Sunbeam Tiger
Encyclopedia
The Sunbeam Tiger was a muscle car
version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine
roadster
.
rather than a sports car
, and he set about changing its image, using the recent success of the Shelby Cobra as a guide. He and Rootes' Western Service Manager Walter McKenzie measured up several V8 engine
s and determined that Ford's
new 164 hp 260 cu in (4.3 l) Windsor V8 engine would fit nicely between the frame rails.
Sunbeam asked Carroll Shelby
to produce one functional prototype on a budget of $10,000. Shelby's prototype was fabricated by Shelby employee George Boskoff, and the result was judged to be good enough to send to England for production evaluation.
Seeking reassurance everything would fit, a second Series 2 Alpine was handed to Ken Miles
. A talented racer and fabricator in his own right, Miles had just been employed by Shelby American. Using his own shop facilities, he managed to install a 260 cu.in. V8 and two-speed automatic
into the Alpine in less than a week, at a total cost of $600. Having served its feasibility study purpose, the Miles prototype was kept by Rootes Motors Inc. Los Angeles
for some time until its sale to a private buyer.
, located in West Bromwich
, England. Jensen went on to manufacture the Sunbeam Tiger. Production reached 7,085 cars over three distinct series (the factory only ever designated two, the Mark 1 and Mark 2; however, since the official Mark 1 production spanned the changeover in body style from the Series IV Alpine panels to the Series V panels, the later cars are generally designated Mark 1A by current Sunbeam Tiger enthusiasts). Mark 2 production totaled just 536 cars, and these Tigers, with the 200 hp 289 cu in (4.7 l) engine, are rare today. Both the Miles and the Shelby prototypes have survived, along with a number of other historically significant Tigers.
purchased Rootes in June 1967. Chrysler could not be expected to sell a car with a Ford engine, but had no suitable replacement of its own: Chrysler's small-block V8 engines had the distributor
positioned at the rear of the engine, unlike the front-mounted distributor of the Ford V8; their big-block V8 had a front-mounted distributor but was significantly larger. It was impossible to fit either into the Sunbeam engine bay without major and expensive revisions, thus the Tiger was canceled.
The Tiger was arguably more practical and commercially successful than the AC Cobra
that inspired it, but its road and track performance was inferior. It did however increase the sporting cachet of the Sunbeam brand.
as being the first "Bond car" in the James Bond
film series driven by the hero, the 1964 Tiger Series I gained some exposure on American television
as the car of choice for Maxwell Smart on Get Smart
. The Tiger was used for the first two seasons, and featured iconically in the opening credits with Smart screeching to a halt outside his headquarters. It would also, at times, feature in the episodes themselves, sometimes with typical modifications expected to be on cars of contemporary secret agents. After the second season, the Tiger was replaced on the show with the VW Karmann Ghia, and later the Opel GT
.
The Tiger also featured in the 2008 film adaptation
of Get Smart, along with the other two signature cars from the series.
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine
Sunbeam Alpine
The Sunbeam Alpine is a sporty two-seat open car from Rootes Group's Sunbeam car marque. The original was launched in 1953 as the first vehicle from Sunbeam-Talbot to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1935 takeover of Sunbeam and Talbot by the Rootes Group....
roadster
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
.
Development
The West Coast Sales Manager of Rootes American Motors Inc., Ian Garrad, realized that the Alpine's image was that of a touring carTouring car
A touring car, or tourer, is an open car seating five or more. Touring cars may have two or four doors. Often, the belt line is lowered in the front doors to give the car a more sportive character. They were often fitted with a folding roof and side curtains. Engines on early models were either in...
rather than a sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
, and he set about changing its image, using the recent success of the Shelby Cobra as a guide. He and Rootes' Western Service Manager Walter McKenzie measured up several V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
s and determined that Ford's
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
new 164 hp 260 cu in (4.3 l) Windsor V8 engine would fit nicely between the frame rails.
Sunbeam asked Carroll Shelby
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby is an American retired automotive designer and racing driver. He is most well known for making Mustangs for Ford Motor Company known as Mustang Cobras which he has done since 1965...
to produce one functional prototype on a budget of $10,000. Shelby's prototype was fabricated by Shelby employee George Boskoff, and the result was judged to be good enough to send to England for production evaluation.
Seeking reassurance everything would fit, a second Series 2 Alpine was handed to Ken Miles
Ken Miles
Ken Miles was a sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his career in the USA and with American teams on the international scene.-Background:Miles raced motorcycles before he served as a tank sergeant in the British Army in World War...
. A talented racer and fabricator in his own right, Miles had just been employed by Shelby American. Using his own shop facilities, he managed to install a 260 cu.in. V8 and two-speed automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
into the Alpine in less than a week, at a total cost of $600. Having served its feasibility study purpose, the Miles prototype was kept by Rootes Motors Inc. Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for some time until its sale to a private buyer.
Production
After doing extensive engineering studies Rootes Group subcontracted development and pre-production testing to JensenJensen Motors
Jensen Motors Ltd was a British manufacturer of sports cars and commercial vehicles, based in the Lyng – West Bromwich...
, located in West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
, England. Jensen went on to manufacture the Sunbeam Tiger. Production reached 7,085 cars over three distinct series (the factory only ever designated two, the Mark 1 and Mark 2; however, since the official Mark 1 production spanned the changeover in body style from the Series IV Alpine panels to the Series V panels, the later cars are generally designated Mark 1A by current Sunbeam Tiger enthusiasts). Mark 2 production totaled just 536 cars, and these Tigers, with the 200 hp 289 cu in (4.7 l) engine, are rare today. Both the Miles and the Shelby prototypes have survived, along with a number of other historically significant Tigers.
Demise
Production of the Tiger only lasted from 1964 until ChryslerChrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
purchased Rootes in June 1967. Chrysler could not be expected to sell a car with a Ford engine, but had no suitable replacement of its own: Chrysler's small-block V8 engines had the distributor
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
positioned at the rear of the engine, unlike the front-mounted distributor of the Ford V8; their big-block V8 had a front-mounted distributor but was significantly larger. It was impossible to fit either into the Sunbeam engine bay without major and expensive revisions, thus the Tiger was canceled.
The Tiger was arguably more practical and commercially successful than the AC Cobra
AC Cobra
The AC Cobra, also known colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in North America, is an Anglo-American sports car that was produced during the 1960s.-History and development:...
that inspired it, but its road and track performance was inferior. It did however increase the sporting cachet of the Sunbeam brand.
In popular media
While Sunbeam's Alpine roadster gained notoriety in 1962's Dr. NoDr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
as being the first "Bond car" in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film series driven by the hero, the 1964 Tiger Series I gained some exposure on American television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
as the car of choice for Maxwell Smart on Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
. The Tiger was used for the first two seasons, and featured iconically in the opening credits with Smart screeching to a halt outside his headquarters. It would also, at times, feature in the episodes themselves, sometimes with typical modifications expected to be on cars of contemporary secret agents. After the second season, the Tiger was replaced on the show with the VW Karmann Ghia, and later the Opel GT
Opel GT
The Opel GT is a two-seat sports car first presented as a styling exercise in 1965 at the Paris and Frankfurt motor shows, and introduced as a production model late in 1968 by Opel, a German subsidiary of General Motors...
.
The Tiger also featured in the 2008 film adaptation
Get Smart (film)
Get Smart is a 2008 American spy-fi comedy film based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s spy parody television series of the same name. The film stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99...
of Get Smart, along with the other two signature cars from the series.