Steering Wheel in early Tigers

Hello All

I apologize in advance for obsessing about this subject but the article about the GT Tigers always raises more questions in my mind. The article recently posted in the GT Tigers thread states:

"Notwithstanding, the GT with its interior refinements and lack of soft top did
not go into production immediately as evidenced by the Jensen production ledgers which shows that some 200 tourers predate the batch of GT’s.
So the interior specification of early production Tourers reflected the spec of the SIV Alpine and they left Jensen sporting vinyl (non-reflective black) dash boards and black steering wheels."

My Tiger (B9470033) has a black dash and a black plastic steering wheel. The dash is original and the black steering wheel was installed by the PO during the restoration consistent with the specs for the SIV Alpine, as stated in the article.

Norm Miller and others have told me that ALL Tigers had Wooden steering wheels...but a few still insist an unknown number of early Tigers had black steering wheels as mentioned in the article.

Now, I have procured a beautifully restored wooden Tiger steering wheel, which I am ready to install...but after reading the GT Tiger article with the above info I thought I would get some final advice.

What say ye?

Thanks

Jim

Jim,

Some of the early tiger details get mixed up over time.. rumors, theory etc..

I think the confusion comes from the early cars being offered in sport and GT spec.. but even the sport spec of the tiger was not as per ST alpine.

ST alpines ran the plain door panels, no waist rolls, rubber mats and plastic dash/wheel. IIRC even the early tigers ran carpets and while they had a black dash i think they said they used the wooden wheel for a more "sporting" feel.. probably more to help lift the interior as the car was more expensive.

As production moved on the tigers assumed the GT spec wood dash and eventually had the pleated door cards and GT waist rolls by the later cross over body MKI's.

If norm says they were wood i'd say he is coming from a point of research.. and period road tests and rootes promo material must also be taken with a grain of salt... how many period articles have you read where they talk about "leather" interior and optional 289's?

OK jim,

When you ;ast posted this i mentioned some early road test cars.. well i have done my research..

Car and Driver november 1964:
Early black dash Tiger with short shifter with cobra gear knob
The picture is hard to see but the article mentioned the car has the wooden alpine GT wheel.

Sports Car Graphic November 1964:
Different tiger same spec early black dash short shifter etc.. the photo you can see the car has a GT wheel..

Given these black dash dash cars have the early shifter and knob, im thinking they are also the T10 box cars.. so i would think that points to having a Gt wheel in your black dash car.

Michael

Thank you very much...I am going to put this to rest and install the beautifully restored wood steering wheel I recently acquired.

Jim

Early Tigers

Well, I think either direction is correct. According to several factory photos included in the book, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, the Complete Story by Graham Robson. You can see the black wheel! But if you look in the first tiger brochure under specifications it says: "Two-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel. So, who's to argue, though I think the wood wheel looks best with the matching wood dash.
Bill

wood/plastic debate

The very first Tiger I saw and sat in was winter of 64/65 just before my entry into LBJ's jungle conflict. Owned & purchased new by a local attorney, I clearly remember a black plastic wheel which did look odd with the wooden dash behind it. So there; at least one did exist. keep em' runnin', randy

0neoffive said:

The very first Tiger I saw and sat in was winter of 64/65 just before my entry into LBJ's jungle conflict. Owned & purchased new by a local attorney, I clearly remember a black plastic wheel which did look odd with the wooden dash behind it. So there; at least one did exist. keep em' runnin', randy

Click to expand...

Randy.. you sure your memory is serving you right there.. id buy wood wheel/black dash which was in theory the stock sports offering.. i'd buy wood whee/wood dash which was original GT option and then standard on all tigers shortly after.. i'd also go black wheel/black dash.. just because on some leve it makes sense as thats what alpines did.. but the tiger in theory had the wood wheel to lift the interior and be more "sporting" .. but black wheel on a wood dash.. how good is your memory.. what interiro was the car running? GT or ST.. and given you are saying maybe 64.. could it be they broke the wood wheel or didnt like it so swaped for a black one?

steering wheel

michael,
it was not uncommon for a dealer or better yet a dealer that small dealers had to buy thru like byers in columbus, to swap out interiors if requested. the same probably went for other interior items such as steering wheels. just because it left the plant one way doesn't mean it was sold that way. a good friend that lives close to me hauled and delivered tigers and alpines when they were new. you need to listen to some things he saw over the years. they did what they wanted to do.

65beam said:

michael,
it was not uncommon for a dealer or better yet a dealer that small dealers had to buy thru like byers in columbus, to swap out interiors if requested. the same probably went for other interior items such as steering wheels. just because it left the plant one way doesn't mean it was sold that way. a good friend that lives close to me hauled and delivered tigers and alpines when they were new. you need to listen to some things he saw over the years. they did what they wanted to do.

Click to expand...

Bob, we all kow the USA dealers did anything for a $.. chrome wire wheels on alpines, amco gear knobs, different mirros, chrome headlight rims etc.. what we are talking about here in this thread is "as they left the factory" I know its not your favourite topic.. but just because a dealer fitted something on delivery or just because you can buy it at the time doesnt make it factory correct... i'm sure tigers in period were fitted with the nardi wood wheels as well as les leston and mota-litas.. doesnt make them a sunbeam part, and even if parts from other rootes cars were used.. eg some SII alpines were fitted with the non-peaked chrome headlight rims in period by dealers, they were still not factory options for the cars.

atallamcs said:

Well, I think either direction is correct. According to several factory photos included in the book, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, the Complete Story by Graham Robson. You can see the black wheel! But if you look in the first tiger brochure under specifications it says: "Two-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel. So, who's to argue, though I think the wood wheel looks best with the matching wood dash.
Bill

Click to expand...

Bill,

i looked up that pic, it actually apears in a few books.. it looks like a black wheel, but with the photo its hard to tell... i say this because in the "car and driver" article there is a close-up pic of the wheel on that car, and it looks like it could be black, but the article clearly states the car has the wood wheel in it.

Another thing about the pic you reffer to, i'm wondering if that is a pre-production Tiger, one of the cars for final assesment as its got all the early features, black dash, short shifter with the early cobra mushroom knob... but the most interesting thing is the floors.. they have the rubber mats not carpet.

steering wheels

michael,
did you work for rootes?

No Bob.. did you?

Though there are some inconsistent documents from rootes and in regards to the tiger rolling changes i'm still putting some faith in the documented archive images and factory specs.

The dealers could do whatever they wanted with cars.. as could the owners that doesnt enter into what we are talking about here.. i know your stance on this from many other forums.. but just because you did something way back when or you could get it done at the time doesn't make it "factory correct" .

Shelby offered tunning kits and parts for the Tigers, he prepared a racer for the USA dealers and had involvment in the original concept.. doesnt mean his hop up goodies are correct either.. no matter what his connections.

We are talking as they rolled off the line.. not what happened to them after.