Six UK-registered Sunbeam Tigers travelled to the United States for the STOC California Tour from 13-25 June to mark 50 years since the end of production, for the club’s most ambitious event.
They were joined by three American-owned cars for a 1700-mile route that took the crews from Los Angeles north to Monterey, unfortunately using some of Highway 101 because parts of the Pacific Coast Highway were closed due to landslides last spring. Group organiser Lou Lusardi had arranged a session at Laguna Seca, consisting of three laps behind a pace car which he said was at “a frustratingly genteel pace”. They did, however, get to sample the famous Corkscrew, which was like “driving over a dry waterfall”.
From Monterey, the cars visited San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Santa Rosa and then a four-day stop-off to join the California Tiger Club’s annual Tigers United meeting, held this year in Sacramento. More than 50 West Coast Tigers took part. From Sacramento, the UK group took in the Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks before returning to LA.
Greg MacLeman is a contributor to and former Features Editor of Classic & Sports Car, and drives a restored and uprated 1974 Triumph 2500TC