Purchased originally by a husband and wife (chassis 5 and 6)
Genuine Tiger with Ford Windsor V8 power
Imported from a dry climate - very solid and original throughout
Already UK registered
Last owned by the chairman of the Sunbeam Tiger Africa Register (STAR)
Has just been serviced and checked over prior to sale at the cost of £2,000
Both cars are currently offered for sale on C&C by the same vendor
The Appeal
Carroll Shelby was a man you’d normally associate with Ford Mustangs and AC Cobras, but not everything he turned his hand to was quite so outrageous.
The Sunbeam Tiger is a case in point – subtly and delicately styled with Rootes Group’s trademark US-inspired bodywork, the Tiger looked little different to the four-cylinder Alpine with which it shared its achingly pretty bodywork.
But beneath the narrow, befinned exterior, skinny tyres and factory wheel trims lay the heart of a genuine muscle car. Shelby was the reason, having consulted for Rootes when it was looking to homologate a car for competition. The Tiger was the outcome – conceived, developed and engineered under Shelby’s direction in the hope that he would be commissioned to manufacture the car in the States as well.
Unfortunately for Shelby, West Bromwich was chosen over Texas as a manufacturing base and every Tiger was hand-built on Sunbeam’s behalf by Jensen Motors – a company already familiar with importing American V8s and shoehorning them into British sports cars.
The Tiger went on to enjoy a fair amount of motorsport success. For a while, it also held ¼ mile drag strip records across the USA. It’s 0-60mph time of under eight seconds is still pretty decent by today’s standards, although it does come with prodigious thirst attached.
That’s the price you pay for a legend – a low volume, V8-powered sports car with a live rear axle, but which is incredibly British about hiding its brutality beneath a cloak of civilised panache.
They’re rare cars today – many rusted away, others went backwards into a bush, and several were exported. This is one of them, having spent its life in the arid climate of South Africa, which has done wonders to preserve its steel body. It was one of two cars purchased by a well-known sports car enthusiast in Gauteng Province, who had one for himself and another for his wife.
Repainted, retrimmed and repatriated, not only is it a fantastic opportunity for you to get behind the wheel of a genuine, unmodified and unspoilt example of Britain’s Cobra, but it’s one of two for sale concurrently from the same vendor, which have a history together since the beginning of their lives and have sequential VIN plates. If you’d like a matching pair, here’s the other
· MOT, tax and ULEZ exempt · Recently imported from South Africa · Bought new in 1965 by an enthusiast as one of two Tigers, one for him and another for his wife · 5th of 73 cars exported to South Africa · Always maintained at Torino Performance in Johannesburg · Recently serviced and prepped for sale at a cost of over £2,000 · Last owned by the founder and chairman of STAR – the Sunbeam Tiger Africa Register · Restored before its return to the UK · All import duties and NOVA declarations complete · Now registered in the UK on a period-correct C-plate
The Condition
· Fully repainted in original white · Rare factory hardtop · All original panels and trim · Basic steel wheels with chrome trims – a real Q-car · Some small marks to hubcaps and chrome trim · Appears sound underneath · Seats retrimmed in black vinyl · Original wood-rimmed steering wheel · New carpets and black over mats · Wood veneer dash with some small cracks around glovebox aperture
Make no mistake – this is a real Q-Car. Aside from the Tiger badges and discreet “Powered by Ford” and “260” badges on the wings, a casual observer would easily mistake the Tiger for an Alpine, were it not for the sound it makes. We’ll come to that…
Overall, the body is very smart and well-presented – not concourse, but still in very good condition with no visible evidence of corrosion and good panel fit. It has been repainted but is otherwise an original car.
Inside, it’s smart but not perfect. The seats have been retrimmed and look great in black vinyl and the carpets have been renewed, while the wood veneer dash is good overall with some spidery cracks in the veneer and one missing heater knob. The original two-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel remains and looks fantastic.
The Mechanics
· 4.3-litre Ford 260 V8 · Four-speed manual transmission · Starts and runs well · Sounds incredible
Nothing prepares you for the sound this car makes. If it looked like a Cobra you’d expect it to rumble, pop and snarl. But it doesn’t. It has the gentile look of an Alpine on skinny tyres, so when you coax the big Ford V8 into life it makes noises you wouldn’t expect. Imagine the slightly geeky looking singer on one of those TV talent shows who opens his mouth and has the voice of Elvis. That’s the surprise that’s in store for you and your passenger.
The engine runs well, holding a steady idle and displaying strong oil pressure and it engages all gears smoothly. The performance is incredible but be prepared for the non-servo brakes. They do the job, but you have to give them a good old shove – it is a muscle car after all, and one with immense character.
BEFORE YOU BUY
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:
✓ If the seller is registered as a private seller, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. Car & Classic’s return policy applies.
✓ A non-refundable deposit will be payable if you are the winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for details.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is, Where Is’ basis and without warranty. A full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase and bidding is recommended. Photos and descriptions are for guidance purposes only.
✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.
✓ UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check, to verify that they show no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and have no finance owing.
✓ Buyers are responsible for vehicle collection or delivery.
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Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
More about buying with us
1965 Sunbeam Tiger MK1 260
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