Monday 19th December 1966

Two Sunbeam Tiger Mk II production prototypes were completed. The Tiger was introduced to American buyers in 1964, and launched in the UK the following year. The first 6,155 cars, built between 1964 and 1966, were powered by the 260; they were followed by just 534 examples of the Mk II, which used Ford’s 289cu in (4727cc) V8 engine pushing out 200bhp; giving it a top speed rose to 125mph. Who knows how long Tiger production might have continued if Rootes Group, which produced the Sunbeam, had not come under the control of Chrysler in 1967. Selling a car powered by a competitor’s engine was impossible, and no Mopar V-8 was judged suitable for the task. And so, the Tiger was retired.