Saturday, December 20, 2014

1965 Sunbeam Tiger Coupé by Harrington

This is the only Harrington Coupé built on a Triumph Tiger chassis (#B9472164 HROFE). Powered by a Series I Tiger's 164 bhp, 260 cu. in. OHV V-8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with coil springs, live axle rear suspension with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and front disc and rear drum hydraulic brakes. 

British coachbuilders Thomas Harrington Ltd. built only a handful of beautifully crafted fastback Le Mans Coupé bodies for Sunbeam Alpine chassis during the early 1960s. Exactly one of those bodies was built for the Sunbeam Tiger, the potent Ford V-8-powered “pocket rocket” developed with the assistance of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. This is that car, which is known to Sunbeam enthusiasts as, simply, "Harry".

"Harry" was reportedly a factory developmental prototype that had been built based on future safety concerns about open-top models and with potential competition use in mind. Unfortunately, the end of Tiger production put an end to those lofty aspirations, and the Tiger Le Mans Coupé remained a one-off. This Tiger has been the winner of numerous other concours prizes in the years since, and it remains much as it was originally, with only a few modern modifications which include upgrading the high volume/high-pressure oil pump, modifying the heads for unleaded fuel, converting the original distributor to electronic switching, and adding a larger radiator with a five-blade fan and a 350-CFM Holley carburetor.

This one-of-a-kind car is the most unique and special of all Tigers, and it represents the “holy grail” to enthusiasts of these potent cats. It is scheduled to be auctioned off by RM Auctions in 2015, with an estimated price of US$200,000 - $250,000. (rmauctions.com)











































Series I Sunbeam Tiger (1964-66)




(Photos from rmauctions.com, flickr.com, ultimatecarpage.com & harringtonalpine.org)



Friday, December 19, 2014

Triumph Dové GTR4 / GTR4A Coupé (1963-65)

The Triumph TR4 is a British sports car which was produced by the Triumph Motor Company from 1961 to 1965. It was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports cars, but with a modern Michelotti styled body. It was powered by a 2138 cc inline-4 engine. Top Speed could reach 110 mph (180 km/h). 0-60 mph (97 km/h) took 10.7 seconds. In 1965, the TR4A with IRS or independent rear suspension superseded the TR4. Apart from the rear suspension, which used trailing arms and a differential bolted to the redesigned chassis frame and a number of small styling changes and refinements, the two models appear nearly identical.

Perhaps the rarest production TR4 model is the Dové GTR4 (and GTR4A) – a TR4 rebuilt as a coupé by a specialist coachbuilder for the Dové dealership in Wimbledon, London as their attempt to fill the GT category for Europe. Only 43 were produced. The conversions were by Harrington Motor Bodyworks, mostly known for construction of the Harrington Alpine, a similarly converted Sunbeam Alpine.

Two jump seats were placed behind the driver's seat using identical materials to the originally equipped standard TR4. A wood-rimmed wheel with riveted perimeter was fitted to some models along with auxiliary lamps under the front bumper bars. A metallised identifying sticker with "Dové" on it was fitted to the glovebox lid. On the rear deck to the left below the lid, was another identifying badge with the Dové logo. The side window glasses were specially shaped with a flat top edge to fit the new roof line. Each Dové was an individual order and some variation occurred in each car.

The aerodynamics of the Dové gave it good acceleration from 80 mph (130 km/h) to 100 mph (160 km/h) in comparison with the standard version of the car. The cars were priced at £1250, almost as much as a Jaguar E-Type. Up to a dozen of the cars are known to still exist. (wikipedia)






































Factory Version of the Triumph TR4 Roadster (1961-67)










(Photos from stevemckelvie.wordpress.com & flickr.com)