His and Hers Sunbeam Tigers – Auction Car of the Week

You’ve all heard of his and hers gifts. With everything from towels and pyjamas to wedding rings and luggage all seemingly getting the couples treatment it’s a common trope as far as relationships are concerned but it’s not such a familiar theme when it comes to classic cars. Well today ladies and gentlemen, Car & Classic is breaking down barriers because what we have here (and indeed here) via our auctions platform is a magnificent pair of Sunbeam Tigers. Make your double act dreams a reality and hit the road with your significant other in these matching classics!

Taking the already adorably charming Sunbeam Alpine and squeezing a whopping great V8 under the bonnet is a genius idea quite frankly and that’s exactly what Carroll Shelby did with the Tiger. The man already had a history of taking two-seater British sports cars and beefing them up with eight-cylinder power having successfully done the exact same thing with the AC Cobra in 1962. Fast forward two years and old Mr Shelby was at it again, this time with the Sunbeam.

It was a project that came together from a desire for more power, something that we very much understand and indeed appreciate here at Car & Classic. This was the early ’60s and the burgeoning muscle car market across the pond was beginning to make waves big enough to be felt on UK shores and so the decision was made by Rootes to develop a prototype with Shelby at the helm. So impressed was everybody with the new car that production was immediately green lit and an order for 3,000 Ford V8s was signed off quick smart.

In a typical case of attempting to sprint before mastering the subtleties of strolling Rootes didn’t actually have the capacity to build these new Tigers and so production was farmed out to fellow Brits Jensen who handled assembly of the pressed steel bodies and installation of the Ford engines and gearboxes.

The Tiger, although ostensibly looking very much like the Series IV Alpine upon which it was based, was a much quicker car than it’s four-cylinder counterpart. The 4.3-litre V8 from Ford developed 164bhp and could propel the Tiger to 60mph from parked in less than nine seconds and on to a top speed of 120mph, which were impressive figures for the day, especially in a car that was generally perceived as a little dainty. But that was the Tiger’s strength; its innate chuckability, only now it had the proper performance to match and it was these characteristics which also made it a formidable motorsport weapon back in the day. Even now you could quite happily autosolo a Tiger or sling it up a hill climb course and it wouldn’t bat an eyelid.

Just over 7,000 Sunbeam Tigers were made, making it a pretty rare prospect and one that’s even more pronounced here in the UK as many were exported, which is why to have two near identical examples (in actual fact these are chassis number 5 and chassis number 6 of the 73 models exported to South Africa) is an incredibly exciting proposition. Repatriated and fully UK registered there’s not really too much to distinguish these twins, that is until you take a peak under their respective bonnets. On the one hand you have this wonderfully original example and then on the other you have this slightly spicier version. The latter Tiger’s roar is just that little bit louder thanks to its uprated V8. Enlarged to 4.9-litres and complete with performance air filter, this bad boy now makes 183bhp. Grrreat!

Both Sunbeam Tigers are in excellent overall condition having been fully refreshed before returning home. including new paint, but one of the great things about these Tigers is their inherent usability. You can absolutely drive both of these cars every day without any drama. They’re reliable, easy to maintain and bags of fun to boot. Oh, and it would be sacrilegious to split them up because these two cats have been together since the beginning. So take a look at both of the listings, here and here, then have a read of the detailed descriptions and pore over the myriad photos before bidding – one for you, one for t’other, because let’s be honest, these are way cooler than matching slippers…