1965 Sunbeam Tiger FIA Appendix K Competition GT

Whilst the car is FIA compliant it is awaiting renewal of the papers

• Dating from 1965, this venerable Sunbeam Tiger spent the first 25 years in Colorado with its first owner
• Returned to the UK and purchased by our vendor in 1990
• Strengthened for competition. Photo-documented rebuild (No1) in 1990
• Fitted with an aluminium boot lid and hardtop (ex-Works)
• Rallied at home and in Europe during the following years and subsequently converted into racer in the late nineties. Full history and photos in file
• Retired to our vendors collection for many years before total rebuild No. 2 in 2015/17 and more racing in 2018
• Centre piece on the Tiger stand at the NEC in 2018
• Massive spares package (incl 260ci engine). Four-volume history file
• Please Note: The Tiger will need to be represented to acquire FIA papers.

According to the Sunbeam Tiger Production Record, #000653 was finally assembled on 12/10/1965 prior to being finished in Mediterranean Blue, fitted with a hardtop, shipped to the United States and delivered to its first owner, American airman Michael Hercules. A small British sports car (albeit with a big V8) seems an unusual choice in Colorado but even more unusual is the fact that he kept it for 24 years. Unusually for a US car, its history Stateside is excellent with virtually every annual registration document from all over Colorado and California up to 1988 when it was re-registered to his wife, Anne in mid-1989.

After import to the UK by Bruce Stevens, the Tiger was purchased by our vendor in 1990 and UK registered on 30/01/1991. In the history file there are pictures of the Sunbeam pre-shipment and after arriving here prior to commencing its first total rebuild. The chassis was sandblasted, carefully strengthened and seam welded in key areas, a steel firewall fabricated and with numerous new components, a tuned 260cubic inch engine and fresh paintwork, it was in effect a new vehicle.

As always with long-term ownership and extensive rebuilding, there is no room here to detail the tens of thousands spent, so it’s best to refer to the 4-volume Owner’s File.

The car competed in over 20 rallies in the following three years including the Welsh, Scottish and Network ‘Q’ RAC Rally as part of the British Championship with frequent podiums. It was also campaigned in Europe before competing and finishing the Classic Marathon Rally, Paris to Marrakesh covering over 3,000 miles.

Fitted with an Aluminium boot lid and hardtop (the only ex-Works units known to exist-3 sets originally made for Rootes works cars), this versatile Tiger was adapted to circuit racing later in the 1990s competing at Silverstone, Lydden Hill, Donnington and Snetterton. Subsequently, the car was occasionally used as a road car before being allowed to rest for a few years whilst our vendor concentrated on his ex-Le Mans factory Tiger.

The decision was taken in 2014 to awaken #000653 and the second major rebuild of its life was entrusted to Automotive Solutions in 2015/2017 repairing any minor damage from earlier years but with all body panels remaining as original including the aluminium hardtop and boot lid.

For this rebuild, a complete Ford 289 Hi-Po (FIA-spec) engine was sourced. The engine is a genuine 1965 unit, verified by EDA in the history file. The full spec is in the file but includes a Tilton twin-plate competition clutch, Salisbury LSD rear axle, Thruxton-spec 4-pot aluminium calipers with vented discs, Tilton starter, Holley Blue fuel pump, servo, MSD ignition, competition battery, Zero-360 FIA fire extinguisher system and a Safety Devices FIA-spec full roll-cage were fitted. The engine was dyno’d at 397bhp with 70 lbs oil pressure. (further spec below and in the file). The detailed files contain photos of many parts that would allow rebuilding to a full road spec vehicle and are included in the price.

Fresh out of the box in 2018, TIG 1950 (as it is now) enjoyed outings at Snetterton, Silverstone, Oulton Park and Spa and the year finished happily with the car being the centrepiece vehicle on the Tiger Owners stand at the Birmingham Classic Car Show.