The RARE V8 Powered Budget AC Cobra - The Sunbeam Tiger

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In this Rare Cars documentary, we are going over the history of one of the most underrated and underappreciated V8 powered sports cars of all time, the 1964 - 1967 Sunbeam Tiger
This Ford V8 powered mini roadster was built as a sportscar for the everyman, yet it also had PLENTY of racing pedigree behind it with the help of Carroll Shelby.
Learn all there is to know about the 1964 - 1967 Sunbeam Alpine in episode 34 of our documentary series on the world's most fascinating cars.
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*Note, we are not historians. If you see an error in our research then please mention it in the comments!
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NOTICE: Clips used from other videos are fair use and fall under U.S. copyright law because this work is transformative in nature, and has no negative effect on the market for the original work. It is against the law to fraudulently claim a copyright on a video you do not own under the DMCA or to abuse KZbin’s copyright claim tool. Copyright concerns and takedown requests can be submitted to: [e-mail]

[@rarecars3336]

From a styling standpoint, what do you like more the Sunbeam Tiger OR the 289 Narrow Body Cobras 🤔?

[@lancerevell5979]

A hard choice to make. The Tiger is "prettier", while the Cobra is more aggressive looking.

[@kennethrine8171]

I love them both but I think I would take the Sonbeam.

[@kennethrine8171]

LOL Sunbeam 😅

[@UberLummox]

The original AC Cobra was the better looking car imo. Plus the wheels always looked too small for the wheelwells on the Sunbeam. Can't believe they would even consider a 2 bbl. You even have to change the cam to put a decent size 4 bbl. on it.

[@earlrichardson385]

Actually I would like to drive the 289 Cobra and the Tiger back to back and actually see the difference in them.

[@mbaqcytvav]

With or without a V8, it will always be one of the prettiest roadsters of all time.

[@rarecars3336]

Agreed it is a great looking car!

[@sssp3071]

We built a '65 Tiger in the late 1960's, We took out the tired 260 c.i. V8 and put in a fresh 306 hp 289 out of a wrecked '66 GT350. The result was a truly evil automobile. It was pretty quick if you could get traction with those 13" tires. It had top end speed that was unreal. Remember outrunning both a 428 CJ Torino and a 427 Corvette on top end. The extra horsepower really magnified the poor handling though. Curves, corners and acceleration became a real challenge. The 'Tiger' name became much more appropriate because you felt like it was going to claw, maul and chew you to death at any moment.

[@barrycuda3769]

What diff did they have? A really narrow 8 or 9 inch ?

[@rogerdodrill4733]

​@@barrycuda3769not sure, had only 4 bolt wheels

[@barrycuda3769]

@@rogerdodrill4733 Probably a narrowed version of a Mustang diff then ? the 6 cylinder Mustangs are 4 stud.

[@chrisfranklin2104]

Rear axle ? Salisbury 4HA

[@barrycuda3769]

Maxwell Smart's car .

[@rarecars3336]

You are correct!

[@markhill9275]

You stole my thunder!

[@jackkelly9022]

His was a 4cyl Alpine.

[@jackkelly9022]

Could not compete. Rear Drum brakes.

[@danielkeel9265]

Someone had to say it... heh!

[@user-rs5do6ud6b]

Very important to note, as the video does, that the Tiger was much more of a road car/daily driver than the Cobra was. Small point: the static grey AC shown at the start is an AC Ace not a Cobra.

[@thebionicbassplayer]

Wasn't this Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) of Get Smart's car? He also had a Karmann Ghia and an Opel GT, but this was undoubtably the best.

[@gn4720]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@hughmiller925]

YEP!

[@jimgillis1718]

Maxwell Smart had a 4cyl Alpine. Not a v8 Tiger

[@thebionicbassplayer]

@@jimgillis1718 It's the same car, except the Sunbeam has the V8. Whether you're getting your facts from the original show or the movie with Steve Carell, both cars are supposed to represent a Sunbeam Tiger..

[@garyjones8556]

They used an alpine in some o f the shots but Son Adam’s had a tiger

[@falcodog2917]

My buddy had a Mk2 Tiger with a Boss 302 in it. It was an absolute monster. It could smoke my Cobra Jet ! Still one of my top ten favorite cars.

[@MrGamman3yt]

In Edmonton, with sidepipes and a cut front frame for them? I almost bought that, but was flat broke! Was even thinking of ways to max out Cc and get loan from parents, who I was living with, and had a motorcycle, etc.

[@stevenwalk8564]

No it was east coast us. If it's still around, it has a full roll cage to keep the frame from twisting 😯@@MrGamman3yt

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Boss 302 was excellent choice for pwr. Tail fins a little wonky for 64/67

[@stevenwalk8564]

True but I always thought they were good looking. Maybe I'm jaded cause I got to drive it. It was ferocious. @@rogerdodrill4733

[@gordonstroup882]

I remember a neighbor of ours that had one. He quit driving it back in 1974, and the poor thing just sat out in the Arizona sun for a little more than 3 years. The sun wasn't very kind to it, and the red paint faded and the interior and soft top both were trashed. I wanted to buy it but Dad said after high school graduation and I needed a job to pay for insurance and gas plus whatever else it needed, like tires and whatnot. I saved my mowing lawn money and whatever else I could earn to buy it. The guy wanted $750 for it. Five weeks before graduation, he ended up selling it for $600 and I was devastated. A couple of months later, I had heard that the new owner ended up crashing it into a pickup, bounced off of it and ended up in an irrigation canal upside down. He was thrown out of it and lived, but the tiger didn't make it. It was bent and twisted and the engine was half out of it.... a totaled mess. What a sad ending to a cool little car 😪.

[@rogerdodrill4733]

I traded my 68 gto conv. To a student in Boulder for his tiger. He needed larger car to haul his stuff back home out of state.should have kept both til now tiger didn't handle very well, was nose heavy, ford drive line was nice easy to maintain, repair. Had a rubber plug in firewall to access 1 sparkplug from under dash

[@432b86ed]

@@rogerdodrill4733 That hole in the firewall for the sparkplug serves as an indicator that the car did indeed, as tested, have a front/rear weight balance of 51/49.

[@lancerevell5979]

In the 1970s, I knew a guy who owned and drove a Sunbeam Tiger. It was a real monster! 😎👍

[@rarecars3336]

Does he still have it?!

[@kennethrine8171]

My neighbor had a Red Sunbeam Tiger it was Beautiful. He paid $950 for it in the late 70s

[@formspimp]

I bought a 1965 Tiger for $1900 while I was stationed at Hickam AFB in Honolulu. It was my daily driver for a year or so. Sold it for $800 to another GI. There is a short video on my channel of my tiger…..8 MM ! No sound

[@formspimp]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGmoaKV4od9lpbMsi=yL6YDAxvZtmVkIO7

[@davidwright873]

Me too. South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Outside Los Aguirres Rest. on Lake Tahoe Bvld. 1978. summer. Sunbeam Tiger with a fresh 289! Hard to forget that memory!! I was 13. I couldn't believe my eyes!! Way past cool. lol

[@chrismoody1342]

As a teen in the 60’s, one of my friends older brother had what I believe was Mk1. What I am sure of was he had the Ford engine blueprinted and all the rotating assemblies balanced and weighed. It was in British green and sweet as hell to look at and listen to. Definitely a cool little car.

[@bluesky-ud9wg]

The 289 with a different cam, headers, intake & carb and it is a beast

[@Johnnycdrums]

A kid down the street had a Tiger with a Cobra Kit. He eventuall sold it and bought a new Pantera, lucky him.

[@rarecars3336]

They made kits to convert them? I didn't know that!

[@badgumby9544]

My best friend had a Tiger. We lived in South Lake Tahoe then. About 1976. That thing was a blast to drive on the mountain roads.

[@rarecars3336]

Open air, mountain roads, sounds amazing!

[@user-bm3ve3pv2n]

More kudos to Jack Brabham, the ultimate driver/engineer. His unique accomplishments in Formula 1 will never be matched, and that's only a part of his incredible story.

[@blown572hemi]

My neighbor had one that he let rot out in his backyard. It was all stock and had the valve covers and air cleaner like in this upload. Another neighbor had a falcon sprint with the 260 also. He took very good care of that car.

[@andyfletcher3561]

We had a 64 Falcon Sprint convertible when I was a kid with a 289. It was my step brother's first, he painted it gm Nottingham Mist green with double gold flake and rebuilt the motor. He decided to quit college and tried to outrun the draft by moving to Oahu. Pops didn't care for that and gave the car to my older brother, who redid the convertible and interior. He joined the Navy and that pissed Pops off so he drove it for a couple of years. Somehow the rock shield never got put on the bell housing and the flywheel got bent so it became a bugger to start if it didn't line up right. So it came to me at 16. I borrowed a tranny jack to drop it(automatic) and change the flywheel, Pops insisted I couldn't undo the top bolts in car, even though I did it. Said the the motor and tranny had to come out. Borrowed a cherry picker and pulled the valve covers off. Said I couldn't do it that way, had to pull the heads. Since I had the heads off, they of course needed to be refreshed. Couldn't just re lap the valves, had to replace them and have the seats ground, replace the springs, keepers, rocker arms push rods. Well, that's when I could see were this was going. Step brother did all that work and spent that money. Never saw the pink slip. Brother did the same, never saw the pink slip. With my innate ability to piss him off by breathing, I KNEW I would never see the pink either. Put the heads in the trunk, and bought myself a 57 Fairlane 500 for $350 bucks and he told me if I didn't like how he ran his house to get the fuck out. So at 17 in the middle of my senior year I got the fuck out. And THAT pissed him off ROFL. He SAID he junked the Falcon but I'm sure he sold it.

[@boatman222345]

Both the Corvette and the Sunbeam Tiger had far more power than their suspension, steering, and braking systems could handle. You may be able to compare them to the Cobra when it comes to style or looks but performance wise the Cobra not only could but did outperform them by a substantial margin. The car you left out was the Griffith. I worked as a mechanic for a BMC/ Triumph /Austin Healey dealer who took on the Griffith line and it was quite a car! For $4,000 you got a car that could go 0 to 60 mph in 3.8"! Based upon a TVR chassis the Griffith was powered by the same 260 Ford as the Cobra but it weighed quite a bit less. Looks wise I'd say it compared well to the competition although I think the Cobra was better looking. Performance wise it was a rocket ship! I used to take one down where the kids raced around in their GTOs and I'd pull up beside one of them at 40 mph in top gear then without shifting down deck the throttle and just walk away from them. Alas the car's weak point was overheating. Because of the body configuration the radiator was much too small for a 260. They added 2 electric fans to try to keep temps under control but if you got stuck in slow traffic he car would eventually overheat. Still it was a fun car to drive and wayyyyyy outperformed the Sunbeam and the Cobra acceleration wise although the handling was squirrely and not on a par with the Cobra.

[@Imdeadlydan]

Always loved these little things, they got the proportions right, or about right enough, that my eye runs over them and every time i think ` damn that little thing is so super cool `

[@bsmith4u2]

Maxwell Smart drove a '65 Sunbeam Tiger in the first 2 seasons of the TV show Get Smart. In the opening credits he comes skidding up to a curb in it.

[@glynluff2595]

In the U.K. the Alpine was always known as a promenade sports car. It had wind up windows etc and was low on extreme handling. The problem with the Ford engine was items like the steering connection. As I remember it it had five u/j joints on the original. The ability of the AC Cobra was it had a substantial frame chassis which was relatively easy to modify. The Sunbeam was a monocoque construction so very difficult to modify. There were also limitations on the wheel size. It was a desirable road car that gave great fun but was always going to be limited for severe sporting prowess.

[@SimonWallwork]

I've had my Tiger since 1989. It's been greeeeeeat!

[@rarecars3336]

Wow that's awesome, exactly why I make these videos. To hear from people in the comments who actually own these cars after the fact!

[@realshady16]

What a great little car that's finally getting some respect.

[@rarecars3336]

Agreed, super underrated car!

[@Musclecar1972]

I always thought the front end resembled the 55-57 T-Bird, sharp little car, an acquaintance had one in 1969, not very impressive performance wise, but adequate, and clean looking. 👍

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah stock 260 ones weren’t the fastest, but a hopped up 289 one I’d have to assume was a blast!

[@Chris.Davies]

A good friend of mine has a pristine (new!) baby blue resto-mod Sunbeam Tiger, with a rebuilt engine. It's got electric windows, central locking, ABS, air suspension, Bluetooth, power steering, full leather interior... It is utterly superb. And it cost a small fortune. It is just one of his 70+ cars. But it is nowhere even remotely comparable to his Cobra - because he has one of those too. That's like comparing a pair of silk-lined slippers to a pair of steel-capped boots.

[@ianbrown9082]

Always loved the looks....like a miniature 1955 Ford Thunderbird

[@rarecars3336]

Now that you mention it I can see it!

[@allenminer6244]

Very cool video. I learned a lot. Thank you!

[@mgguygardening]

Another great video! As a British car guy living in Canada (I have a 1974.5 MGB roadster) this was great!

[@glenwoodriverresidentsgrou136]

Had one in the eighties. Loved getting 4th gear scratch at 100 mph.

[@k00lkidz4]

Love the new editing. I'm glad to see this channel grow.

[@user-ls5jr6bs3k]

Yet another fantastic video, many thanks!!!

[@RP-ks6ly]

I've always been fond of the sunbeam tiger with the vaunted 289 ci engine.....nice

[@flynnstone3580]

Nice car, very good review. I had a 63 powder blue Sunbeam Alpine, I was always having Japanese people yelling at me Tiger! Tiger!. Then after about 10 times I stopped and asked one, why you say Tiger? He says because they race them in Japan.

[@rarecars3336]

That is cool I didn't know that! I first heard of the alpine/tiger when Connery drove one in Dr No!

[@toucan221]

Well Done, very very nice. you made very good use of others people film of the this particular car, and put it together beautifully. a good look at its history, this little film is much appreciated. 😍😍

[@josephpacchetti5997]

Interesting Video, Thanks. subbed. 👊😎

[@campbellpaul]

GREAT VID

[@adrianmonk4440]

GET SMART !! That is Maxwell Smart, Agent 86. He drove a Sunbeam Tiger.

[@Gamefreak8112]

Also red

[@markhill9275]

Chief, Max!

[@Gamefreak8112]

WHAT!? Larabee answers from outside the cone @@markhill9275

[@Jeffery-pu3kr]

🐕💚🍕 missed it by that much 😕

[@dadmezz4024]

Did not have a tiger but had my 1965 Alpine in 1970-71.. Fun first car.

[@althunder4269]

Maxwell Smart agent 86 drove one of these.

[@movievaudeville]

Friend of mine had one he'd got when he came home from 'Nam. It sold it recently. I didn't know it was up for sale until after. Rats.

[@rarecars3336]

Darn :/ Did you ever get a ride in it?

[@garypatrick7817]

Beautiful presentation…!

[@rarecars3336]

Thank you!

[@joe125ful]

Looks very smooth!! I want one.

[@27klspeed]

My dad had '65 Tiger growing up. He used to scare the hell out me when I road with him in it! Somone would always try drag race him - He usually won!

[@rarecars3336]

Wow that must have been an awesome ride, definitely weren't too many of those around

[@martincox4520]

Sunbeam but the V8 in a saloon car and completed the look with go faster stripes and fuzzy dice! This would drive around the lanes of Warwickshire sports car baiting. Waiting for a straight road and as the sports car got alongside the driver floored the throttle and left them in the dust!!

[@BlairAir]

Friend of mine had one in the 70's. Absolute killer machine.

[@ciaranburke3243]

Sweet little car love them since I was a kid 👍

[@AB-C1]

Great video. I love the Sunbeam Tiger similar to the MG Midget and the Triumph TR6 in styling 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@moodiblues2]

My first car was a Tigers, baby brother, the Sunbeam Alpine. Unless you were Sunbeam Aficionados or were close enough to read the badge, you could not tell them apart. Same body, almost the same interior (the Tiger had a wooden dashboard). The Alpine used to be advertise as the 100 mph car. You could get to a hundred (ask me why I know) but only once and then you’d mess up its four banger motor. I’d love to have had the Tiger.

[@johnmarsh2078]

You'd get to 100 mph in an Alpine without over-revving if it had overdrive which gave about 19 mph per 1000rpm. You would need to be going downhill or have a tailwind as the power even of the 1725 was only enough to get you to 95 on the level. The Tiger was really thrown together with the transmission hump torched out along with the battery box and holes in the X-frame by Jensen who modified the Alpine shell. Clearance for the dynamo was achieved by using a hammer on the inner wing. Still wish I had mine ...... broke 6 Alpines to get mostly rustfree wings and doors. I cried as the new owner drove it away but I needed the money to become a lawyer.

[@moodiblues2]

@@johnmarsh2078 My Alpine was definitely peppy enough to get to 100 but I had to sell it because the engine needed rebuilding (not necessarily because I took it to 100, but that couldn’t have helped) and I had very little money in college. BTW I’m a retired Prosecutor and Judge. I mention it as you also must have had a legal profession.

[@johnmarsh2078]

I went to the Bar of England and Wales and retired from practice after 40 years about 18 months ago.

[@mikiejr111]

Man,if i could get one of those,have always loved them,,,,,just seen the shell of a sunbeam tiger sitting on top of a storage container not long ago

[@peterresetz1960]

The subdivision I grew up in, the neighbor across the street, Mr. Willet, collected British sports cars. At one time he had a Sunbeam Tiger. My stepmom was thinking of selling her Buick GS 400 and purchase from the neighbor across the street the Sunbeam Tiger. First time she test drove it, in first gear she kept breaking rear tire traction. So because my stepmom wasn't interested in doing burnouts, she decided not to buy the Sunbeam Tiger from the neighbor. Say the least, I was bummed. Mr. Willet also had some other sports cars. He purchased from a Ford dealership used car lot an on consignment sale from Ford Motor Company (FOMOCO) the very first Mustang modified by Carroll Shelby. The car was pretty much stock other than the replacement the rubber control arm bushings with solid bearing bushings, a roll bar hoop, factory bucket seats but with a five point racing harness, tuned exhaust on the 289 c.i. small block V8, and a fire extinguisher mounted on the driveshaft tunnel hump. Mr. Willet spent about six months cleaning up the car, attending two small little rust spots and dents, and then sold it for a pretty good profit if I remember correctly. I was bummed to see that car leave the neighborhood. While on the subject of a 289 c.I. Ford engine, the Sunbeam Tiger had the same engine, that look like they literally shoehorned the small block V8 into the engine bay. I believe at the Sunbeam factory when they first tried to install that engine into that small engine bay of that car, some large hammers were used to coax some of the engine bay sheet-metal to allow for that engine to fit.

[@jimburg621]

Local guy has one of these, town just had a Mustang show, kind of rainy weather, he gave in and drove it to town, and the crowds of men formed around it. Really nice ride.

[@phillipzx3754]

There's a fellow in Portland, Oregon who has restored a few Tigers. Every so often we'll see him driving one around.

[@lamarredwards6716]

In 1985 I was cruising and enjoying a curvy road one Sunday morning in my new Mustang SVO. I saw a sports car in front of me, and decided I would run up on him, and pass him when possible. I hit the throttle, and as I got closer, I saw it was a Sunbeam alpine (I thought). As I got close, it took off, and I couldn't catch it, what the hell, even in the straights, it kept pulling away ! Then I burst out laughing and backed of the gas, I would never catch him, it was a Sunbeam Tiger!

[@fluffychicken383]

Do the MG MGB GT V8 next! I always felt they were so over looked. Rover/buick aluminum V8 in a classic British coupe.

[@rarecars3336]

I will do a video on this car as well!

[@victortaylor7951]

My Mother had one. I remember it was younger than I am now. She used to Race it all the time. And when ran out of gas it sounded like a Tiger huggee.

[@stewartw.9151]

I built a Cobra replica with a 302 motor and a 1967 Tiger with the 260. Drove the Tiger for 3 years, the Cobra for 10. Loved both, but they are very dofferent animals, with the Tiger being more a gentleman's sports carriage, and the Cobra being the wild and woolly car of it's reputation! For a long road trip I would prefer the more comfortable Tiger, out for a blast on a sunny day, nothing beats the Cobra!

[@mry82]

Very cool!

[@theronwolf3296]

Memories. ------Back in the late 60s I had a Sunbeam Alpine (Tiger would have been nice). Coincidentally I also had a Plymouth Barracuda with Mopar 273 performance pack. Would have been nice to combine them, but the 273, which was a scaled down 318 was physically bigger

[@andyfletcher3561]

I had a 72 Barracuda with the 318 and a two barrel. Believe it or not, I could take the old man's 78 Trans Am up to about 90 mph when it would finally walk away from me. Until this cat rear ended me doing about 40 mph it was one of the best cars I've owned.

[@ajwilson605]

Ford 260 was a 60 degree V-8, the 273 Chrysler was a 90 degree V-8. The width across the exhaust ports made the 273 too wide for a lot of swaps....Dammit!

[@theronwolf3296]

@@ajwilson605 Now it all makes sense.

[@bernardausterberry9795]

As a youngster I really wanted a Tiger but had to settle for my 66 289 Mustang.

[@richsackett3423]

There was a white one of these always parked in front of a frat house at USU in 1983. I wanted that car more than any girl on campus. Sometimes I'd sneak a feel of one of the tail fins.

[@barryrussell4106]

I love this channel

[@mikeh.753]

My uncle had a Sunbeam Alpine in the early 70's and it was like a street legal go cart. I can only imagine what it would have been like with a Ford small block.

[@georgegundersen562]

I like them both cause first of all being a ford guy they both have ford V8 so cobra and tiger perfectly built with Shelby’s help 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@caryskaar4444]

When I got off active duty with the Navy in December of 68, I bought a 66 Tiger for a thousand dollars..fun car..

[@frankemcgillivray6695]

Got to drive a Tiger in Montreal the summer of '68. good times.

[@fastnbulbouss]

Was that in NDG ? Knew some guys that had a few of them in the sixties.

[@frankemcgillivray6695]

No, in Montreal; my father-in-law had one for a couple of years that I had access to.@@fastnbulbouss

[@edwardpoe7323]

I got to drive one of these when I was 19 what a kick in the butt

[@Nedski42YT]

My father bought himself a red Sunbeam Alpine (probably) Series IV back in the 1960's. This was in the USA. It was mated with a two speed Chevrolet Powerglide automatic transmission. One time my brother and I along with my dad driving were going up a fairly steep local street. It slowed down so much that it was barely was faster than an elderly woman walking on the sidewalk. Yes, it was SLOW!

[@Andrew_travels_New_Zealand]

My Dad had a Sunbeam Tiger 289. He raced it at Hampton Downs in New Zealand.

[@dirkbonesteel]

We had Sunbeam Alpines, they are significantly heavier built than a MG or Triumph, both companies I love. The Sunbeam also has all welded body, no bolts on any fender, it's solid as a rock and perfect for the V8 except for the super short wheelbase

[@TheRealDrJoey]

I was just getting my license when the Tiger hit the market. Man, I wanted one SO bad, it's not even funny. I think the picture @ 3:08 is not Norman Garrad, but Henry Ford II, AKA, Hank the Deuce.

[@dinguskhan733]

i realize the car in get smart was a rebadged alpine, but it was a show car on tv for years as a tiger, and it had machine guns

[@roygardiner2229]

Thanks, that was really interesting. I am English and my best mate (Buddy in American) had a white Sunbeam Alpine in 1969. I always thought it was a fine looking car, almost one might say "pretty".

[@neilreynolds3858]

My brother had a Tiger with most of the available engine options. I'd say it must have had about 300 hp. I think it went from 0 to 60 in about zero seconds but you got wheel hop. It handled really well too but there was a modification to the frame that Sunbeam did to keep the frame from flexing. They must have fixed the cooling problem since he would drive through the desert at 130 mph. It would still accelerate at 130 but it was redlined. He didn't get the high rpm cam kit. Into each life some rain must fall.

[@tekis0]

Damn, I can't believe that Tiger's have appreciated that much! I DO LOVE Panasport wheels; they look like the official aftermarket wheel.

[@armadilllo]

I have a friend with two of these, he took them apart about 25 years ago and hasn't finished them yet! Fortunately he stores them indoors.

[@rkirschner7175]

Friend has been restoring an Alpine last 2 years. New head,better exhaust webber carb,electric fuel pump. Wanted keep mostly original but drive it. Minus his time it's appraisal is more than twice what he has in it.

[@Nick-yq3wt]

I use to own number 191. The first 200 had the vinyl dash which was carried over from the Alpine.

[@djabbt4171]

My Brother in Law had one, his was uprated to a 4.7 V8, with a Holly 4 barrel carb. In today's performance figures it wasn't that quick, but in 1970 it was way, way quicker than just about anything

[@louf7178]

As a kid, I remember seeing two of these in the garage of a house at my bus stop. They looked like project cars and appeared to never be bothered with. As far as I know the people are still there, and I have never seen the garage opened since. They were dark green.

[@432b86ed]

Man, jump on it!

[@davidhakes3884]

Have a friend in southern Oregon who has a batch of alpines and 2 tigers , fun cars.

[@LegionOfWeirdos]

Maybe $190K for a concours restoration car, but you can get a nice driver for about $50K so it's still the poor man's Cobra.

[@MrGamman3yt]

I've had Alpines, and 2 monsters. Buy a miata monster if your going to drive anywhere..

[@bruceschweizer3954]

There was this guy named Ken Miles. In the spring of 1963, two Englishmen met in a small back room at Shelby American. One was Ian Garrad, a rising star in the Rootes Group organization, recently appointed the manager of West Coast sales. The other was Ken Miles, one of the best-known racing drivers in southern California (played by Christian Bale in Ford v Ferrari). Both looked over the little British sports car sitting before them, a white Sunbeam Alpine like the one Miles had just campaigned in the previous SCCA season. When they exited the room, it was with a plan to unleash an animal. Days later, the two hurtled down a rainy Los Angeles highway in a Frankenstein’s monster of a machine. Their creation was something of a deathtrap-a 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8 barely crammed into a roadster that was only ever supposed to come with half that cylinder count. The V-8 mated to a two-speed automatic transmission, and, according to Garrad, Miles had only managed to stuff in the Ford V-8 using a modified crossmember and flat distributor from a marine application..........

[@MM-rr1kp]

beautiful car

[@tvrduude]

Always loved the Tigers. It looks like a Boss 302 in your engine pic from Ford which would never fit... :D But I've had a TVR Griffith 200 and currently a 1968 TVR Tuscan V8, kudos to you noting the small similarities to a Cobra. I would often have some say "Oh, your TVR/Griff/Tuscan is just like a Tiger then".. The V8 TVRs had far more in common with a Cobra than a Tiger! Keep up the good work!

[@gordonstroup882]

Cool😎👍video! How about you doing a show about the Ford powered Pantera? 😮Yes! Now that's a SAA-WEEEET car! A old cruizin' dude I knew back in 78 had a white one that he built a bad assed engine for his that was running a dual 4 barrel intake on it and it was one Bad radical car. Fast too.

[@joesutherland225]

My all time favorite! I also like tr8

[@jaydee5156]

My dad had a friend with an MGB. The car was in great shape, but the engine had been torn down and was scattered around in various cardboard boxes. I tried to buy it several times as a project car with a 302. I moved out of state, the friend died and the car disappeared.

[@himthatis6698]

Good job you moved out of state, best to keep looking over your shoulder you never know when the killer car will reappear, it already took care of the friend. Let's hope it stays disappeared.😈

[@jaydee5156]

@@himthatis6698 No, those days are long gone and the interest along with it. The friend died of natural causes and as far as I know, he never touched the car. Hopefully, it went to a good home.

[@danharold3087]

My cousin's late husband flipped sports cars. He had a tiger for a while. His opinion was that the car had too much power for the car. But it was an old car and maybe they were better with a fresh suspension.

[@caryowen3189]

Test drove a Tiger in St. Louis traffic circa 1964 -- scary. Also the back two cylinders of the V-8 were only accessable from ports in the cockpit. Bought a TR-4 instead.😳

[@rarecars3336]

Did not know about the difficulty of servicing those back two cylinders, that would have to be SUCH a pain lol

[@ericcorse]

Those were actually the easiest plugs to change.

[@stevenherbert4779]

"71 in Detroit near the Ambassador Bridge into Canada- 17 and my girlfriends Landlord lives downstairs with wife, kids and a '66 Sunbeam 289 "Lightweight" ( 2000lbs.) in the Garage. Claimed 135 in 2nd Gear when I asked how fast it was! Made the mistake of offering to help put a set of Holman Moody Heads on it!

[@Hitman-ds1ei]

Cant believe i passed up buying one about 18 years ago 😢

[@rarecars3336]

:(

[@gulfstream7235]

You should do a video on the AC 3000ME, a rare car I wouldn't mind owning...

[@scottparis6355]

The Tiger's tailfins were kind of a deal-killer for me.

[@scottparis6355]

$3842.00 was a ton of money in 1967. A Pontiac Catalina was $1800 - $2000.

[@saintnificent5532]

Maxwell Smart!

[@John-gq7vt]

A bit of a poor mans' Cobra. In my opinion nearly all British roadsters of that era were underpowered. To prove that to myself I owned a 70's MGB. Eventually I replaced it with an MGB roadster already converted to a 215 cubic inch aluminum V-8 originally in '62 Olds and Buick compacts, then sold to Rover. A British roadster with a small V-8 is SO much more fun than the originals!

[@billlaflaur1120]

I had a beautiful mk1 ,black w red interior, funnnnn

[@davidwright873]

2:44 Absolutely gorgeous!!

[@greggcollins4215]

Been wanting an Alpine a long time. Read a magazine article about these that said the Tiger had a GM air cleaner. Nothing Ford had would fix under the hood.

[@Dave-in-France]

There's another British V8 engined two door 2 seat sports car - the Daimler Dart.

[@mrzorg]

Would love to have one. Imagine it with the 302 in it. 🙂

[@GaryT1952]

I'll give you another 60's Brit V-8 sports car...Daimler SP 250 in the states, Daimler Dart in the UK

[@rarecars3336]

The Diamler 250 is on my list to do!

[@dcanmore]

also the Morgan Plus 8@@rarecars3336

[@ramblerdave1339]

I'd like to have that 2.5 L hemi, in my '63 Rambler American wagon, one great sounding V8!