26 replies to this topic

[66TigerMk1A]

rocky, on 27 April 2012 - 04:33 PM, said:

I dont know why you are trying so hard to make your tiger a shelby

I am not, I am just presenting the debate here with all that I have learned over the years.  I could go either way with it, it all depends on the beholder of the car.  My car has won in a Shelby class in the past and won a lot in special interest ford class too.  I have a sign that gives a short explanation of Shelby's involvement in the Tiger I put up at shows and I love the expressions people get when reading it.

[Helix]

That sounds like the best way to approach it; do not go without mentioning the history.

[nnadelizi]

A lot of good info on the Tiger. I was the proud owner of #191 260 with black vinal dash. A lot of good memories and a lot of good stories and fun! I belonged to CAT in the LA area and was ready to vintage race it before I had to sell it. To me theTiger was not called a Shelby but part of the Shelby history and DNA. Hey, Shelby was so impressed with the car he picked up his wife,then girlfriend, for a date in the first Tiger!
Nick

[cobrakidz]

I am on my 5th Tiger in the last 30 years and I have never considered it a Shelby.   I sold one to Carroll Shelby, but that's a diffferent story.

[fordmanpa]

Shelby American was the innovator in the development of the Sunbeam Tiger.  Dave Friedman devotes a chapter in his book "Shelby American Racing History" to the concept development of the Sunbeam Tiger street car and race car.  According to Friedman, Doane Spencer suggested to Ian Garrard (Rootes Motors) that Rootes use a ford 260 ci Ford engine in the proposed Sunbeam Tiger sports car as Carroll Shelby had in the AC Cobra.  Spencer was hoping to land the job of building the first sunbeam tiger but that deal went to Shelby American.  Ken Miles (a Shelby employee) was given the task  to build the street version of the vehicle in his small workshop (as Shelby American was undergoing growing pains and lacked space for all the projects underway), while Shelby American built the race version.  There are some interesting pictures of cars under development and on the race tracks in Friedman's book.

Shelby American built the prototype Sunbeam Tigers.

So are they strictly a British (Rootes Group) automobile in classification?  The simple answer is YES.  Although the Shelby name was never attached to the cars, they are uniquely associated with Shelby American in ways that no other non- Shelby badged car can lay claim.

[66TigerMk1A]

Great comments Fordmanpa.

Carroll would be proud -



Recorded Nov 6th, 2011......sure to be one of the final days of KCIR.

Race #2, slow launch, bounced off of rev limiter in 1st, did not short-shift at max HP...........car can easily run 11s. Gotta get the nut behind the wheel to do it. Opponent was a Mustang Cobra, he ran a 13.6.

R/T - .353
60' - 2.070
330 - 5.267
1/8 - 7.957
MPH - 91.27
1000 - 10.270
1/4 - 12.211
MPH - 116.09

Edited by 66TigerMk1A, 30 May 2012 - 05:01 AM.

[fordmanpa]

Great run!