The late great car designer Carroll Shelby was a legend in
automotive and racing history. He is primarily known for his
involvement in the AC Cobra and Shelby Mustang but many don't
realize how many other projects he had a hand in. Just like when he
packed a V8 into the AC Cobra, Shelby took on a project with the
British company Sunbeam. He was able to incorporate a high
performance V8 into a Sunbeam Alpine Roadster and his version was
dubbed the Tiger. The goal was to earn a contract to build the
Sunbeam Tiger in his United States facilities. The Rootes Group who
built Sunbeam decided they would instead move production to Jensen
in England and pay Shelby a royalty on every car that was produced.
There were a total of 7,083 of them made between their introduction
in 1964 and 1967 at which point the Rootes Group was taken over by
Chrysler who did not have a V8 worthy of the project at the time.
The Tiger was entered into the 24 hour Lemans but never completed
the race. However, the Tiger did shine when it came to some
European rallies earning the American Hot Rod Association's quarter
mile record 2 years in a row. These cars have become quite the rare
find nowadays and due to the ease of modifications very few are
still around in their original form. This 1964 Sunbeam Tiger has
been fully restored to original and is an early production model.
In fact, it has been inspected by 2 senior Sunbeam Tiger Owners
Association members who looked it over in detail. They saw all the
indications of an early Tiger and even stated there are certain
things on the car they were unable to specifically point out in
fear that people would learn those details and start faking early
production models. There were multiple indications of it being one
of the first 50. The car has been repainted in its original
Carnival Red paint which has a great shine and pairs nicely with
the Black top. The frame off restoration was very well done and the
car has been kept as original as possible. The chrome and stainless
trim is all in excellent condition throughout as is the glass. The
car really has a neat look and you just don't see a lot of these
out there. It has a nice stance and sits on its original painted to
match wheels with original hubcaps and thin white wall tires.
Lift the original forward tilting hood and you will find the
original 260 V8 motor that made the Tiger what it is. The motor has
been rebuilt and runs great. It has an Edelbrock intake topped with
a 4 barrel and its original air cleaner. It also has its original
chrome valve covers which still has the factory Sunbeam LTD engine
number tag. The manual transmission shifts well and moves through
the gears smoothly sending power back to the 10 bolt rear end. The
car sounds great with dual exhaust that is routed through a portion
of the frame and exits out of the rear. The design elements are
very unique on these cars and it is clear they were built to
perform. The undercarriage is all extremely clean with a majority
of components being painted to match the body or painted in a gloss
Black.
The interior has been very nicely redone in all Black upholstery.
It has dual adjustable bucket seats and throughout it is all in
good fresh condition. The original center console provides
additional storage space and sits just behind the manual Hurst
shifter. The dash is its original woodgrain and is beautifully
done. All of the original style knobs, switches, and gauges are in
place and working. It also has an original woodgrain steering wheel
and factory horn ring. Throughout the car you will find a lot of
neat original components like the Rootes Group emblem on the dash
and the original "When ordering parts quote" number tag. The car
even wears its original servicing tag that indicates oil type,
brake fluid type, and even the spark plug gap. The trunk offers
plenty of storage space and the bottom lifts up to reveal the spare
wheel and battery.
This is a very neat car that is fun to drive and looks great. It
even comes with its original set of Sunbeam wrenches. You don't see
these come up for sale often especially early production examples
like this.
Add this Tiger to your collection for $145,000.00!
NOW REDUCED DOWN TO $125,000.00!
Vehicle Details
1964 Sunbeam Tiger
Listing ID:CC-1618007
Price:$125,000
Location:Arlington, Texas
Year:1964
Make:Sunbeam
Model:Tiger
Exterior Color:Red
Transmission:Manual
Odometer:20244
Stock Number:2243
VIN:JAL560369
Interested in something else? Search these similar vehicles...
ClassicCars.com has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, successfully making the Inc. 5000 list in both 2015,
2016, 2017 and 2018. This prestigious accolade represents the continued growth of the company, and ClassicCars.com's dominance as the world's largest online marketplace for
buying and selling classic and collector vehicles.
The Stevie Awards, the world's premier business awards recognized
ClassicCars.com's first-class Customer Support team with a Stevie Bronze Award in 2019, celebrating the team's skills as exemplary customer support specialists.
In 2016 The Journal, brought to you by ClassicCars.com, was celebrated as the SECOND MOST INFLUENTIAL automotive blog in the world by NFC Performance.