Notable ownership history, including Alastair Naylor of Naylor TF1700 fame
289 cubic-inch V8 engine rebuilt and rolling road tuned to 250bhp
Approximately £20,000 spent on extensive improvements since 2023
Rosemary Smith - Works Tiger driver in the 1966 Monte Carlo Rallye - completed demonstration runs in the car at the 2013 Cultra Hill Climb
Supplied with matching restored hardtop, full roll cage, tonneau cover, and period TIM stopwatches
The Appeal
At a time when most British sports cars were still carrying raspy little four-pots, the Tiger was a characterful tonic indeed. Based upon the Rootes Group's Alpine, the car was packed under its bonnet with a whopping great Ford V8 with developmental input from the legendary Carroll Shelby. Less than 7,100 were ever assembled, and thanks to the contrasts between svelte Anglocentric bodywork and the sheer American muscle with, they've become quite the hot bit of property.
This 1965 example, DDG997C, carries a particularly rich history. Owned in the 1970s by Alastair Naylor - one half of the brother duo who developed and built the 100 Naylor TF1700s with Austin Rover's approval - the car is believed to have received its uprated 289 cubic-inch V8 at their hands. It subsequently passed to an owner in Northern Ireland who campaigned it in regulation rallies and hill climbs, and in 2013 the celebrated Irish rally driver Rosemary Smith completed demonstration runs in the car at the Cultra Hill Climb.
Since acquiring the car in May 2023, the current owner has commissioned a comprehensive programme of improvements carried out by a specialist. The engine has been rebuilt with Edelbrock aluminium heads and tuned on a rolling road to 250bhp, while the braking system now features Brembo four-pot callipers and air-cooled discs. The front suspension has been entirely rebuilt, Spax adjustable dampers are fitted all round, and a new hand-built stainless steel exhaust system completes the mechanical transformation. The car has also been restored and resprayed, with both bumpers professionally re-chromed.
Whether it's destined for a comfortable life of car shows, or a return to tracks and trials, we've little doubt this impressive Tiger is bound to prove a prized classic. image.png1.56 MB
History and Paperwork
First registered 5th April 1965 in the United Kingdom
Two known previous registered keepers prior to the current ownership
Owned by Alastair Naylor in the 1970s; the Naylor brothers were noted racing enthusiasts who developed and built 100 TF1700s with approval from Austin Rover
Sold to a new owner in 2005 who completed regulation rallies and hill climbs in Northern Ireland
In 2013, Rosemary Smith completed demonstration runs in the car at the Cultra Hill Climb
Purchased by the current owner in May 2023 and returned to the mainland
Approximately £20,000 spent on improvements since acquisition
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