Enthused by the performance success of such cars as the Shelby Cobra, the Tiger continued the established convention of taking an American V-8 and putting it into an English sports car chassis. The Sunbeam Tiger, made by the Rootes Group, England, was the brainchild of their U.S. West Coast Sales Manager, Ian Garrad. Ian convinced Rootes to hire Carroll Shelby, the originator of the Shelby Cobra, to create a new model based on their Sunbeam Alpine roadster; a fire-breathing performance machine. Using an enhanced small-block V-8, Shelby presented what was essentially a “mini-Cobra.” Weighing only 2,650 pounds, it provided an effective performance result of 0– to 60-mph in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124-mph.

Although it may not be as widely known as the Shelby, the Sunbeam Tiger was broadcast into millions of American homes each week as it was the car Maxwell Smart drove to Control headquarters at the beginning of every episode of Get Smart in his never-ending battle against Kaos.

This exhilarating roadster is driven by a 289-cid V-8 engine and mated a floor-shift manual four-speed transmission. This stunning Tiger also has full Jaeger instrumentation, wood dashboard faceplate, wood-rimmed steering wheel, dual exhaust, Panasport wheels and BFGoodrich Advantage T/A blackwall tires. It is beautifully presented in red with black interior, and it also displays a nicely detailed engine bay and trunk. The Tiger appears to be fresh in all manners and also features dual rear view mirrors and driving lights.

Tiger production ceased in 1967, with approximately 7,100 in-total produced during its 1965 to 1967 run. Today they have become highly sought after for its remarkable performance and the obvious connection to Carroll Shelby. This would be a wonderful automobile to drive and enjoy, or to display in local shows with equal pride. It would also make a wonderful counterpoint to a Cobra, as an oft-forgotten part of the Shelby story.