The first solar powered car ever to make its mark on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus was SunTiger I. Starting from scratch, the first team faced many challenges. Just imagine building a car from a recipe that included little else but to maximize power and minimize unproductive losses.

After more than a year of consideration and research, an overall plan was formed. The final product had to be extremely aerodynamic, lightweight, and capable of generating adequate power. The result was SunTiger I.

In June of 1993, these students were able to put their design to the test against 37 other collegiate teams in Sunrayce 93. SunTiger I's design proved to be extremely reliable, never incurring mechanical trouble that plagued other teams. The Mizzou team finished in an admirable 19th place.

Many valuable lessons were learned from the testing and competition of this prototype vehicle. Although weight had been a major problem and aerodynamic imperfections created additional limiting factors, these problems would be corrected in the design of SunTiger II.

Final standing: 19th place
Weight without driver: 941 lbs.
Motor: Solectria DC brushless
Frame: carbon reinforced foam core beams
Body: carbon fiber/nomex honeycomb composite
Wheels: four 20" 48 spoke rims with city slick tires at 120 psi