Page 144 - Barrett-Jackson_Experience_Spring2021

Conceived by Ian Garrad, U.S. West Coast manager
for Britain’s Rootes Motors, the Sunbeam Alpine- NO RESERVE - LOT #1296
based Tiger grabbed a significant slice of America’s
rabid 1960s sports-car market. Given the Alpine’s COMPETING
international racing success, Garrad believed it was a
strong candidate for American V8 power, similar in
concept to Carroll Shelby’s AC Ace-derived Cobra. WITH COBRAS
Once Garrad obtained approval from Rootes, a Ford
260ci prototype was built in just a few days by Ken
Miles to validate the concept and Shelby American
built a more involved conversion, tested by Garrad THIS 1966 SUNBEAM TIGER MK IA
and then evaluated in England by summer 1963. WAS BUILT TO TAKE ON OTHER V8S
Company management, including Lord Rootes, were
enthused, codenaming the project “Thunderbolt” and
commissioning Jensen Motors to build it.
First available in the United States in 1964, the car
was dubbed “Tiger” after Rootes’ 1925-26 land-speed-
record car. Sales were spurred by high-profile product
placements in films and on television, including Mel
Brooks’ popular spy comedy series, “Get Smart.” While
a GT-oriented road car from the outset, the Tiger
nearly won the 1966 SCCA B/Production National
Championship and, with excellent power-to-weight,
the Tiger took a 1965 AHRA National drag racing
championship. Only some 7,000 Tigers were built
through 1968, along with the Mk I and refined Mk
IA – both 260ci-powered – and the 289ci Mk II. Only
Chrysler’s takeover of Rootes and cessation of Ford
engine supplies ended the Tiger’s prowl.
Certified by the Sunbeam Tiger Owner’s Association
(STOA), Lot #1296, a Mark IA Tiger offered with No
Reserve, is a late-production example delivered new
to a Covina, California, resident, who sold it in the
summer of 1970. According to registration and transfer
documents, the second owners, also of Covina,
enjoyed the car sparingly for the next decade and
stored it from 1980 to summer 2012.
Recommissioned, serviced and tuned, the car ran fairly
well and was rust-free, making it an ideal candidate
for a detailed and total restoration performed by a
concours award-winning shop. The body was stripped
to bare metal and fitted to a rotisserie for restoration,
and particular attention was paid to exceptional
panel alignment and shut-lines in preparation for
its stunningly deep and shiny Metallic Blue paint
finish, complemented by beautifully restored, show-
quality brightwork. The Tiger’s sporting cockpit was

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