ New York operations, instigated the design of what would become the Sunbeam Tiger roadster. Suggested by Jack Brabham, of Indy 500 fame, and assembled by Carroll Shelby, a small American V-8 engine was shoe-horned into a Sunbeam Alpine roadster. In keeping with Rootes’ desire for subtlety, the Tiger had few exterior changes from its sister, the four-cylinder Alpine. The Tiger II was created when it received a slightly larger V-8 and Ford transmission. the Tiger II began production when Rootes was already under control of the Chrysler Corporation. Because a Chrysler V-8 could not fit in place of the Ford engine, the Tiger II came to an end in the summer of 1967.

This restored Tiger has accumulated only 28,000 miles since it rolled off the assembly line during January – February 1967. Produced for only six months, between 534 and 633 Tiger IIs were built.