Vehicle Description
Outstanding MK1A with fresh restoration to both cosmetics and all
mechanicals! All factory, number's matching drivetrain with STOA
Certificate of Authenticity! Finished in factory code correct
Carnival Red over Black interior possessing all original body tags!
A unique chance to own a rare piece of sports car history!
Representing one of only 2,706 MK1A units built!
With the Rootes Group Sunbeam Alpine already positioned as a fine
touring automobile in Europe, the internal sales team realized it
would need more horsepower to better position the Alpine as a
proper sports car to buyers worldwide. When talks with Ferrari
about building a beefy 4-cylinder power plant went nowhere for
Rootes, a Southern California Sunbeam-Talbot sales manager, Ian
Garrad, teamed up with Carroll Shelby to build a prototype for
their consideration. The result would be a product more suited for
sports car enthusiasts often visiting their USA showrooms. Efforts
to build a suitable sports car that could attract these young,
performance-minded individuals was successful and accredited to
Shelby American. It was already well known that they could
shoe-horn V8 horsepower into just about anything you asked them to,
so the Ford 260ci V8 was selected for its size and ample power
output. It was tucked into the small English chassis with only a
"few" refinements to the engine bay and firewall, and a "baby
Cobra" was born with the official name, Sunbeam Tiger! The Mark IA,
a revised & improved version of the original, was produced from
August 1965 through February 1966 with production totaling just
2,706 units.
Finished in correct Carnival Red (code 39) over textured black
vinyl interior, this stunning 1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1A is in
remarkable condition! Under the hood lies the original, matching
number's 260ci V8 engine mated to a top loader 4-speed manual
transmission gripping the ground through a 2.88 rear end! Options
include chrome 13" Cragar SS wheels with BF Goodrich Radial T/A
tires, burled walnut dash, wood LL slotted 3-spoke steering wheel,
leather wrapped shift handle, Jaegar instrumentation, locking
center console, Girling power front disc brakes, dual Talbot style
rearview mirrors, windshield washer, soft boot cover, and auxiliary
hardtop!
This example was said to have survived most of its early life out
west in California before making its way to the East coast in
September 2011 with only 62,000 actual miles on the odometer. Just
prior to its departure from California, it would be authenticated
by the Sunbeam Tiger Owner's Association (STOA) for authenticity on
September 8th, 2012. It now possesses the coveted STOA sticker
under the dash along with its matching Certificate of Authenticity
#955 with STOA embossed stamp. It had been cosmetically restored
once already, with a color change to burgundy metallic at some
point in the 1990's. It remained this way until its arrival to the
St. Louis Car Museum. We elected to refurbish this worthy Tiger
back to its original, factory specifications starting with a
complete disassembly to perform a bare metal repaint of the
exterior. Beginning a restoration to this level takes total
commitment, many man hours to perform, and lots of new or
refurbished parts & equipment to finalize properly. With this in
mind, we methodically went through each step accordingly over the
past 3 years.
The exterior body was completely stripped down bare metal by
Mid-America Auto Body and rebuilt to ensure any rust present in the
rocker panels, wheel houses, fender arches, etc. was all
professionally addressed before being completely primer sealed,
sanded meticulously, then sprayed in a two-stage base coat/clear
coat application of new Carnival Red paint. The results would be
carefully color-sanded and polished to a brilliantly smooth finish!
It would have every piece of exterior chrome re-plated by Highline
Plating awaiting installation upon its return as well as new body
side moldings, all weather stripping, and exterior emblems.
The complete interior was restored by our very own Danny Silvinski
here in our upholstery shop. A gorgeous burled walnut dash would be
supplied by C&G Woodcraft that now includes a proper glove box
door, and new interior carpet & underlayment, seating foam &
upholstery, door panels, door trim, inner sill plates, new
convertible top with boot cover, and much more, all supplied by
Classic Sunbeam Inc.
The factory issued engine was completely rebuilt by Auto Air Garage
of Sullivan, MO. It was cleaned & magnafluxed, then meticulously
overhauled at 65,000 miles with a .030 overbore and new UEM
Silv-O-Lite cast aluminum pistons & new rings, machine turned
crankshaft .010 & polished, reconditioned connecting rods, original
camshaft mated to new lifters, cam bearings, main bearings, rod
bearings, rod bolts, timing chain & gear, new oil pump, water pump,
etc. were all included. The heads were clean, magnafluxed, and
resurfaced .007 for a perfect mating surface to the block. They
would receive knurled valve guides, new valve seats, new exhaust
valves, reground intake valves, and fully assembled with fresh
paint and valve adjustment. The generator & starter were all
rebuilt to operate as new. The radiator & heater core were cleaned
and resealed professionally by Al's South County Radiator Service.
All fresh engine gaskets, hoses & clamps, fluids, filters, are new!
The all-important numbers associated with this Tiger are below and
still attached with their original rivets.
VIN: B382001533LRXFE
JAL: 661545
ENGINE #: 6815-B19KC
Upgrades to Tiger's were common, although we are proud to say this
one retains its original 2-barrel intake & Motorcraft carburetion,
AC air cleaner housing, factory valve covers with foil stamped
engine number identification, and original fan shroud. A resurfaced
flywheel and new Rhinopac clutch kit were installed as well as new
brake master cylinder, front rotors/pads, rear shoes/cylinders, and
fresh brake fluid. The factory exhaust manifolds were mated with a
fully polished, stainless steel dual exhaust system! There is far
too much to list, so all restoration receipts will be provided to
the next owner.
We are very proud to have such a prize in our showroom and invite
serious investors to stop in for a closer look! Tigers of this
caliber are rare, and continuing to rise in value even in a slow
market. Act quickly, and please feel welcome to call with
additional questions! Thanks for looking!
