Date:         Mon, 18 Dec 1995 15:50:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      Re: VWs in Hollywood [Get Smart!]]


>>My Dad bought a new Alpine in '60, and regretted it once Sunbeam started
>>stuffing engines larger than the entire car into them. Had an eye for
>>Tigers ever since, and forgot the Ghia <hanging head in shame>
>
>actually it was Carroll Shelby of Shelby Cobra Fame who was stuffing Ford
>Motors in the Alpines... He started in '63 with a 260 V8, 64 with the 289 
V8,
>and last but not least
>'round '66 or so with 302 V8..


Yup, Shelby did the prototype in '64 or so, under contract with Rootes
Group (a British group that built Sunbeams, Singers, etc.), putting
a 260 and a 4-sp trans into a straight-tail-fin Alpine. Shelby modified
the steering, chassis, engine compartment, and rear end, to produce a
fairly nice-handling car. Once the prototype was done, Sunbeam took it
from there.

Actually, there was also another guy with a seperate contract with Sunbeam,
named Ken Miles. He put a 260 and a 2-speed (!) automatic trans into
another Alpine, taking ten weeks to finish the job. His was rather crude
compared to Shelby's-- Miles' purpose was simply to see if a V8 was at all
practical in such a small car. He found out one thing the hard way: first
time he punched it on an asphalt road, he shredded every spoke in the
(factory-optional) rear wire wheels. All Tigers from then on, had steel
or mag wheels.