"In 1974 "Tigers United 1" was held in Medford, Oregon, with representatives from the Sunbeam Tiger Owner's Association, The Pacific Tiger Club, The California Association of Tiger Owners, and the Canadian Tiger Association. Since then, this annual event has become something of an institution, attracting over 159 Tigers and their owners to a typical event, and demonstrating an un-diminishing enthusiasm for the Tiger today, and into the future."
It is with this marvelous spirit of inter-club association that we dedicate this site, and proudly carry forward the TigersUnited name and concept to the next century. Our goal is to "Unite" the Tiger enthusiasts, and their organizations not only form our local western groups, but from the US and the world.
PIONEERS & PEOPLE
Kevin Beattie
Chief engineer for Jensen Motors Ltd., assembler of the Tiger as well as the Austin Healy, the Jensen cars, and the Volvo P1800E
Alec Caine & Don Tarbun
Rootes Tiger development engineers.
Sir Malcolm Campbell - World Speed Record Run
World Speed record holder many times, driver of a 12 cyl. Sunbeam
Marcus Chambers
Marcus Chambers, Norman Garrard's replacement as competition manager, and father to the Le Mans Tiger effort.
Bill Carroll
Author of "Tiger - An Exceptional Motorcar"
Bo Cheadle
West Coast collector, restorer, and race driver of vintage racing and performance Ford products. Contributor to this site. Owner and restorer of the Miles prototype, amongst a stable of "firsts" and "lasts" of Ford fame. Bo passed away October 16, 1999, while racing one of his collection at the San Diego NASCAR event. He will be missed.
Gordon Chittenden
Author of "Performance Tuning The Sunbeam Tiger"
George Fallehy & Norman Miller
George was the archivists of Rootes original records and source and inspiration for much of Norman Miller's data and work. Norman continuing the work of George is a author, restorer, archivist, historian on Tigers and Publisher of "The Book of Norman".
Henry Ford
No known association with the Tiger {9->
Ian Garrad
Ian Garrad "Father" of the Tiger by championing it's prototype and pushing for it's production, and son of Norman Garrad.
Norman Garrad
Norman Garrad, founder of the Rootes competition department.
Peter Harper & Ian Hall Tiger
Rally drivers, Peter, and the Revd Rupert Jones drove a 4.7 liter "Cobra" engined car in the 1965 Targa Florio, finishing second in the prototype category.
Thomas Harrington - Harrington GT Tiger
Builder of special bodied fast-back Alpines, in close association with the factory or relatives of Lord Rootes. A single Harrington Tiger coupe was reported to have been assembled. the Alpine design was introduced in June, 1961, and the company was taken over by Robins and Day (controlled by the Rootes family). A reputed "few" Sunbeam Harrington prototypes, of the same body style as the Tiger, were built. The Harrington company was taken over by the Robins and Day organization, with ownership by the Rootes family, who were also Rootes car distributors, before the first, Harrington Alpine was built. A singularly rare car, the only Harrington Tiger ever built, is presently owned by Bill Van Velkinburg.
Richard Langworth
Author of "Tiger, Alpine Rapier"
LeMans Team 1964
Peter Proctor, Jimmy Blumer, Keith Ballisat and Claude Dubois - first four Le Mans Tiger drivers, paired in groups of two for the 24 hour race.
Brian Lister
Race car designer and moving force behind the design of the 1964 Le Mans Tigers. Some dispute over who contributed what, but it is generally accepted that Carroll Shelby built the original 260 engines, much modification by the factory and some claim by Lister. The cars were built by Williams & Pritchard coach builders of London.
Rick McLeod
Owner of Sunbeam Specialties and manufacturer of high quality repro parts as well as still available original parts.
Ken Miles - Biography
Race driver, car designer, builder of the first factory (importer) authorized prototype Alpine V-8. Not presented to the factory, but the first. Currently, this car is owned by Bo Cheadle, who has restored it to it's original condition.
Eric Neale
Jensen chief design engineer and responsible for many design modifications for mass production.
John Panks
Director of Rootes Motors Inc. at the time of the Tiger project, and booster. Named the Tiger after the Record breaking V-12 of Sir Henry Seagrave, another world speed holder.
Peugeot Motor Co.
While a "corporate person", this French company owns all surviving rights to Rootes, but doesn't seem to be protecting any of them by legal action.
Larry Reed
Wheeler-dealer in foreign cars, including Sunbeam, and a sponsor of AHRA class winning Tiger. Many LAT options were first tried on this car.
Bob Reiser
Archivist of Tiger material. Compiler of manufacturing records for the "International Registry of Sunbeam Tigers", and a founder of S.T.O.A. (Sunbeam Tiger Owners Association) Northern California.
Brian Rootes
Sir Williams sibling and co-booster of the V-8 project
Sir William Rootes
Chairman of the Rootes Group.
Sir William Segrave - World Speed Record Run
World Land Speed record holder, in competition with Sir Malcolm Campbell.
Carroll Shelby - Tiger Development
Designer of the Cobra and the Sunbeam Tiger presented to the factory and accepted for production. Reportedly convinced the factory that his Le Mans race prepared engines should be a 260 cid, not the 289 he used in his own Le Mans cars.
Rosemary Smith &
Margaret MacKenzie
Alpine and Tiger rally winner. Margaret MacKenzie was Rosemary Smith's co-driver.
Doane Spencer
Doane Spencer paired with Ian Garrard and "Hollywood Sport Cars". Designed and proofed many racing modifications to the Tiger, some of which were made LAT factory options. Built the Hollywood Sport Cars' racer for Chic Vandagriff's Dealership.
Jimmy Spencer
Works driver
Lew Spencer
Shelby prepared Tiger racing driver, reputed employer of Ken Miles before Shelby America, and automobile distributor. Key racer of early Tiger victories, but never fond of it's handling. First race ever won by a Sunbeam Tiger is in Lew's hands.
Mike Taylor
Author of "Tiger, The Making of a Sports Car".
Bill Van Velkinburg
Owner of the only Harrington Tiger Coupe ever built B9472164, with Jensen Date Jan. 25, 1965.
Richard Wheatley
Originally an employee of International Automobiles, and responsible for many LAT options, many from Shelby America. Later, after joining Traction Master, he was responsible for many of their LAT options offerings, such as rear axle anti-twist bars and shocks.
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