TVR is a truly British tale of survival. To mark its latest revival, 50 TVRs returned to its Blackpool home, before thundering to the new factory site in Wales. C&SC tagged along in a mighty Griffith
Origins: 1962 TVR Grantura
TVR began with Trevor Wilkinson’s first Alvis-based special in 1947, and within 10 years it had built more than 100 Granturas. Ian Massey-Crosse’s Mk3 Grantura is a fascinating link to TVR’s past
Getting serious: 1978 TVR 3000M
TVR was liquidated in 1965. Within weeks, enthusiast Martin Lilley and father Arthur had bought the firm and launched an aggressive new-model programme, culminating in the M Series
Getting serious: 1978 TVR 3000M
Serial car collector Jeff Sargeant and wife Carol have a long association with their M Series: “I ordered the car in 1978 and went to see it being made,” he says. “I’ve done about 170,000 miles since”
Lifting the lid: 1978 TVR 3000S
Today TVR might be best known for its muscular roadsters, but in its early days it was all about coupés. The drop-top 3000S changed all that, establishing the recipe for TVRs to come
Lifting the lid: 1978 TVR 3000S
Alan Preston has owned his 3000S for five and half years: “It was road-legal, but in a bad way. I ripped it all out and started again. As long as you’re mechanically minded, you’ll be fine with a TVR”
The wedge era: TVR Tasmin 2.8i
Unveiled in 1980, the Tasmin at first appeared to be a lame duck. But with new owner Peter Wheeler at the wheel, it would provide the foundations for TVR's development
The wedge era: TVR Tasmin 2.8i
“I was after a V8S, but it was out of my price range,” says Jez Barker of his 1984 Tasmin. “Then I saw this, and after a drive I was sold! They’re easy to work on, quick and reasonably reliable”
Back to the future: the TVR S
Sue Carlin’s S has been in the family for four years. “My husband saw me in a wedge,” she says, “but
I didn’t like them. This car came with an MoT but there were lots of issues"
The new dawn: TVR Griffith
"A line of ever-loopier Rover V8-powered wedges provided the platform for Peter Wheeler to launch the marque’s most commercially successful models in the ’90s, beginning with the curvy Griffith
The new dawn: TVR Griffith
Richard Sails only bought his early 4.0-litre ‘pre-cat’ model recently: “But I’d been trying to buy it for 15 years. We agreed a price a couple of years ago, and now I’ve finally got it”
Entering the mainstream: 1996 TVR Chimaera
The Griffith was a fabulous machine, but not an easy one to live with. The Chimaera added a touch of usability and practicality
Entering the mainstream: 1996 TVR Chimaera
Alan Musgrave has had his highly original 1996 Chimaera for 16 years: "It hasn’t needed anything beyond regular servicing, You hear horror stories but most have now been sorted"
Under its own power: 2000 TVR Tuscan
After years of relying on reliable Rover V8 power, TVR began building its own engines with first the Cerbera then the mighty Tuscan, with its potent AJP-6 straight-six
Under its own power: 2000 TVR Tuscan
TVR specialist Heath Briggs keeps his low-mileage Tuscan for best: “It was standing outside a house for 10 years and I must have spent £10k on parts – never mind the labour!”
Final fling: 2005 TVR Sagaris
Following the successful Tuscan, T350 and Tamora, the wild Sagaris would be the final roll of the dice for TVR under new owner Nikolai Smolensky, who bought the firm in 2004
Final fling: 2005 TVR Sagaris
“You sit in it and the hairs on the back of your neck rise," says Sagaris owner Nick Bell. "It's easy enough to drive, but it has taken a while to get used to the power”
Return of the king: 2017 TVR Griffith
The first new TVR since the Sagaris broke cover at the Goodwood Revival, with its maker promising 200mph and 0-60mph in less than 4 secs from the £90k coupé's Cosworth-tuned Ford V8
Return of the king: 2017 TVR Griffith
The new Griffith is expected to tip the scales at 1200kg, thanks to Gordon Murray’s patented ‘iStream Carbon’ production process, which uses a tubular structure with bonded-in carbonfibre panels
