1966 Sunbeam Tiger
Remarkably original, with just 10,000 miles from new!

Registration No: KLK 563D
Chassis No: 947366HR0FE
MOT: Exempt

• Owned by the vendor since 1979, who was a Rootes franchisee and then Rootes main agent in period
• Remarkable 10,200 miles from new and just three owners!
• Exceptionally original including the interior and vast majority of its factory paintwork
• Matching chassis, engine, and gearbox numbers
• Offered with a history file including the original service book and owner’s handbook
• Surely one of, if not the most, original Tigers extant!

The Sunbeam Tiger was conceived on the West Coast of the USA and inspired by the success of the AC Cobra – the result of mating an American small block V8 engine with the British AC Ace. Rootes American Motors Inc. saw the potential for inserting the same powerplant – Ford's 4.2-litre (260 cu. in.) Windsor unit – into the nose of the stylish but rather pedestrian Sunbeam Alpine. Carroll Shelby was duly commissioned to build the prototype and the rest is history. The basic layout of the Alpine was retained and the car featured independent suspension at the front using coil springs, and a 'live' axle at the rear supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs. The 164bhp engine endowed the newcomer with a top speed of around 120mph and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of under eight seconds. A total of some 7,085 Tigers was eventually produced.

Every now and again, we encounter a car which seems almost – almost – too good to be true, and this exceptional Sunbeam Tiger is just such a car. With just three owners and a confirmed 10,200 miles from new, however, it really is every bit as good as it first appears. One of only 800 or so Tigers produced for the home market, ‘KLK 563D’ was sold through Godfrey Davis Ltd. of West Kensington on 13th June, 1966, and was originally owned by Mr. H. Jackman of Northwood, Middlesex. It then enjoyed some time in the ownership of Mr. Clive Williams, a medical consultant from Leamington Spa, before it was acquired by the vendor in 1979, when it had covered only around 7,650 miles. The vendor was, even then, a confirmed enthusiast, having at first gone to view and perhaps purchase an old Brooklands racing car. The Tiger was parked next to it, however, and his wife expressed how much she liked the V8 Sunbeam, leading to the purchase deal being done. The vendor, we might add, had been a Rootes franchisee in 1963, later becoming a main dealer, so he well understood what a desirable car he was buying, and he has built up over the years a very impressive and sensitively-curated collection of Rootes products.

The vendor remained at the helm of his dealership until 1989, long after the Rootes Group had been incorporated into Chrysler Europe and that, in turn, had been swallowed up by Peugeot. It was, in fact, the vendor’s wife who was to be the Sunbeam’s chief driver, and she took it out on a number of classic car runs over a period of around 25 years, its last event being the 2003 Mencap Classic Transport Run. From 2006, it was placed into dry storage and has only just emerged from a period of recommissioning.

After 40 years of light use and 19 years of storage in a well-ventilated environment, we are confronted with what may very well be the most original and best-preserved Sunbeam Tiger in existence. The chassis, engine and gearbox are all matching numbers, the interior is exceptionally original and the vast majority of the paint is the factory finish. It is all still in wonderful order and complete with its factory hardtop. The interior especially is extraordinary – the seats and the wood-rimmed steering wheel seem barely to have aged since they left the factory.

The car came out of hibernation in the spring of this year to commence recommissioning, which involved the fitment of several new parts including a stainless-steel exhaust system, a radiator, and brake callipers, hoses and wheel cylinders. The fuel pump was overhauled and the rest of the car benefitted from very thorough checks. We believe the car is now ready to enjoy although, after such a long time off the road, we encourage bidders to satisfy themselves as to its condition before use.

As it presently appears, ‘KLK 563D’ is very much a car for the connoisseur. In its time-warp condition, it has the potential to be the jewel in the crown of any collection of British sports cars and, if taken to rallies and concours, would stand a very strong chance of going home with a preservation award. It is offered for sale with the current V5C, an original owner’s manual, the original service book (showing entries at 516 miles in 1966 and 2,650 miles in 1967), almost every MOT certificate from 1975 to 2006, and a vast collection of invoices, including those pertaining to the recent recommissioning.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452