1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1

Designed in part by renowned American car designer and racer Carroll Shelby, in an attempt to raise the declining fortunes of the Rootes Group, the Tiger was penned around the popular Sunbeam Alpine bodyshell with V8 motivation in an attempt to compete successfully in world markets where larger capacity engines and sportscar styling were at the forefront of late 1960s motoring. Codenamed 'Thunderbolt', the whole project took place without the knowledge of Lord Rootes and when he found out he got 'very grumpy' by all accounts, although he had the good sense to get a prototype shipped to Coventry and was deeply impressed with the car when it arrived. Shelby had envisaged assembling them in America as he had done with AC Cobras, however Rootes opted to pay him a royalty on each unit and use West Bromwich-based Jensen Motors to build the cars as they had spare capacity having just ceased their Volvo P1800 assembly contract. A total of some 7,085 Sunbeam Tigers were eventually produced, including 536 of the now very rare 4.7-litre Mk2 versions which arrived in 1967. The final cars rolled off the lines in 1968, production being shelved when Chrysler took over the Rootes Group, their new bosses unable to sanction a car powered by their arch-rivals, Ford.

The gleaming Calypso Red Mk1 Tiger on offer here dates from 1965 and according to the Sunbeam Tiger Owners Club, was restored in the 1980s prior to spending many years in Cornwall. It was purchased by its previous owner and used to go to shows and as a weekend ‘classic’, covering less than 10,000 miles in his 20 years with the car. We understand it was subject to a bodywork restoration in 2005 and treated to an engine rebuild in 2015 by Sunbeam Specialist Services and Rickets Restorations with the addition of an upgraded aluminium radiator and electric fan.

The Sunbeam was purchased in March 2023 by our vendor who is known to be particularly fastidious and although the Tiger ran well and looked good, he immediately commenced a further bodywork restoration with fresh paint, an investment of some £18,000 (full details and invoices on file). To match the car’s new suit of clothes, the black vinyl interior was professionally retrimmed and enhanced with new carpets, a new cloth hood and tonneau cover and when, combined with a number of new chrome parts, over £23,000 was committed to return this classic British V8 roadster to the standard you see today. It has covered less than 80,000 miles from new and we understand runs and drives well. It’s accompanied by its current V5C, old MOTs, the aforementioned invoices and an original workshop manual.

There are a couple of active owners clubs for enthusiasts of the marque and it’s believed that there are about 500 Tigers in the UK which is a high survival rate and indicates the esteem in which they are held. This bright red Tiger would have turned a lot of heads as it burbled down the High Street in 1965 and some 60 years later, it has exactly the same effect.