In the wake of Carroll Shelby’s transformative success in marrying American V-8 power with a lithe British sports car, manufacturers across the Commonwealth sought to emulate his formula. Among them was the Rootes Group, which long believed its Sunbeam Alpine convertible possessed untapped potential—if only it could be endowed with meaningful performance.

After an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Ferrari to develop a more powerful version of the Alpine's four-cylinder engine, Formula 1 World Champion Jack Brabham suggested that Rootes approach Shelby himself. Using little more than a few basic measurements taken with a wooden yardstick, Shelby determined that Ford's compact V-8 would fit within the Alpine's engine bay. He agreed to build a prototype, giving birth to one of the most charismatic Anglo-American sports cars of the era: the Sunbeam Tiger.

Listed in the Sunbeam Tiger registry, The Book of Norman, this example was completed on 27 October 1964 and is said to be one of 3,763 first-generation “Mk I” Tigers produced. Between 2008 and 2010 the vehicle became the subject of a complete rotisserie restoration by Automotive Unlimited in Leesburg, Indiana. Soon after the project concluded, the AACA nominated the Sunbeam on 4 December 2010 as an outstanding vehicle during the 75th anniversary show year. An well-deserved distinction, the quality of the work stood the test of time, and the Sunbeam achieved the same recognition from the the AACA again in 2019.

Still presenting in solid condition today, the exterior is finished in a factory-correct color, Forest Green, and is complemented by a black leather interior and requisite LAT-70 polished alloy wheels. This V-8 powered roadster will be accompanied by invoices, restoration photos, a VBD certificate, AACA nomination copies, and purchase documents.

The Sunbeam Tiger is often regarded as the common man’s Shelby Cobra. This well-documented, thoughtfully restored, and well-presented 1965 Mk I offers a compelling blend of British sports car agility and American V-8 performance, making for one of the most charismatic and rewarding driver's cars of the 1960s.