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Re: [Tigers] the last Mk II's going to Wally

To: rande@thecia.net
Subject: Re: [Tigers] the last Mk II's going to Wally
From: Tom Parker <tkparker1941@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:20:36 -0400
And to add a bit more fuel to the fire...

We know this: The Mark 1A and the Mark 2 were the beneficiaries of
significant cost cutting efforts at Rootes, probably in an attempt to stay
in business. This also applies, I believe, to the Alpine Mark V. (I'll
probably stir up a hornet's nest by saying this...) Gone, for example, were
the color interiors, in (on the Mark 2) were trim "decals". The improvements
were the alternator and the 289 engine, but that was (I think) a matter of
necessity; Ford stopped making the 260.

Anyhow, the effort failed, they were bought by Chrysler, and the Tiger died.

It's hard to compare the Tiger to a Mustang. American cars of that time had
features only available in luxury foreign brands. Other than the steering
issues in the Tiger it was a much better handling car (in my opinion), and
quicker to boot. The Tigers competed in a different arena; it was the
ultimate British sports car; the Mustang was American muscle; great in a
straight line, barely adequate (again in my opinion) anywhere else. I'm
leaving out the Corvette here. The "Plasticar" is in a league of its own,
and well worth the additional money in the period when the Tigers were in
production.

Tom (who's hiding under the bed waiting for the uproar form the purists in
the group...)

On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:14 AM, rande <rande@thecia.net> wrote:

> Hi,
> Add to Erich's comments about the early Mark II's, and mine to Tom Parker
> about
> info listed in the BON, I think it's highly unlikely that one Chrysler
> sales
> office/ zone would make a blanket order for 62 or 32 of the very last Mark
> II's,
> and I post this with full deference to Wally. I'd love to hear from Scooter
> Patrick, one of the P.A.M dealer principals in Manhattan Beach, CA who sold
> Mark II's, and whose dealer plate frame was featured in the Road&Track road
> test how much demand there was at that time for Mark II's as production
> neared
> the end.
>
> There's also the issue of the supposedly last seven Mark II's left on the
> Southampton
> docks that Alan Hartwell snapped up and sold, one going directly to a
> Canadian
> dealer unchanged, and the six remaining being converted by Hartwell to RHD,
> fitted with Minilite's, and sold in England. There's also at least one
> known
> car (#626LRXFE) built as a Alpine V8 Mark II that went to Germany.
>
> There is the issue of a comparably equipped '67 Mustang convertible  for
> around
> $3,200 ( the Mark II was listed at about $3,800) and a comparably fitted
> base
> Corvette convertible(with 327/300hp, four speed, hard top, AMFM, for around
> $4,200 list and around $4,000 transaction price.
>
> I met Wally several times, and I don't remember a single instance when he
> seemed
> like a braggard, but unless Wally was the sole source to order Tigers for
> the
> States(and knowing that Chrysler could have been downsizing distribution at
> that time), a one time order of even 32 cars that sold in drabs is a tall
> one,
> and we're quite sure that the distribution of Tiger Mark II's was scattered
> throughout the States and Canada, with a handful going to Europe.
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