Vehicle Description
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk I - Southern California Car - All Ownership
History - 3 Owners: First Owner 1965-72 Second Owner 1972-2006
Third Owner 2006-present - Repainted Signal Orange in 2015 -
Original and Rebuilt 260ci V8 in 2016 - 4 Speed Toploader Gearbox -
Factory Hard Top - Built Sheet (Please note: If you happen to be
viewing this 1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk I on a website other than our
Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some
of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website
limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150
photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video,
please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.) ... the Sunbeam
Tiger quickly acquired a reputation as a baby Cobra on the street.
�€" Automobile Magazine, December 2014 As the 1960s began, the
Rootes Group's Sunbeam marque was eager to give its refined but
wimpy Alpine sports car some authority under the hood so it would
be more like a Jaguar, less like an MG. As the Shelby Cobra became
popular in 1962, Sunbeam's sales manager in Los Angeles measured
the Alpine's engine bay (with a yardstick) and sent his service
manager to find an American V-8 that would fit. The 260-cubic-inch
Ford V-8 looked good, and Carroll Shelby was commissioned to create
a Cobra-style prototype in eight weeks for $10,000. What was dubbed
the white car appeared in April 1963, and once readied for
production with the bodywork of the Alpine Mk IV, assembly was
subcontracted to Jensen Motors in Britain. The Sunbeam Tiger caused
a big stir when it appeared at the 1964 New York auto show for the
1965 model year, but it lasted only until 1967, when Chrysler
bought the financially distressed Rootes Group. In all, nearly
7,100 Sunbeam Tigers were built. The Tiger Mk I accounts for the
majority of the run, some 3,800 cars, and this model features the
260-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) version of the small-block Ford V-8 and
can be distinguished by round-corner doors and lead-filled body
seams. The Mk I represents the next 2,700-plus cars, and it also
has the 260-cubic-inch V-8 but can be identified by square-corner
doors and unfilled body seams. Offered here is a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger
Mk 1 in highly desirable orange over black. Delivered new in
Southern California, just three owners (first '65-'72, second
'72-'06, third '06-present; with documentation) have stewarded the
car with meticulous attention to this point. Currently showing
60,461 miles, the car has traveled fewer than 1,100 miles per-year
on average since new. The Tiger's exterior non-metallic orange
paint is in outstanding condition across the entire body, including
the removable (original) hardtop. The color was an excellent choice
to add flair to the car's simple body lines.The finish is free of
damage and the shine is even and properly glossy. There is no
damage to any sheet metal on the car. (To best assess the quality
of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up
photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) All factory
badging-including the Rootes Group grille and rear-fender emblems,
Sunbeam lettering front and rear of the car, the Tiger script
incorporated into the thin body-side chrome trim, and the 260
engine badge on the front fenders-is all in place and in
beautifully preserved condition. Chrome bumpers, grille trim,
windshield trim, racing style side mirror, and door handles all
display excellent surface shine with virtually no appreciable
patina. Cabin glass and lighting lenses are clear and uncracked.
Factory-original 13-inch 4-lug, 8-opening, polished alloy wheels
are mounted with GoodYear® racing tires with the blackwall side
facing out. Inside, the cockpit is a perfect sports-car
environment. Damage-free black leather upholstery with perforated
inserts covers the bucket seats, and black carpeting covers the
cabin floors. A black, reinforced roll bar is mounted behind the
seats, with stereo speakers and a fire e
