1986 Tiga GC286 3.0-Litre Sports-racing Prototype
Chassis no. GC286-335

Racing car manufacturer Tiga was founded in 1974 and took its name from those of its two founders: Formula 1 drivers Tim Schenken and Howden Ganley. The British company enjoyed considerable success, selling almost 400 cars for categories ranging from Formula Ford to Group C before its demise in 1989. The firm was particularly successful in the popular Sports 2000 series for open-cockpit prototypes, winning four British, three European and one American championship in that category. Other notable achievements include class wins at Le Mans (1985) and Daytona (1987 and '88), the Group C2 Teams award in the World Endurance Championship (1985) and IMSA Camel Lights Championship (1988).

Tiga's GC286 was a development of the Ganley-designed GC285 and GC284. A design for Group C that made its debut in 1984, the latter was quite successful in the hands of Gordon Spice's team, winning at Spa, Imola and Sandown Park that season. Spice used the successor GC285 to good effect, winning the C2 class at Le Mans in 1985 with Ray Bellm and going on to take that year's C2 World Championship.

The GC286 was the first of the Tiga 'ground effect' C2 and IMSA Lights cars, which were produced with progressive modifications from 1986 until 1989. One of their advantages was the ease with which they could be updated from year to year and adapted to run in the lightweight classes to both World Endurance Championship and IMSA rules. Engines as diverse as the Mazda 13B rotary, Cosworth DFZ, Chevrolet V8, Ford BDT and Porsche 962 found their way into Tiga chassis in the mid-1980s, when Tigas were able to dominate their class, having overcome the earlier Alba designs, and before the productions of Gordon Spice became dominant.

Chassis number 'GC286-335' was one of the first of this model and has a continuous history. In factory ownership it was initially campaigned in the WEC, including Le Mans, by Roy Baker Racing in the C2 class in 1986 with Ford BDT power, and then the Cee Sports Team with former Formula 1 driver and sometime Abba drummer Slim Borgudd and a Volvo turbo before a return to the BDT in 1987. In 1988 it was acquired from Tiga Cars for entry in the BRDC British Sportscar Championship in 1989 for Andrew McAlpine and Mike Catlow. Its engine was now the 24-valve Cosworth V6, a design initially intended for the Rover Group's MG Metro 6R4 Group B rally-car. Producing 420bhp, the Cosworth V6 drives via a Hewland FGB five-speed gearbox and the car rolls on either 16" Gotti or BBS wheels. Dry weight is 705kgs.

Acquired in 1989 by the current owner, the chassis has been preserved in the form in which it ran in the BRDC series and in the Interserie in 1990 driven by David Mercer, Steve Guglielmi, Richard Hinton and Nick Atkins. Since then it has achieved class victories in the Historic Group C/GTP series. Described as in generally good condition, with zero hours on the engine and gearbox since rebuilding, this historic Group C sports car is offered with bills relating to its restoration in 2006.

Representing an affordable entry into one of the most iconic and awe inspiring racing series ever created. This Tiga will allow the new owner, as it did in period the opportunity to race against some of the most exciting and sophisticated cars ever designed at some of the worlds greatest racing circuits courtesy of the Group C Historic Racing Series.