When the Mazda Miata debuted in 1989, the idea of a lightweight, two-passenger roadster sports car had faded in the car market. But decades before the Japanese designed the Miata, the British had their own version: the Sunbeam Tiger. Credit for the design goes to American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby, who had also designed the Ford GT40 and the Shelby Cobra.
The British manufacturer Rootes produced these, using Ford’s 260 V8 making 164 bhp, mated to a four-speed manual transmission. It weighed about 2,220 lb, so while it was not a hot rod, it was a fun, tossable drvier. Priced new these cost $3499, and became known as the poor man’s Cobra.
Spectacular weather this month has been a reminder of the delights of top-down driving. The nicely rebuilt one below went for $59,500 — a fair price for this version.
Source: Bring A Trailer
Jay discusses the Sunbeam Tiger
