French Tiger/Alpine

[Theorangetiger]

VIN

B382100493LRXF

Here's an interesting MKII on eBay. The description explains the reason for the different name because the car was of 3 MKIIs originally exported to France. I thought there was a recent discussion here about the extra tag and chassis stamping but can't seem to find it.

There have been a few suspicious Tigers come up for sale recently but this one looks legit and interesting to me. I am just an observer, no connection to the sale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305401404840?itmmeta=01HPTNKEAH0PV5X3E5TXQC5JAQ&hash=item471b579da8:g:wHgAAOSww4hlz8qX&itmprp=enc:AQAIAAAA8AdV+C8nUwogTABDBK9xhNUu52Y6MIN5hJBrnvg07/2LeH8TwYr2lo2o1uMHRBgcb8N9ji8QIRFtbemynmvK0vLENAEI39wuiLQoLBitBabFEjPUTAacvIzBJBOBFN6ffVYg1crl3yrVaOxePW9KQF3DzODCnIjLMZfsK3+Ib63DffflCdA5uHYRF9/lMUEEj14iBEf2xg2cX6--4BONjLh1zUupwgwHvb+wCPPAe/Clotb9ipJO1Hc1pj5nFRQUq/+xtMDQIA5yB6CHMCk2s7ufpaWS4fzQZhaEKF+nq8CM4MkZ/N2mqzT036Qj+/mW9w==|tkp:Bk9SR7blzdW2Yw

 

[0neoffive]

Here's an interesting MKII on eBay. The description explains the reason for the different name because the car was of 3 MKIIs originally exported to France. I thought there was a recent discussion here about the extra tag and chassis stamping but can't seem to find it.

There have been a few suspicious Tigers come up for sale recently but this one looks legit and interesting to me. I am just an observer, no connection to the sale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305401404840?itmmeta=01HPTNKEAH0PV5X3E5TXQC5JAQ&hash=item471b579da8:g:wHgAAOSww4hlz8qX&itmprp=enc:AQAIAAAA8AdV+C8nUwogTABDBK9xhNUu52Y6MIN5hJBrnvg07/2LeH8TwYr2lo2o1uMHRBgcb8N9ji8QIRFtbemynmvK0vLENAEI39wuiLQoLBitBabFEjPUTAacvIzBJBOBFN6ffVYg1crl3yrVaOxePW9KQF3DzODCnIjLMZfsK3+Ib63DffflCdA5uHYRF9/lMUEEj14iBEf2xg2cX6--4BONjLh1zUupwgwHvb+wCPPAe/Clotb9ipJO1Hc1pj5nFRQUq/+xtMDQIA5yB6CHMCk2s7ufpaWS4fzQZhaEKF+nq8CM4MkZ/N2mqzT036Qj+/mW9w==|tkp:Bk9SR7blzdW2Yw

View attachment 19017

Interesting toy. What's the owner history I wonder?

 

[michael-king]

It's odd the VIN is LRXFE... Not LRO ... Which was the code for left hand drive EU market.

Also photos are to low res to see the dash...but it should have a KPH Speedo.

Also... A new position for a remote oil filter...never seen that one before 😲

 

[michael-king]

Got a better pic of the dash.. MPH Speedo.

Wonder if the car was destined for nth America and diverted to French market ..

 

[Austin Healer]

It does have the supplementary French market chassis plate just below the Rootes plate (pic 14) the car is 30 cars later than my Mk2. same color too! The secondary stampings I have seen on German cars were just above where the oil filter is on the horizontal stiffener... but this car isn't stamped there. see pic 26

 

[michael-king]

It does have the supplementary French market chassis plate just below the Rootes plate (pic 14) the car is 30 cars later than my Mk2. same color too! The secondary stampings I have seen on German cars were just above where the oil filter is on the horizontal stiffener... but this car isn't stamped there. see pic 26

Id spotted the french spec plate, but assume that would have been fitted if the car was imported to use there around the period...
Be interesting to know it's history.. I'm wondering if it was a devoted order as mentioned above .. iirc the USA servicemen drive and take home were all eu spec LRO cars... Just seems odd this one is LRX.. maybe someone bought a car in the states and took it back to Europe? Mkii production was short. If you wanted one in EU in late 67 would have been the only way

 

[Austin Healer]

Id spotted the french spec plate, but assume that would have been fitted if the car was imported to use there around the period...
Be interesting to know it's history.. I'm wondering if it was a devoted order as mentioned above .. iirc the USA servicemen drive and take home were all eu spec LRO cars... Just seems odd this one is LRX.. maybe someone bought a car in the states and took it back to Europe? Mkii production was short. If you wanted one in EU in late 67 would have been the only way

I've seen the tags on Healeys as well. They were affixed by the importer upon arrival when new. They wouldn't have been riveted to cars sold in another market and imported as a used car.. I would guess that it was a diverted car and that's why it was stamped LRX. From what I've read all of the MK2's were LRX spec cars... but Graham could probably tell us more. I do know that the last few cars were restamped/overstamped as HRO (Hartwell 6).

It could well be that the car was imported for a US serviceman, hence the LRX code. The US armed forces would ship a serviceman's car home for $1. Kind of like the personal export scheme, but a lot cheaper! I've restored a couple of German market Healeys, they were clearly made for that specific market as they had all of the German required differences.. Both were originally purchased by US Army members.

The personal export Healeys sold in the UK are all clearly North American specification, these are not generally purchases made by armed forces personnel. I owned a MK2 Healey sold in Gibraltar new. It was an Armed forces purchase and was shipped back to San Fransisco in 1963. Brian Healey had the BMC concession for the 7th fleet, So I assume that's how it was sold. it was LHD, but to European spec... (Metric gauges, special exhaust and octagonal knock offs).. what would have probably been the required specification for the Spanish market.. There were only 2 Healeys sold in Gibraltar, so hard to tell...

What I find interesting is that the French had specific lighting requirements and even radio interference requirements. As the gauges are calibrated in both metric and English, they wouldn't have probably bothered with changing them. Healeys were fit with underbored engines to avoid tax and also had shielding around their distributors as well as different lighting. They didn't have market specific notations on chassis plates until very late in the production of the 3000 MK3. RHD cars had no designations as all, LHD cars were simply marked with an "L", late in the MK3 they added a "U" in place of the "L" for North American spec. Late cars with an "L" were bound for other LHD markets. German market cars had a special BMC chassis plate listing axle weights and were generally stamped with a secondary chassis number stamping on the drip rail of the hood opening. French market cars got the "SIMCA" tag. and had a special engine number noting the underbore.

 

[65beam]

Id spotted the french spec plate, but assume that would have been fitted if the car was imported to use there around the period...
Be interesting to know it's history.. I'm wondering if it was a devoted order as mentioned above .. iirc the USA servicemen drive and take home were all eu spec LRO cars... Just seems odd this one is LRX.. maybe someone bought a car in the states and took it back to Europe? Mkii production was short. If you wanted one in EU in late 67 would have been the only way

FYI,
Plates of this style were being used by Rootes in 1960. The photo shows the plate that is from one of my series 1 Alpines. It has LRX after the VIN number of B9007240. This car was built the week of 05/16 thru 05/20 of 1960. I'm waiting on the Heritage Certificate to see if they know the original selling dealer. That would tell a lot about the early history. The owner in Columbus that I bought it from in the 70's bought it at Sports Car Forum.

 

[Austin Healer]

It's obviously been smacked VERY hard in the front. Look at the hood to fender gaps.. over 1/2". Additionally, the grille molding is an Alpine/Mk1-Mk1a type part. Looking at the molding you can see it has been split in the middle and the gap has been covered with a supplementary stainless molding/cover. Likely due to the fender (which one I am not sure) being installed wrong making the distance between right and left wider than a factory grille molding should be. Likely why the car was repainted. Something a prospective bidder should keep in mind.

 

[65beam]

It's obviously been smacked VERY hard in the front. Look at the hood to fender gaps.. over 1/2". Additionally, the grille molding is an Alpine/Mk1-Mk1a type part. Looking at the molding you can see it has been split in the middle and the gap has been covered with a supplementary stainless molding/cover. Likely due to the fender (which one I am not sure) being installed wrong making the distance between right and left wider than a factory grille molding should be. Likely why the car was repainted. Something a prospective bidder should keep in mind.

Is the hood an aftermarket piece? That could account for the odd gaps around the bulkhead and fenders.

 

[Austin Healer]

Is the hood an aftermarket piece? That could account for the odd gaps around the bulkhead and fenders.

of course it's aftermarket, it's a LAT hood... but the split (and incorrect) Mk1/Alpine grille molding indicates that it was hit. MK2 grille moldings are stupid expensive... The early one currently on the car now could have fit, w/o being cut, if the front end was dimensionally correct.

 

[65beam]

of course it's aftermarket, it's a LAT hood... but the split (and incorrect) Mk1/Alpine grille molding indicates that it was hit. MK2 grille moldings are stupid expensive... The early one currently on the car now could have fit, w/o being cut, if the front end was dimensionally correct.

Do you have an idea of how many correct Tigers or Alpines are out there?

 

[Austin Healer]

Do you have an idea of how many correct Tigers or Alpines are out there?

I can't see how that is possibly relevant to this particular car.

 

[Theorangetiger]

The car was bid to $73,100 which didn't meet the reserve.

 

[0neoffive]

The car was bid to $73,100 which didn't meet the reserve.

From a reserved opinion: The price should be taken down by whatever it takes to properly correct the deformities, trims and accessories. If, in fact, this is as rare as claimed.

 

[michael-king]

From a reserved opinion: The price should be taken down by whatever it takes to properly correct the deformities, trims and accessories. If, in fact, this is as rare as claimed.

At 73k in the current market.... I think they are either testing the market just to see.... It should have accepted that bid...

 

[Theorangetiger]

I think if anything, the rare French pedigree drove the price up some. Currently, I don't think a regular, exported to the USA MKII in identical condition would have been bid to that number.

 

[michael-king]

I think if anything, the rare French pedigree drove the price up some. Currently, I don't think a regular, exported to the USA MKII in identical condition would have been bid to that number.

Given it didn't have metric gauges or anything else to differentiate the car from any other LHD mkii other than the spec plate.... I would see no additional value to it.... And less so being outside France.

A factory RHD mkii I can see holding a premium given their rarity and different spec . And that all the "factory" RHD mkii... excluding the Hartwell 6 conversions either went to police or significant rootes dealers or industry insiders they all have a special history.

But in general the values are softening

 

[65beam]

Given it didn't have metric gauges or anything else to differentiate the car from any other LHD mkii other than the spec plate.... I would see no additional value to it.... And less so being outside France.

A factory RHD mkii I can see holding a premium given their rarity and different spec . And that all the "factory" RHD mkii... excluding the Hartwell 6 conversions either went to police or significant rootes dealers or industry insiders they all have a special history.

But in general the values are softening

Is this the only Tiger known to have a French Vin plate with LRX stamped on it? Does the Archive have info why this Tiger has this plate?