Skip to main content

The Sunbeam Tiger a huge achiever


The company or the group that is involved in the birth of such an exciting car was Rootes Group or Rootes automobiles which was later on acquired by Chrysler Europe. Started by William and Reginald Rootes, the two brothers were known for manufacturing engines as well as purchasing some British motor manufactures including sunbeam, Talbot. By the ending of 1978 Chrysler UK had sold various elements to Renault


Image result for sunbeam tiger


Sunbeam Tiger is a V8 performance version of their own car the Sunbeam Alpine. It was designed it part by Carroll Shelby, the Rootes decided to contract the assembly with Jensen at West Bromwich, an expensive car for Rootes as it involved paying royalty to Shelby each time a car was manufactured. This car was first showcased at the New York auto show in the spring of 1964. Interestingly the car had to receive several modifications in order to house 260 cubic inch 164 horsepower v8. This small block ford V8 was derived from the ford falcon. There is a saying “that you cannot have the best of both worlds” as this roadster started to feel a bit out of it comfort zone with the V8, many owners would complain about the heat being transferred in to the cabin. The Tiger was cars were known as Tiger Mk.1 and later came the Mk.1A which was then replaced by the Tiger
Mk.2. the Mk.2 models were packed with more grunt and now did 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and wold take you to your destination at a wicked 125mph, which was grate back in the days and all this was due to the 289 V8 instead of the 260 V8.


Image result for sunbeam tiger


The Tiger Mk.2 was also know for finishing 1-2 and 3 in the grand touring class (GT) in the Geneva rally. In 1965 the Rootes faced a rough Year as they finished 11th overall in the GT class, at Monte Carlo. In Belgium two cars crashed the 3rd that had won was also disqualified for having a smaller valves in the engine making it more reliable than the others. It is disheartening to many car fans to see the sunbeam Tiger to become extinct, but this is causing an increase in their value as it is the best two seat roadster ever produced from a British motor manufacturer, apart from the MG Spitfire,  and Triumph Tr 6. The Sunbeam Tiger was also very luxurious out of all the other roadsters had to offer. Hence this is one car that I would love to own
















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Monica 560 The Forgotten French Luxury Car That Time Forgot

The background  This article is about a French automobile company started by a rich French industrialist Jean Tastevin. Jean Tastevin was a graduate engineer of the École centrale de Paris and he succeeded his father in his business which used to manufacture mining and railway equipment. Jean was always a huge automobile enthusiast and personally owned cars from brands such as Aston Martin, Facel Vega and Jaguar. Having owned such cars he always wanted to own a French built car of that quality and class. After becoming the chairman, he renamed the company Compagnie française de produits métallurgiques (CFPM) where he used to sell and rent train cars across Europe. His other company called Compagnie Française de Matériels Ferroviaires (CFMF) used to manufacture and store the rolling stock. This was his day to day bread winning job, however there was a fire burning inside of him to build a car of his desire to compete with the likes of Iso Fidia, Jaguars and Aston’s. Jean Tastevin ...

BSH: The Rare French Kit Car That Left a Lasting Impression

  Introduction Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious photo of a rare French race car. That’s exactly what happened to me when I first encountered the BSH. After studying the car's unique stickers and design, I managed to track it down to its origins: the BSH (Benais Saint-Hilaire), a rare and fascinating piece of motorsport history. This article isn’t just about a car; it’s a journey to uncover the story behind a hidden gem from the 1960s and 70s. The BSH may not be glamorous by today’s standards, but it carries a distinct charm—a low-volume French kit car built for motorsport enthusiasts, designed to make high-performance driving accessible to those with the passion but not necessarily the budget for factory-built race cars. The Story Behind the BSH BSH was the brainchild of two passionate engineers, François Benais and Max Saint-Hilaire. Combining their last names, they created the company that would bring this unique car to life. Benais was an engineer with a deep love for motorsp...

A Ferrari Masterpiece from the 1950s: The Vignale-Bodied 250 Europa

While scrolling through YouTube, a clip of an old, screaming F1-style V12 engine stopped me in my tracks. That unforgettable sound led me down a rabbit hole—one that ended with a stunning, coachbuilt Ferrari from the 1950s. The car? A rare and elegant 250 Europa. And the coachbuilder behind it? None other than Vignale . This car marked the beginning of Ferrari’s legendary 250 GT line—arguably the most iconic and successful series in the brand’s history. And more specifically, it was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, a name that may not be as well-known as Giugiaro, Gandini, or Pininfarina, but whose influence in automotive design runs deep. Michelotti crafted timeless designs for Triumph, Alfa Romeo, and even Ferrari—each filled with distinct character and elegance. Setting the Stage: Ferrari in the 1950s Back in the early '50s, Ferrari was still a motorsport-centric name. Its presence on the road was limited mostly to the 212 Inter , a gorgeous grand tourer powered by the Gioacchin...