Back in the 1960s, Carroll Shelby was the go-to man for companies in need of high-performance cars in the U.S. Even giant Ford was forced to turn to the man to handle the company’s motorsport ambitions, so there’s no doubt Shelby was one of the greatest engineering minds of his time.
Historically, Shelby’s career is tied in some degree or another to Ford. His most famous creations, the Cobra and the Shelby Mustang, had Ford written in more or less bold letters all over them (figuratively), but at the same time can be perceived as original cars to some extent.
Having ended his racing career in 1959, Shelby set up shop and created Shelby-American, a performance equipment and customization company that would soon become a major player in this industry. And it all started with the changes the man made to a British car that went by the name of AC Ace.
The Ace morphed into the Cobra, and Shelby’s name was propelled to the top of the list of car builders and engineering magicians, and inside the office of Henry Ford II.
Having seen the success Shelby was having with the Cobra, another British company, Rootes Group, tapped the American to work his magic on their Sunbeam Alpine roadster. Shelby was quick to jump onboard, and the Sunbeam Tiger was born.
The main change Shelby made to this car was replacing the original engine of the Alpine with a much more potent Ford V8, the same move he’d previously done on the Cobra.
The result was of course astonishing, and the Tiger went into production in 1964. It kept rolling off assembly lines until 1967, but was discontinued soon after Chrysler bought into the British company. During the three production years, a little over 7,000 Tigers were made, and that makes them difficult to find today, especially in good condition.
From time to time such cars do surface, though, as is the case with the 1965 model year we have in the gallery above. Specced in the original condition, the car has been in the possession of a single owner for a quarter of a century, and underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2013.
The Sunbeam Tiger is on the lot of cars that will go under the hammer later in May, during an online Barrett-Jackson auction.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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