My Papa’s Sunbeam Tiger MK2

[Jandreae]

Hi, my name is James and I was wondering if you guys could help me in locating my Papa’s MK2 Tiger. I have found photos of my Papa’s Tiger (one is my profile picture) and was wondering if I could locate it and potentially buy it back. His name is Bill Hansen and AutoCrossed it. It was a convertible with a roll bar in the back. It had a hood scoop with hood ventilators on each side of the hood scoop. It was red with white stripes. He lived in Dayton, Ohio and while asking my nana about it she said someone of Doug Jennings? He apparently owned Tiger Auto but has since retired. Anyone know if I could get in touch with him? We have little info on it but I’m pretty sure he bought it around early 70’s to later 70’s but in 87’ he sold it to a man in New Jersey. Unsure of why. I am hoping you guys may be able to help with my quest on finding my papa’s lost Tiger MK2.

 

[HolyCat]

Nice car! I do hope you are successful at finding out more about it. Doug Jennings is a regular contributor to the Forum and maybe he will see your post and reply.

It would help if you knew the VIN number for your dad's car, but that information is probably no longer available.

Good luck in your search.
David

 

[Jere T]

The indoor photos look like the interior of Hara Arena. Lots of car shows there, Carl Casper Auto Show was a big one.

 

[michael-king]

There was a red MKII at auction a few years back that had been subject to a full rotisserie restoration by Doug in the late 90s I think. .. was a very straight car before the resto.. maybe this is your dad's... If you have the VIN.. there are a few on this site that will have an idea of its movements

 

[Austin Healer]

Interesting that the front turn signal lenses are clear..... Possible European delivery??? I see that it has Tiger script on the fenders, but the Alpine and Tiger script use the same holes! Possible military purchase?

Italian market cars had clear turn signal lenses in front....

 

[michael-king]

Interesting that the front turn signal lenses are clear..... Possible European delivery??? I see that it has Tiger script on the fenders, but the Alpine and Tiger script use the same holes! Possible military purchase?

Italian market cars had clear turn signal lenses in front....

I thought there were some places in the states that had the clear lenses? About 15 years ago I bought 2 nos stock sets out of the states... And had seen a few acts with them.. that said.. USA has red rear indicator lenses .. and people swap orange in...so how knows what people swap on over time... case in point.

 

[Theorangetiger]

I'm curious about the custom hood vents and if there was anything in the engine compartment that directed air through them. I put louvres in the rear corners of my hood and they definitely help with letting hot air out of the engine bay.

 

[Austin Healer]

I thought there were some places in the states that had the clear lenses? About 15 years ago I bought 2 nos stock sets out of the states... And had seen a few acts with them.. that said.. USA has red rear indicator lenses .. and people swap orange in...so how knows what people swap on over time... case in point.

View attachment 21082

The parts list for the Alpine shows both clear and amber lenses with no market designation. This was the first time I've seen the clear lenses! My BMC parts lists show clear lenses for Italy from 1964.

 

[at the beach]

Many many decades ago Doug Jennings of Tiger Auto in Dayton "discovered" the Chrysler parts network. He then became a Chrysler parts dealer and proceeded to round up virtually every NOS Chrysler Sunbeam part he thought he could resell. He bought so many Sunbeam parts that he ranked in Chrysler's the top ten in annual volume among all of its parts dealers.
So it does not surprise me that a car he worked on may happene to sport some rare parts.
BTW, when last I spoke to him, he told me that since closing Tiger Auto and since going into retirement, he has somehow managed to acquire so many additional Tiger parts that he is thinking about staging yet another clearance sale.

 

[michael-king]

The parts list for the Alpine shows both clear and amber lenses with no market designation. This was the first time I've seen the clear lenses! My BMC parts lists show clear lenses for Italy from 1964.

I fitted the clears as I like them with the light colour cars.. white, med blue, Balmoral and naughty people who change to light metallic colours ... Since I took that photo I swapped the indicator bulbs for orange ones with chromed glass so that the front is very clear.. but they flash orange

 

[michael-king]

BTW, when last I spoke to him, he told me that since closing Tiger Auto and since going into retirement, he has somehow managed to acquire so many additional Tiger parts that he is thinking about staging yet another clearance sale.

It seems he probably missed his peak market about 10 years back.. that said.. I can imagine that a large often photographed hoard is now sitting un-photographed... You can't take it with you....
That said.. if you believe in superstition... There are cursed items.