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Wow. Thanks Buck. I've never heard of the Apex (at least that I can
remember). Just did a search and came up with these great pictures and
info. Love the hardtop!
http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia/killeen_book/node13.html
On Sun, Mar 8, 2020 at 11:30 AM Buck Trippel via Tigers <
tigers@autox.team.net> wrote:
> The best and most authoritative answers to the why the Tiger was
> discontinued that I=E2=80=99ve found are in the collection of Papworth pa=
pers
> housed in the Culture Coventry Archive at the Herbert Museum in Coventry.
>
>
>
> Mr Papworth was a very high level =E2=80=9Cplanner=E2=80=9D for Rootes. H=
e reported to a
> very select group, comprised mainly of family members who were the heart =
of
> the Rootes board. After his retirement he donated thousands(?) of pages o=
f
> notes and memos. I=E2=80=99ve spent several days reading them and want to=
go back.
>
>
>
> Mr. Papworth lays out a very comprehensive Tiger story. The Tiger
> represented only 2% of Rootes=E2=80=99 sales and was consequentially just=
a blip on
> management=E2=80=99s attention. Tigers were barely mentioned in board mee=
tings as
> the high production Imps and Hillmans dominated the discussions. The Mk1s=
&
> 1As sold well. The Mk2 that was built was not the Mk2 that the engineers
> had designed and tested (with upgraded 5-bolt 14=E2=80=9D wheels to fit 4=
-wheel
> discs, the same 3-puck calipers used on Aston Martins and street Cobras)
> and the resulting lack of initial sales seemed to be the straw that broke
> the camel=E2=80=99s back. But Papworth also outlines other contributing i=
ssues.
>
>
>
> Rootes engineers determined that Chrysler V8s would not fit in a Tiger.
> They explored alternatives including one that would have been built a new
> =E2=80=9CTiger=E2=80=9D with fiberglass body in the USA. Obviously none o=
f those
> alternatives worked out.
>
>
>
> After Lord Rootes passed away his brother, Reggie, assumed control. Reggi=
e
> wanted to replace the Alpine/Tiger with a smaller sportscar that was
> similar to a Spitfire. That car, =E2=80=9CApex=E2=80=9D, had been designe=
d and was very
> close to production when a sub-contractor tripled the initial cost estima=
te
> for its fiberglass body. That ended Rootes=E2=80=99 attempt at a replacem=
ent
> sportscar.
>
>
>
> The US government had long imposed standards for the cars it purchased fo=
r
> government use =E2=80=93 the GSA standards. These existing GSA standards =
were
> eventually adopted for all cars sold in the US. The Alpine/Tiger platform
> would have needed upgrades to comply. Tooling for these would have been
> costly on a per unit basis due to low production volume.
>
>
>
> The space used at Pressed Steel to build the Alpines and Tigers was neede=
d
> by another Rootes vehicle which was high production and therefore a highe=
r
> priority. Assuming Rootes would accept the cost of upgrades to comply wit=
h
> GSA standards, where could the Alpine/Tiger be built? Rootes looked at
> alternatives including moving the entire Alpine/Tiger production from
> Pressed Steel to Jensen. At one point Rootes even offered to purchase
> Jensen. Jensen refused. The move never happened. Rootes never found an
> alternate contractor to build the cars.
>
>
>
> Papworth cites all of these factors in the decision to end Tiger
> production.
>
>
>
> Buck Trippel
>
>
>
> *From:* Tigers <tigers-bounces@autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Ross Hulse
> via Tigers
> *Sent:* Sunday, March 8, 2020 1:57 AM
> *To:* Curt Bowland <cbowland@msn.com>
> *Cc:* tigers <tigers@autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [Tigers] Urban legend
>
>
>
> The demise of the Sunbeam Tiger was that they did not sell very well. Th=
e
> USA import regs for cars would require expensive modifications to the car=
.
> So in February 1967 the decision was made to finish the cars that were in
> the line and send them to Canada. Everything about not fitting a Chrysle=
r
> engine is just a rumor.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> tigers@autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/tigers
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/jay.laifman@gmail.com
>
>
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Wow.=C2=A0 Thanks Buck.=C2=A0 I've never heard of the =
Apex (at least that I can remember).=C2=A0 Just did a search and came up wi=
th these great pictures and info.=C2=A0 Love the hardtop!<div><br></div><di=
v><a href=3D"http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia/killeen_book/node13.html";>http:/=
/tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia/killeen_book/node13.html</a>=C2=A0</div><div>=C2=A0=
<br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gm=
ail_attr">On Sun, Mar 8, 2020 at 11:30 AM Buck Trippel via Tigers <<a hr=
ef=3D"mailto:tigers@autox.team.net";>tigers@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<br=
></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;=
border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang=3D"EN-US=
"><div class=3D"gmail-m_5180423360813125264WordSection1"><p class=3D"MsoNor=
mal">The best and most authoritative answers to the why the Tiger was disco=
ntinued that I=E2=80=99ve found are in the collection of Papworth papers ho=
used in the Culture Coventry Archive at the Herbert Museum in Coventry.<u><=
/u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"Ms=
oNormal">Mr Papworth was a very high level =E2=80=9Cplanner=E2=80=9D for Ro=
otes. He reported to a very select group, comprised mainly of family member=
s who were the heart of the Rootes board. After his retirement he donated t=
housands(?) of pages of notes and memos. I=E2=80=99ve spent several days re=
ading them and want to go back. <u></u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u=
></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">Mr. Papworth lays out a very c=
omprehensive Tiger story. The Tiger represented only 2% of Rootes=E2=80=99 =
sales and was consequentially just a blip on management=E2=80=99s attention=
. Tigers were barely mentioned in board meetings as the high production Imp=
s and Hillmans dominated the discussions. The Mk1s & 1As sold well. The=
Mk2 that was built was not the Mk2 that the engineers had designed and tes=
ted (with upgraded 5-bolt 14=E2=80=9D wheels to fit 4-wheel discs, the same=
3-puck calipers used on Aston Martins and street Cobras) and the resulting=
lack of initial sales seemed to be the straw that broke the camel=E2=80=99=
s back. But Papworth also outlines other contributing issues. <u></u><u></u=
></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">=
Rootes engineers determined that Chrysler V8s would not fit in a Tiger. The=
y explored alternatives including one that would have been built a new =E2=
=80=9CTiger=E2=80=9D with fiberglass body in the USA. Obviously none of tho=
se alternatives worked out.<u></u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=
=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">After Lord Rootes passed away his b=
rother, Reggie, assumed control. Reggie wanted to replace the Alpine/Tiger =
with a smaller sportscar that was similar to a Spitfire. That car, =E2=80=
=9CApex=E2=80=9D, had been designed and was very close to production when a=
sub-contractor tripled the initial cost estimate for its fiberglass body. =
That ended Rootes=E2=80=99 attempt at a replacement sportscar.<u></u><u></u=
></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">=
The US government had long imposed standards for the cars it purchased for =
government use =E2=80=93 the GSA standards. These existing GSA standards we=
re eventually adopted for all cars sold in the US. The Alpine/Tiger platfor=
m would have needed upgrades to comply. Tooling for these would have been c=
ostly on a per unit basis due to low production volume. <u></u><u></u></p><=
p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">The sp=
ace used at Pressed Steel to build the Alpines and Tigers was needed by ano=
ther Rootes vehicle which was high production and therefore a higher priori=
ty. Assuming Rootes would accept the cost of upgrades to comply with GSA st=
andards, where could the Alpine/Tiger be built? Rootes looked at alternativ=
es including moving the entire Alpine/Tiger production from Pressed Steel t=
o Jensen. At one point Rootes even offered to purchase Jensen. Jensen refus=
ed. The move never happened. Rootes never found an alternate contractor to =
build the cars.<u></u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u=
></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">Papworth cites all of these factors in the deci=
sion to end Tiger production.<u></u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></=
u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal">Buck Trippel<u></u><u></u></p><p =
class=3D"MsoNormal"> <u></u><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0=
<u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Tigers <<a href=3D"mailto=
:tigers-bounces@autox.team.net" target=3D"_blank">tigers-bounces@autox.team=
.net</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Ross Hulse via Tigers<br><b>Sent:</b> Sund=
ay, March 8, 2020 1:57 AM<br><b>To:</b> Curt Bowland <<a href=3D"mailto:=
cbowland@msn.com" target=3D"_blank">cbowland@msn.com</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> =
tigers <<a href=3D"mailto:tigers@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">tiger=
s@autox.team.net</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Tigers] Urban legend<u></u=
><u></u></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u></p><div><div><p cla=
ss=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-size:24pt;font-family:"Times New =
Roman",serif">The demise of the Sunbeam Tiger was that they did not se=
ll very well.=C2=A0 The USA import regs for cars would require expensive mo=
difications to the car.=C2=A0 So in February 1967 the decision was made to =
finish the cars that were in the line and send them to Canada.=C2=A0 Everyt=
hing about not fitting a Chrysler engine is just a</span>=C2=A0<span style=
=3D"font-size:24pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">rumor.=C2=
=A0</span><u></u><u></u></p></div></div><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=
=A0<u></u></p></div></div>_______________________________________________<b=
r>
<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:tigers@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">tigers@autox.tea=
m.net</a><br>
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et=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>
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<br>
</blockquote></div>
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