Wanted: "Alpine 260" badge

[Sownman]

I've got one of the Tigers that was sold in Europe as an Alpine 260 rather than as a Tiger. It's fender and boot badges say Alpine 260 rather than the usual Sunbeam 260 or Ford or Sunbeam V8.

I am missing one badge and would love to find an original.

Thanks

Steve R

 

[mikephillips]

You might try Sunbeam Supreme in the UK if Sunbeam Specialties or Classic Sunbeam can't supply them.

 

[Sownman]

I just wrote to Sunbeam Supreme. Sunbeam Spesialties and Classic could do no more than have a repro part made. I ordered one but I'm hoping to find an original chrome letter rather than silver paint badge.

Steve R

 

[Sownman]

Bump...

Still looking. SS made a repo for me but I still want to find an original.

Thanks

Steve

 

[65sunbeam]

Just how much is an original one worth?? Eric

 

[Sownman]

I suppose like anything else its worth what someone will pay. I stumbled on one in a picture of a basket case Tiger for sale on craigslist. This Tiger (real ?) was a real mess including having it's chassis plate and all existing script and badges laying on a table. The only badge insert it had was in darn good shape unlike the rest of the car and was Alpine 260. It's vin was an LRXFE. I explained to the seller (dealership) that the car should not have an Alpine 260 badge anyway. Those only go with LROFE cars. I offered to buy him 3 new proper repo badges and surrounds in exchange for that one insert. He seemed to understand the concept but doesn't really want to be bothered.

Steve

 

[Green67Alpine]

Go visit him with cash... funny how cash in hand, makes it no bother at all.
Good Luck !
Tom j

 

[64beam]

Hi Steve,

Do you know how many Tiger's were rebadged and sold into Europe as the Alpine 260? Were the repro's high quality or could you tell there was a difference?

Regards, Robin.

 

[Sownman]

Hi Steve,

Do you know how many Tiger's were rebadged and sold into Europe as the Alpine 260? Were the repro's high quality or could you tell there was a difference?

Regards, Robin.

I don't think anyone knows for sure, but not many. From talking to and writing Norm it seems the number of surviving Alpine 260's is in the 40's
with 7 or so in the US. They were Tigers, built LH drive for sale in France and Germany but were not badged as Tigers due to copyright problems with the pre existing Panhard Tiger in France and Messerschmidt Tiger in Germany. Norm told me the few in the USA were brought home by returning servicemen.

Mine was first registered in the US in 1974 by a fellow that listed an AFB as his home address. The distinction about them is they were sold with Alpine script rather than Tiger script and carry badges that say Alpine 260 rather than the Sunbeam or Ford. They have an LROFE vin rather than the usual LRXFE for a US car. Other than that they are just regular Tigers. There are
Mk1, Mk1A, and Mk2 Alpine 260's (AKA Alpine V8's)

Heres a link to a web page with some more info. Notice the ads just like USA ads even including the Tiger picture but not the Tiger name.

http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk/catswhiskers/CW68alpine260.htm


As far as the repo badge they did a good job it looks very nice but the lettering is silver paint on black where the originals were chrome letters in the black. I think thats true of all original Tiger and Alpine fender badges. The picture in this thread is one of my fender badges.

Steve R
B9473720 LROFE

 

[64beam]

Thanks for the reply steve. It is interesting that the French added a second identification plate, a specification plate (which no other Tiger's had) and stamped the engine bay as well. I agree with the author of the article in regards to the stamping of the body. It would certainly help with Tiger identification (as long as the car had not been resprayed).

Regards, Robin.