The Story 2 continued
The Story went beyond size constraints. Part 2
In 1965 Gordon Chittenden set the A.H.R.A. national record with an ET of 12.95 and a top speed of 108 mph in his Larry Reed Sportscars Tiger. So good were the numbers (for that period), Chittenden retained the record through 1967. In 1965 Stan Peterson won the N.H.R.A. Class C World Championship with a time of 12.9 and a trap speed of 110 mph in his Tiger. Though very successful drag racers, Rootes emphasized the road racing and rallying of competition Tigers.
Tigers were extensively rallied throughout Europe. Dirt roads, high horsepower, and the Tiger's short wheelbase combined to make for an interesting race experience. Tigers won first in class at the 1964 Geneva Rally, the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, the 1`965 International Scottish Rally and were the outright winners in the 1965 International Police Rally held in Belgium.
July of 1964 saw coupe bodied Tigers competing at Le Mans. Though limited by short development time, these Lister bodied cars were timed at over 160 mph at Le Mans. Unfortunately, the motors in both team cars expired. Fortunately though, road racing in the U.S. was where Tigers had some of their greatest victories.
For the 1964 season, Ian Garrad contracted with Shelby to construct a stateside race car. The car completed and tested by Ken Miles (who had earlier built the "first" V8 prototype for $800.00 while Shelby was fabricating the "authorized" prototype). The Shelby racer won the 1964 SCCA Class B Pacific Coast Divisional Championship Race at Willow Springs, beating Jaguars, Corvettes, Stingrays and Cobras. By this time, Shelby American was in full swing with the Cobra racing program, and could not give the Tiger program the time it deserved. Factory support was given to the efforts of the Hollywood Sports Car team, headed by Doane Spencer.
Well versed in making British sports cars work on the track, Doane Spencer attacked the Tiger project with his usual precision, planning and careful execution of details. The Santa Barbara Road Race in 1965 was the car's first race, and first win in Class B, driven by Jim Adams. Later that year Flying Tigers Airlines flew the race car to Mosport in Ontario, Canada. Adams let wire to wire in front of a packed house, leading the second place GT350 by 3 seconds at the end of the race. Season end saw the Hollywood Sports Car entry being taken out by a Corvette (darn bowties!) at the American Road Race of Champions at Daytona. Rootes was very unhappy about the loss of the season championship, and the wrecked racer was sold for $5,000.00 at season's end. By 1967 the SCCA had reclassed Tigers into C production. In addition, Tigers were no longer allowed to use LAT options and the cars were no longer as competitive.
Obviously, Tiger and Shelby deserved to be uttered in the same breath. The cars were successful as racers, especially considering the limited funding and development resources allotted to them. On the street, they provided unmatched fun for the price. Sunbeam built 7,085 Tigers. The Alpine, which shares the Tiger's body shell, was built in the tens of thousands. Therefore, there is still a good availability of parts and cars to buy.
Which Tiger to buy? The first 3,763 are known as Mark I cars, and had VIN numbers starting with B947XXXX. Mark I's feature 260 V8 engines, Ford top loader transmissions, round corners on the doors, hood and trunk, metal convertible top covers and lead filled body seams. Prices currently run in the neighborhood of $25,000.00 to $35,000.00, depending on options and condition. The 2,706 Mark IA cars had 260's also, and VIN numbers starting with B382XXXXXX. They came with square cornered doors, soft vinyl convertible top boots, fresh air ventilation and unfilled body seams. They cost around $5,000.00 more than a comparable Mark I. The last cars are known as Mark II Tigers, which number only 536 of the total 7,085 Tigers built. Their VIN numbers start with B382100XXX. Mark II cars came stock with 289 c.i. V8s, all the revisions of the Mark IAs, plus a new eggcrate grill. The chrome side trim and Tiger emblem were removed, replaced by stainless steel fenderwell molding. Mark II Tigers cost another $5,000.00 beyond Mark IA prices, but may go for even more, as they were the most refined, featured the 289, and were built in the smallest numbers. Mark IA cars are seen as the favorite of many because of greater availability, and more refinement over the first series. Mark I cars were the most affordable, and the most available. Many people prefer the look of the hard metal convertible top cover and the appearance of the leaded body seams. These prices are expected to rise, considering how collectible Tigers are becoming in the marketplace.
When purchasing a Tiger, watch out for conversions. The vast number of cheap, available Alpines in the '70s caused dishonest people to convert Alpines into Tigers. These fakes are sometimes easy to spot, sometimes not. There now exists The International Registry of Sunbeam Tigers," originally founded by George Fallehy, and now operated by Norm Miller. This registry includes information on each Tiger by VIN #, and current ownership status (if available). The Sunbeam Tiger Owners Association (STOA) is now inspecting Tigers through their Tiger Authentication Committee. This process involves carefully examining the body shell for tell-tale Tiger only assembly techniques. Once a car is verified as a Tiger, a non-removable permanent registration sticker is affixed to the car's body shell in an unobtrusive spot.
Tigers are currently being autocrossed, raced at vintage events, run at Shelby club open tracks and shown at concourses all over America. While about 80% of the original Tiger sales were located on the west coast, ownership opportunities now exist nationwide. Therefore for less than half the cost of a GT350, you can be running down the road in a two seat convertible, the Ford small block happily burbling out the twin tailpipes.
California features two of the largest Tiger clubs in North America, California Association of Tiger owners (CAT), and the Sunbeam Tiger Owner Association (STOA). CAT features a parts supply, including reproductions of no longer available parts. STOA offers the aforementioned Tiger Authentication Committee, as well as tech support. Out east, Tigers East/Alpines East supports the east coast owners with tech support and events. Smaller regional clubs also exist, such as the Washington based Pacific Tiger Club. Though only 100 members strong, PTC offers hands-on assistance to its membership, as well as a wealth of information about keeping your Tiger purring. All of the clubs can prove invaluable to Tiger owners seeking assistance with their cars.
Recently Carroll Shelby held an auction to support his indigent children heart fund charity. Numerous cars were auctioned, slimming his collection down to the cars he considered important. One of the cars Shelby chose to keep, because he valued it highly, was his personal Sunbeam Tiger. I can think of no finer endorsement. So, if you've ever wanted a real Cobra, but just couldn't afford one, consider a Tiger. They provide a thrilling drive, good looks, comfort and exclusivity.