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Alpine and Tiger Competition Department Photo

A

AndrewM

Donation Time
This photo was for sale on ebay recently. It is a picture of a works prepared Alpine next to a Tiger in the Rootes Competition Dept. Looks like late production, based on the square door and hood corners. Interesting to see that the Comp. Dept. was still supporting the Alpine late in its career.

Andrew
 
sunbeam74

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Andrew,

Are you sure that is an Alpine in those photos?
I am thinking those are both rally Tigers.

Did you buy the photo or ask the seller to confirm that was an Alpine and a Tiger?


Steve
 
64beam

64beam

Donation Time
Hi,

Correct me if I am wrong, but did the competition department ever actually run any Alpines (as in a factory rally team)?

Regards, Robin.
 
sunbeam74

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Robin,

Good question... I'd like to find out more details myself but it has been fairly hard to research.

From pictures, I have seen 3001RW, 9201RW and 9202RW in various rally events. These were the LeMans cars. For instance, 9202RW ran Monte Carlo in 1963 and RAC in 1962. Of course these were factory prepared cars for LeMans but I suspect they were also maintained by the competitions department for the rallies - but no proof.

There were other cars 2BUS, 6969EL, 1EGG and others that had a high presense at events driven by people associated with Rootes prepeared Rapiers. 2BUS won the Scotish rally and I suspect, if the same car ran the Monte Carlo in 1962, then I would speculate it have been sent to the factory for preperation as a favor to Melvin. Or at least I would have thought so.

I would love to find out more but it seems nobody has really researched this at all. Not sure anybody would remember either.

Steve
 
A

AndrewM

Donation Time
Folks,

The photo was a UK listing and was described as “Sunbeam Tiger FRW 667C in Background of Photo, Alpine in Foreground". I took a shot at bidding on it, because of the reference to the "Alpine", especially that late in production, but missed. Unfortunately, the digital image is not very clear, so I am not sure about the Tiger chrome strips on the car in the foreground or if that is a light reflection. They are easier to see on FRW 667C in the background. It appears that there might be the "hump" of a Tiger fan shroud on the car in the foreground. Both AHP294B and ADU312B Tigers had roll bars of the same shape light color as the "Alpine" in the picture. Also, the wipers are parked on the right, so it is probably a left hand car, and probably a Tiger. Sorry for the goose chase. The cars were sometimes refered to as "Alpine V8" in the UK. Perhaps that is where the photo despription went wrong.

But then again, Steve, aren’t there some unsolved "finless" competition Alpine mysteries still out there?......

Andrew
 
sunbeam74

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Remember, the Tiger was occupying most of the resources after 1964.

The one "finless" mystery that catches my attention is the Mediterainian Blue Alpine run at the 24 hours of day Daytona. It was a Series IV but I have no idea where it came from or where it went.

Steve
 
64beam

64beam

Donation Time
sunbeam74 said:
Robin,

Good question... I'd like to find out more details myself but it has been fairly hard to research.

From pictures, I have seen 3001RW, 9201RW and 9202RW in various rally events. These were the LeMans cars. For instance, 9202RW ran Monte Carlo in 1963 and RAC in 1962. Of course these were factory prepared cars for LeMans but I suspect they were also maintained by the competitions department for the rallies - but no proof.

There were other cars 2BUS, 6969EL, 1EGG and others that had a high presense at events driven by people associated with Rootes prepeared Rapiers. 2BUS won the Scotish rally and I suspect, if the same car ran the Monte Carlo in 1962, then I would speculate it have been sent to the factory for preperation as a favor to Melvin. Or at least I would have thought so.

I would love to find out more but it seems nobody has really researched this at all. Not sure anybody would remember either.

Steve
Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

You are quite correct, the LeMans cars were setup for rallying by the Rootes Comp department. I think that due to the Rapiers in full rally programmes, this restricted the Alpine's rally career somewhat. The TR3's and Austin Healeys did'nt help much at its success either. Then once the Tiger came along, well we know which one they chose.

Regards, Robin.
 
Jay Laifman

Jay Laifman

Donation Time
Sure seems to me that that is a Tiger AC air cleaner laying on the ground on the side of the car in question.
 
Tullamore

Tullamore

Donation Time
No that is the top shelf of the tool box, it has four shelves, two on each side that rotate out to show whats below on the top of the tool box.
 
R

Rootes 66

Donation Time
Hi all
A Good mate of mine has a Brother-in-law who worked in the competition dept in the 60s and 70s, often seen on these old photos with his head under the bonnet and mentioned in dispatches. I'll see what he knows.
Pete
 
sunbeam74

sunbeam74

Silver Level Sponsor
Pete,

Do you think you could smooth things so that I could contact him?

I have been trying to research a Series II Alpine we bought in Glasgow - oddly, it has the factory stamped aluminum panels and a few other details that suggest it was prepped by the factory OR somebody was very familiar with the factory detailing.

I'd be real curious if they prepared any Alpines for Rally work in 1961-62 (other than the Le Mans cars 3001RW or 92XX RW's).

The car we have was registered 6622 BY initially but ended up spending most of it's life in Scotland. My first guess is the car was one of John Melvin's Alpines.


Steve
 
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