Sunbeam Tigers - The works cars

[Anuauto]

I believe the Le Mans cars are restored and running so perhaps full history of ownership could be found?

7734KV
(Lister/Le Mans body)
Test mule for race cars
Le Mans practice car 1964
Unett in Autosport Championship 1965
Mechanical parts transferred to standard shell for 66
Original shell was in field behind Alan Fraser’s premises (Hildenborough?)

ADU179B
(Le Mans body)
Le Mans 64 Dubois/Ballisat

ADU180B
(Le Mans body)
Le Mans 64 Blumer/Proctor

ADU294B
64 Geneva Rally Lewis/B.Hughes
65 Coupe des Alpes Lewis/B.Hughes
66 Monte Carlo Rally Harper/Turvey


ADU295B
64 Geneva Rally Riley/Turvey
65 Monte Carlo Rally Cowan/Turvey
65 Int Police Rally Gott/Nicholson

ADU311B
65 Coupe des Alpes Hall/Barrow
66 Gulf London Rally Harper/Turvey

ADU312B
64 Geneva Rally Smith/MacKenzie
65 Monte Carlo Rally Harper/Hall
65 Coupe des Alpes Harper/M.Hughes

FRW668C
66 Tulip Rally Harper/?(Hall or Turvey?)



Other Int. entries, car not yet identified
65 Monte Lewis/Culcheth
65 Tulip Lewis/Pollard
65 Tulip Smith/Domleo
65 Coupe des Alpes Smith/?
65 Scottish?
66 Acropolis Harper/Hall (ADU3??C)
66 Tulip Riley/?(Turvey or Hall?)

[driftwood]

Dont forget that Frazer built 1 Tiger called the Monster Tiger circa 67
that is up and running a man in midlands had the car running circa 1990

[John Turner]

But not a 'works' car?

[GORDON STREETER]

John I worked for Alan Frazer in the 60s and will try to "glean" some info from one of his old mechanics .

[driftwood]

Frazer race team was "works" for the Imp race cars but Rootes did have its own factory department for other models
so u could say the Frazer Tiger was "works" but by the side door?

[John Turner]

Bring on the info, folks; I'll sort the threads, if necessary!

[davrianmk5]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

John I worked for Alan Frazer in the 60s and will try to "glean" some info from one of his old mechanics .

Gordon...if you'd called him Alan FRAZER, I reckon you'd have been out on your ear.

Alan Fraser, as far as I know, is still around and runs Mountains Animal Sanctuary up near Kirriemuir....

[Graham Vickery]

As a new member I have only just seen these comments on Rootes 'Works' Sunbeam Tigers. The whole story of Rootes' rally programme and Le Mans effort with the Tiger can be found in the recently published book "The Works Tigers 1964-1967" by Graham Rood. To pick up on a few of the points below:

- 7734 KV was not raced in the 1965 Autosport Championship by Bernard Unett; he used the Lister constructed 1964 Le Mans race car ADU 180B that year with considerable success.
- ADU 180B was the donor vehicle for the 1966 'Monster' Tiger built by the Alan Fraser Team for Unett and others to drive. A reverse installation of most parts took place in the 80's.
- 7734 KV and ADU 180B are now in the USA as is the 'Monster'. ADU 179B (the second Le Mans race car) remains in the UK.
- Alan Fraser's agreement with the Rootes Group was exclusively concerned with the Imp. His Tiger Team was 'private' albeit with some discreet works assistance.

Graham Vickery
STOC Editor
www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk

[John Turner]

Welcome, Graham, and thank you!

[TerryW]

If anybody is interested, I drove 7734 KV from a workshop in Hammersmith, London to a Containerbase in Stratford in March 1973.

I was told it HAD raced at Le Mans & that it was the only survivor of the three entrants (The other 2 caught fire & were destroyed.

En route, I stopped at my Company's office in Borough High Street SE1 and took some photos of this beast (they have never been published as far as I know)

Apart from the awesome power available, I do remember a twit in a Ford of some description trying to beat 7734KV from the lights near Harrods. Needless to advise the outcome.

I had been told at Hammersmith that this car had been bought by an American gentleman who wanted it for Hill Climbing in the USA.

It was duly loadec into a 20' Container and I shipped it to Los Angeles.

If anyone interested in the photo's I could probably scan & send.

TerryW

[Alex E]

About 25 years ago I shared a workshop with a well known Tiger specialist. He was asked to go & quote for a restoration of a Tiger that had been bought from Rootes competition dept in late 1960`s, and had been sitting in the same shed since early `70`s.
On arrival he noticed the ADU ++++ number plate. The owner was not wanting to spend so much & so offered him the car. As I recall the purchase price was £550.....
THose were the days..

[Graham Vickery]

Thanks for that memory Terry.

After you delivered 7734 KV and dockers later trashed it's interior with spare paint the Tiger was shipped off to Southern California. New owner, the late Dick Barker, spent the next 24 years meticulously & faithfully on its restoration before an unveiling at a 'Tigers United' meeting in 1997. After an ownership change in 2003 the new American owners brought the machine to the 2004 Goodwood Revival 'TT' and the Le Mans Classic, when it was driven by the Belgian driver Claude Dubois who had competed in the '64 24 Hours driving one of the Lister constructed LM Tigers (ADU 179B). It can be frequently seen at Laguna Seca, Coranodo and like 'circuits'.

The two '64 LM race cars survive with ADU 180B leading a quiet life also in Southern Calfornia whereas the the No8 car - ADU 179B - competes regularly and gained a 7th finish in the 2011 Revival 'TT' when driven by Patrick Watts and Chris Beighton.

Graham Vickery - STOC Editor

[Graham Vickery]

I think you are talking about ADU 311B Alex.

I'm pleased to say this ex-works' and first rally Sunbeam Tiger finally received a well deserved restoration by JME Healeys during 2009-2010.

The first owner of my Sunbeam Tiger, ADU 638B (a Jensen Motors development 'Alpine/Tiger') told me he'd seen it in 1967 alongside an ADU registered rally Tiger in Andre Baldet's showrooms after Rootes had placed both of them with Baldet for resale to the private market.

The rally Tiger was priced at £750 and looked sufficiently care worn for the owner of my Tiger to instead spend £550 on it!

Graham Vickery - STOC Editor

[Alex E]

Hi graham,
If I told you the workshop was in Horley, Surrey. then I think you will know who bought the Tiger.

As I remember it was in very good original condition and red. It had a 289 motor but looked very standard. This must have been around 1985-6.

Alex