• Unique in-period one-off
• Converted to V8 'Tiger' specification in 1965
• Well documented
• Present ownership since 2008
• Bare-metal restoration 2012-2017

Chassis 'B9110308' was built for Rootes by sub-contractors Armstrong-Siddeley in January 1962 before being despatched to Harrington Motors to be transformed into a Le Mans B Series Fastback, one of 250 such LM models hand-crafted by the Hove coachbuilders from a total Harrington Alpine production of 384 cars.

In 1,590cc form and painted red, the coupé was supplied new to William Perring and Co of Chiswick High Road, London in June 1962 with the registration '4 PPJ'. Ownership then passed to Brian Perring in May 1963, then to third owner David Stern in March 1964 and to fourth owner John Horsman in August 1965. By then the car was registered '1 TKR', while the current '325 PE' plates went on it in January 1966.

Effectively reconfiguring the Alpine as a Tiger, the change from the original four-cylinder engine to the current V8 took place late in 1965, the power unit's 4,727cc capacity and '3M 23' identity being recorded in the buff logbook by the local tax office. John Horsman was a race engineer for the Monza-winning 1963 works Aston Martin driven by Roy Salvadori, and he also assisted the legendary John Wyer with the design and build of the GT40 at Ford Advanced Vehicles. It was during this time that the Harrington was stripped down and despatched to Rootes' Competitions Department in Coventry, where former colleague Des O'Dell and his team 'Tigerised' it by changing the firewall and transmission tunnel and upgrading the suspension and steering.

According to original hand-written correspondence from Horsman, the Harrington-Tiger project was then completed at FAV by Ermanno Cuoghi and Jo Ramirez. '325 PE' became Horsman's trusty daily driver from 1966. A logbook entry dated March 1972 confirms that ownership was transferred into the name of Gulf Research Racing Co of Slough, for whom Horsman was MD, while contractor Ian Richardson became the sixth owner from 1974. The collection acquired the car at Bonhams' sale at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu in September 2008 (Lot 398).

At that time, we described the car thus: "Apart from bodywork refurbishment some time ago, which involved the removal of exterior trim much of which is included loose in the car, the Harrington-Tiger has been mainly in long-term storage. Today, after spending thirty-six years out of the limelight in a barn, this historic 1960s GT - with well charted conversion by the works and the number one long distance racing team of the period - is a most deserving, potent and potentially rewarding case for restoration.

"While the necessary equipment to convert this Harrington Le Mans to V8 Tiger specification certainly came from Rootes Competitions, former owner John Horsman tells us that the parts - a FAV van full of test-programme transmission, suspension, steering and brake components sourced in Coventry by former Aston Martin technician and by then Competitions Department Race and Rally engineer Des Odell - were fitted during the conversion carried out by Horsman himself, with valued input from Cuoghi and Ramirez, at Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough late in 1965. The Ford V8 originally fitted was ex-Shelby, the rebuilt stock-block 289ci with hydraulic lifters having started life in the American team's Fairlane station wagon used to support the race Cobras around the European paddocks. Horsman confirms that the Harrington V8 became his daily driver while working for both FAV and Gulf Research Racing, transporting him reliably to UK race car tests from 1965 to 1973. Indeed, a photo of '325 PE' appears in his book Racing in the Rain. 'I enjoyed every minute in it,' he says."

Since its acquisition, this historic GT has been extensively restored and comes with related photographs and a list of works carried out between 2012 and 2017. Additional paperwork consists of the 2008 purchase invoice; an old-style buff logbook; sundry invoices for parts; and an old UK V5 registration document (325 PE).

The collection staff have carried recommissioning ahead of sale, which has included clutch repairs, a new fuel pump, stripping and rebuilding of the carburettor, and a new battery.

Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK, will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance formalities. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.