Sunbeam Tiger

Sunbeam Tiger
Overview
Manufacturer	Rootes Group
Production	1964–1967 7,083 built
Assembly	United Kingdom: West Bromwich, England
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door roadster
Layout	FR
Related	Sunbeam Alpine
Powertrain
Engine	Tiger I: 260 cu in (4.3 L) V8 (Ford) Tiger II: 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8 (Ford)
Transmission	Ford 4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	86 in (2,184 mm)[1]
Length	156 in (3,962 mm)[1]
Width	60.5 in (1,537 mm)[1]
Height	51.5 in (1,308 mm)[1]

The Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967. Shelby had carried out a similar V8 conversion on the AC Cobra, and hoped to be offered the contract to produce the Tiger at his facility in the United States. Rootes decided instead to contract the assembly work to Jensen at West Bromwich in England, and pay Shelby a royalty on every car produced.

Two major versions of the Tiger were built: the Mark I (1964–1967) was fitted with the 260 cu in (4.3 L) Ford V8; the Mark II, of which only 633 were built in the final year of Tiger production, was fitted with the larger displacement Ford 289 cu in (4.7 L) engine. Two prototype and extensively modified versions of the Mark I competed in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, but neither completed the race. Rootes also entered the Tiger in European rallies with some success, and for two years it was the American Hot Rod Association's national record holder over a quarter-mile drag strip.

Production ended in 1967 soon after the Rootes Group was taken over by Chrysler, which did not have a suitable engine to replace the Ford V8. Owing to the ease and affordability of modifying the Tiger, there are few remaining cars in standard form.^[2]