1965 Sunbeam Tiger

Highlights

• Notable ownership history, including Alastair Naylor of Naylor TF1700 fame
• 289 cubic-inch V8 engine rebuilt and rolling road tuned to 250bhp
• Approximately £20,000 spent on extensive improvements since 2023
• Rosemary Smith - Works Tiger driver in the 1966 Monte Carlo Rallye - completed demonstration runs in the car at the 2013 Cultra Hill Climb
• Supplied with matching restored hardtop, full roll cage, tonneau cover, and period TIM stopwatches

The Appeal

At a time when most British sports cars were still carrying raspy little four-pots, the Tiger was a characterful tonic indeed. Based upon the Rootes Group's Alpine, the car was packed under its bonnet with a whopping great Ford V8 with developmental input from the legendary Carroll Shelby. Less than 7,100 were ever assembled, and thanks to the contrasts between svelte Anglocentric bodywork and the sheer American muscle with, they've become quite the hot bit of property.

This 1965 example, DDG997C, carries a particularly rich history. Owned in the 1970s by Alastair Naylor - one half of the brother duo who developed and built the 100 Naylor TF1700s with Austin Rover's approval - the car is believed to have received its uprated 289 cubic-inch V8 at their hands. It subsequently passed to an owner in Northern Ireland who campaigned it in regulation rallies and hill climbs, and in 2013 the celebrated Irish rally driver Rosemary Smith completed demonstration runs in the car at the Cultra Hill Climb.

Since acquiring the car in May 2023, the current owner has commissioned a comprehensive programme of improvements carried out by a specialist. The engine has been rebuilt with Edelbrock aluminium heads and tuned on a rolling road to 250bhp, while the braking system now features Brembo four-pot callipers and air-cooled discs. The front suspension has been entirely rebuilt, Spax adjustable dampers are fitted all round, and a new hand-built stainless steel exhaust system completes the mechanical transformation. The car has also been restored and resprayed, with both bumpers professionally re-chromed.
Whether it's destined for a comfortable life of car shows, or a return to tracks and trials, we've little doubt this impressive Tiger is bound to prove a prized classic.

History and Paperwork

• First registered 5th April 1965 in the United Kingdom
• Two known previous registered keepers prior to the current ownership
• Owned by Alastair Naylor in the 1970s; the Naylor brothers were noted racing enthusiasts who developed and built 100 TF1700s with approval from Austin Rover
• Sold to a new owner in 2005 who completed regulation rallies and hill climbs in Northern Ireland
• In 2013, Rosemary Smith completed demonstration runs in the car at the Cultra Hill Climb
• Purchased by the current owner in May 2023 and returned to the mainland
• Approximately £20,000 spent on improvements since acquisition
• 6,800 miles showing on the five-figure odometer
• No current MOT

The Condition

• The car has been restored and resprayed
• 15-inch replica Minilite wheels shod with Proxes intermediate track/road tyres
• Both bumpers professionally re-chromed
• All bulbs converted to LED
• Heater matrix replaced
• Jaeger water temperature gauge fitted
• Supplied with a matching restored hardtop, full roll cage, tonneau cover, and period TIM stopwatches
• The vendor describes the condition as very good, mostly rebuilt by a renowned Tiger specialist

The Mechanics

• 289cu in (4.7-litre) V8 engine
• Four-speed manual transmission
• Rebuilt with new Edelbrock e-street aluminium heads, rockers, and all associated components
• Full Luminition electric ignition and a Holley 600 CFM carburettor; rolling road tuned to 250 BHP
• New hand-built stainless steel exhaust system fitted
• New flywheel, sports clutch, and pressure plate fitted
• New Brembo four-pot callipers and air-cooled discs fitted
• New alternator, battery, brake servo, master cylinder, and brake pipes fitted
• Front suspension entirely rebuilt and restored with polyurethane bushes
• Spax adjustable dampers fitted all round
• Sports seats, oil pump, water pump, and sump replaced
• New remote oil filter system fitted
• MSD competition HT leads fitted
• High performance starter motor fitted
• Radtec aluminium radiator and electric cooling fans fitted

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