Early Tigers

VaCat33 · Post by **VaCat33** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 9:00 pm

Hi All,

As I mentioned in my New Guy Post, my Tiger is a very early MkI, B9470033, having rolled of the production line on 19 June 1964. According to Norm Miller it was actually the 22nd Tiger off the line.

I would be very interested in hearing about other Tigers produced in the first couple of months of production.

I am very interested in those that still might have original components, particularly the engine, gearbox, dash and instruments. Photos would be great as I am very interested in the unique features of those very early models. We all know about the Borg Warner T-10 gearbox and black dashes, but I have also heard from a few that the very early models had black plastic steering wheels.

If anybody has a very early Tiger with the original engine, I would love to know the block casting number and casting date code.

Thanks, Jim

Post by **gvickery** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:05 pm

Hi Jim

Great seeing your early Tiger in such excellent standard condition. Over here in the U.K. & Europe we cannot be of much help for in case you didn't know it wasn't until March '65 that us Brits were given the chance to buy a Tiger - a good 9 months after production got underway.

We didn't get any Tigers until B9471830 HRO !!

There are a number of very early British Tigers here but they are all ex-works development cars, rally and race cars - not ones that can be compared readily with yours. My own - B9470010 - is original and unmolested but it started out as an SIV GT Alpine in which the factory fitted a 5 bolt 289 in 1964 and so isn't matchable against the early production cars!!

B9470011 / 12/ 13/ 14 are in the UK as well but 3 of them are rally cars.

And that as they say is about it!

Graham
STOC Editor

VaCat33 · Post by **VaCat33** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:42 am

Graham

Thanks. In the Tiger Registry I saw that several of the very early cars (6-16) were last recorded to be in the UK, so that is why I asked.

Your car sounds very unique...what gearbox does it have?

Jim

Post by **gvickery** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:35 pm

Hi Jim

This old post http://sunbeamtiger.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=774 gives the status of the early Tigers up to B9470010.

B9470011 is the first chassis number of a production Tiger (ADU 311B), B9470012 (ADU 312B) and B9470014 (AHP 294B) are ex-works Rally machines. B9470013 was a recce car. B9470015 (AHP 295B) was also a rally car before becoming a race car. From B9470016 all production went to the USA, except B9470020 which was sold to Alan Fraser and this Tiger is now in the USA along with B9470035 FE the only other early production Tiger that stayed here - the Targa Florio race Tiger.

Graham
STOC Editor

VaCat33 · Post by **VaCat33** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 1:49 am

Graham

Very interesting information which helps me make sense of those early production numbers. Norm Miller informed me that my Tiger was actually the 22nd Tiger produced and this now makes sense since the ID number of my Tiger (0033) minus the number of the first production Tiger (0011) equals 22.

Thanks, Jim