[Cal Metal]

The Iso Griffo and the Bizzarini were two Sports Cars that used Chevrolet powered V-8 engines.

Perhaps, the confusion with the Chrysler V-8 and the Sunbeam stems from one of the more peculiar distribution arrangement in automotive history.

The Sunbeam Tiger was the brainchild of Ian Garrad. The car was manufactured by the Rootes Group of England which had produced the Sunbeam Alpine--a four cylinder cousin. Garrard convinced Rootes to hire SAI to stuff the SB Ford under the bonnet.

In '64 Chrysler UK acquired the Rootes Group which placed, under the Chrysler umbrella, the Hillman, Singer, Commer, and Sunbeam models. Much to Chryslers surprise, they found that one of their most popular models was, in fact, powered by a Ford drivetrain. The Sunbeams utilized, in later versions, the Ford Toploader transmission--a rare 25 1/2 length box. About 7,000 Tigers were produced.

For what ever reason, the distribution channel was set up through Chrysler of Canada. So.... here we have a major American auto company (Chrysler) whose foreign subsidary is making a sports car in England, distributed to the U.S. through another foreign subsidary (Canada), with a Ford drive train. Pretty odd.


Last edited by Cal Metal on 07-16-2002 at 07:11 AM