In 2020 the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will mark its 25th year. As it turns out, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Oates and his wife, Aimee, are also celebrating their silver anniversary. In honor of the concours’ 25 years of charitable giving and the Oateses’ 25 years together, John and Aimee have generously donated their 1984 Tiga SC84, with all proceeds benefitting the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation.

“As Aimee and I approach our 25th anniversary, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to have found each other. The holiday giving season provides a chance to take stock of all that we have and give back to the ones that we care about. Our hope is that the money raised from the sale of our race car provides comfort and resources for the individuals and families supported by the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation’s charitable giving.”

In 1974 Formula 1 drivers Tim Schenken and Howden Ganley founded the race-car manufacturer Tiga, named after the first two letters of their first and last names, respectively. Over the years Tiga found its greatest success in the Sports 2000 series, creating open-cockpit prototypes.

Developed by John Webb as an affordable form of sports-car racing, in many ways the S2000 class is a sports-car version of Formula Ford 2000. The key attributes of the class were a body design reminiscent of two-liter Group 6 sports racing cars powered by an inexpensive yet reliable drivetrain—namely, a two-liter “Pinto” overhead-camshaft engine mated to a VW-based Hewland Mk 9 transaxle.

Tiga’s SC84 Sports 2000 won four British, three European, and one American championship. The Tiga also scored a win at Le Mans and the Group C2 Teams award in the World Endurance Championship in 1985 and would go on to win at Daytona in 1987 and ’88 as well as the IMSA Camel Lights Championship in 1988.

This 1984 Tiga SC84 raced extensively in the SCCA from 1984 through 1989, finishing well and going to the SCCA Runoffs. From the fall of 2017 into the spring of 2018, the car was restored, including an engine rebuild, by Apex Vintage Sports and Racing Cars of New Hill, North Carolina. John Oates subsequently acquired the SC84 and sent it to Gunnar Racing in West Palm Beach, Florida, to be fully race prepared for vintage racing. At Gunnar Racing a new gearbox, clutch, and bearings were installed, and the brakes were gone through. Additionally, the body was removed, repaired back to new, and received a custom livery by Kevin Jeannette. The Tiga was tested at Palm Beach International Raceway in December 2019. After spending a day at the track with John Oates behind the wheel, the SC84 is said to drive better than when delivered new in 1984. John drove the car 15–20 laps at speed on the track that day.

John and Aimee would like to thank Kevin Jeannette and Gunnar Racing for donating the body and paintwork as a gift to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation.