This 1961 Sunbeam Alpine has been converted to Tiger spec using many parts from a previous owner’s totaled example. Fitted with a 4-speed toploader, 260ci Ford V8, brakes and steering rack from the aforementioned car, the car has the potential to provide genuine Tiger performance at a fraction of the price of the real thing. Find it here on Craigslist in Hannibal, New York for $8,500.

Tigers and Alpines look very similar from the outside, and this Series I car has some updates to bring it closer to the later spec cars. The polished aluminum hardtop is very cool. Trim doesn’t appear entirely complete, and photos are angled so that it’s difficult to be sure if the grille has a center section. Weirdly, this car is fitted with a second set of front overriders apparently spaced for plate-mounting duty.

When new, these were among the best appointed small British sports cars, featuring a nicely upholstered interior and small luxuries like roll-up windows. The inside of this example appears rather rough-and-ready, with simple rubber matting on the floors, a non-original wheel, wiring wrapped around the Hurst shifter, flaking dash fascia and black duct tape making up some of the transmission tunnel.

A bit of what appears to be fan shroud can be seen just aft of the radiator, indicating that the Ford 260 was likely moved back appropriately. Original Tiger prototypes didn’t have enough space between the engine and radiator to fit a rear-mounted fan. This car is fitted with disc brakes, Ford toploader gearbox, and the correct rack and pinion steering rack sourced from a donor car. It’s not said if it retains the Series I Alpine’s semi-elliptic sprung rear suspension, however. The car is said to run and drive very well.

Values for genuine Tigers have been on the rise for some time, and many conversions are handled poorly. While this example has a needy interior, the use of a real Tiger as a donor car gives some hope that this swap was handled correctly.