Carroll
Shelby became a household name when he had the idea of dropping a
289-cubic-inch Ford V-8 into a small British roadster, the AC Ace, and
giving it a more ominous, reptilian name. More venom later in its life,
in the form of a 427 V-8, only cemented the Cobra--and Shelby
himself--as a legend.
However, while the Cobra was the
most famous example of a big American V-8 dropped into a small,
lightweight roadster during that time period, it wasn't the only
example. A far less famous example was the Sunbeam Tiger--a Sunbeam
Alpine roadster with a 260 Ford V-8 wedged into its diminutive engine
bay. Despite Chrysler's subsequent purchase of the Rootes Group (which
included Sunbeam), later models featured the Ford 289.
Not
as suggestive or as powerful as a Cobra, the Tiger was nonetheless a
slightly more subdued legend in its time--a rapid perfor
mer and a more dignified car, without the excesses that later came to be associated with the Cobra name.
TigersUnited
is an excellent resource for those who own, or aspire to own, a
Tiger--these photos are of a Tiger owned by a TigersUnited member.
--Chris H.
Alex López on October 05, 2008 at 06:03 PM
Wait! Wasn't this the car that appeared in the 'Get Smart' TV series as the ride of Maxwell Smart?
Alex López on October 05, 2008 at 06:03 PM
Wait! Wasn't this the car that appeared in the 'Get Smart' TV series as the ride of Maxwell Smart?
Joseph BonDurant on October 31, 2008 at 05:38 PM
Alex,
That car used in Get Smart TV series I believe was a Sunbeam Alpine..very much like the Tiger with the exception the small 4 cyl engine...and the tail lights were on a slant compared to the Tiger which are straight up and down.