Sunbeam’s Snakebit Tiger

I asked a group of gearheads why Tigers can be bought so cheaply, and almost in unison they said: “Because of the styling”

by Gary Anderson

The story of the Sunbeam Tiger remains a frustrating one to aficionados, who struggle with a version of the Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome. If the car can win respect for its performance, why doesn’t it bring more money?

Heavily influenced by the immensely successful AC Cobra, the Tiger was an effort to make an English sports car aimed at American muscle car buyers. Its parent company, the Rootes Group, was best known for stodgy family sedans, but cranked out the Tiger project in 14 months instead of its usual four or five years.

However, in spite of its successful reception, the Sunbeam Tiger was withdrawn from production after only 36 months, with just over 7,000 units built.

Low production, Carroll Shelby design, and Ford V8 power have failed to energize the Tiger market. A genuine Tiger in very nice condition can be purchased today for one-tenth the price of a genuine Shelby AC Cobra, which after all is just another English sports car with...