I love my Tiger, too!

I read your excellent article on the Sunbeam Tiger and thought you might like to know about my own experiences, having recently become an owner of a low mileage, original example.

The Tiger has long been a car I have wanted to own and after the recent sale of a Triumph TR5, I had the funds available and managed to locate one locally to me back in March.

I’m still getting used to the car, having only driven around 500 miles or so, but I love the V8 soundtrack (further amplified by a stainless steel exhaust).

I’d agree with most of the comments in the article. The Tiger rides reasonably well but can be a bit skittish over larger bumps/potholes, the steering is quite positive, although it is heavy when parking and the lock is not good, due apparently to the steering rack being moved forward with curved steering arms and compromises on the steering geometry with regards to Ackermann angles due to the restricted space. The Alpine was fitted with a steering box, but this is not possible on the Tiger.

The quality of the fixtures and fittings is very good for a 1960s car – certainly on a par with (if not better than) my old TR5. The interior is well trimmed, with good quality vinyl and a walnut dash with a full complement of instruments.

The engine is well crammed in and I’m still trying to get used to the very high under-bonnet temperatures. Most Tigers now seem to have uprated aluminium radiators and additional fans, whereas mine has a normal radiator but does have an uprated five-blade Flex fan fitted together with an additional Electric Pusher fan in front of the radiator, which I can manually switch on whenever I’m stuck in traffic.

On a recent classic car run on one of the hottest days of the year, upon opening the bonnet at the end of the run to check the oil and show off the engine, I managed to burn myself on the bonnet stay because it was that hot!

Anyway, I’ll be enjoying the current hot spell in mine over the coming weekends. Keep up the good work with Classic Car Weekly!