TVR
(1958 - 2006)
Brand:
Country:
United Kingdom
TVR was originally founded in 1947 by Trevor Wilkinson under the name ‘Trevcar Motors’, but changed its name to TVR in 1954, a variation of TreVoR's name. From the very beginning, the company worked on the principle of polyester bodywork on a tubular steel frame chassis. The cars were often sold in kit form to avoid the high British taxes. This practice was only made impossible in the 1970s when the government closed this loophole in the law.
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Car articles about TVR by year
In this country, the TVR Grantura is a rarity; in Great Britain, it was one of the rising sports car stars at the beginning of the 1960s, combining a lightweight plastic body with a robust drive concept and visually attractive design. No wonder the fast coupés were popular in club sport and were also frequently seen on the road on the island. This driving report portrays a completely restored Grantura from 1960 and shows it in current and historical photos, supplemented by brochures and price lists.
John Aley drove the 1963 TVR Grantura MK III 1800 and was particularly impressed by its performance, but also by its comfort and handling in tight corners. He was less pleased with the handling in long corners and the noise in the interior. Overall, however, he praised the car and also reported on the good business of the TVR Limited. The test was supplemented by Zwischengas with original contemporary footage.
In the mid-sixties, TVR was financially at the end of its tether. The brand only survived thanks to Arthur and Martin Lilley. The two, father and son, quickly realized that TVR needed to produce more and new models. And so a sports car was created that could be produced in large numbers, the TVR Tina. Fissore built a Coupé and a Spider, designed by Trevor Fiore. The coupé has survived to this day, but series production was never launched. This report tells the story of the TVR Tina Coupé, which was only built once, and shows it and its open-top brother in historical and current pictures.
From 1967 to 1972, TVR built the Vixen plastic coupé, the direct successor to the Grantura. The almost 750 units with a Ford 1.6-liter engine impressed with their good handling and sporty performance. Above all, however, they ensured that the TVR brand survived the late sixties. This vehicle report tells the story of the successful Blackpool model and shows a restored example, supplemented by historical illustrations and three sales brochures.
The TVR Tuscan V8 is the direct successor to the equally famous TVR Griffith V8 from the early 1960s. Thanks to a longer wheelbase and other improvements, the Tuscan became one of the world's fastest sports cars, faster than a Lamborghini Miura at a much lower price. Less than 100 examples were built, one of which is now in the hands of a Swiss fan. What it feels like when an English lightweight is powered by a modified Ford Mustang eight-cylinder engine is impressively described and illustrated in this article.
Fewer than 950 TVR 2500Ms were built between 1971 and 1977, most of which were exported to North America. Powered by a "clean" Triumph 6-cylinder engine, driving pleasure could be offered even under stricter environmental regulations. Only a few examples remained in Europe, where the 3000M was much more popular. The TVR 2500M presented here is still in its unaltered original condition - almost a sensation - and can serve as a restoration model without restriction. This is exactly how the vehicles left the production hall in Blackpool.
In 1978, the small English sports car company TVR launched a roadster on the market, the brand's first open-top car since the 1950s. Thanks to its powerful V6 engine and attractive bodywork, the open-top plastic sports car won the hearts of customers. This vehicle report tells the story of the TVR 3000 S and portrays the first example imported into Switzerland in detail, supplemented by historical illustrations and sales brochures.
TVR had built up a loyal customer base over many years with traditionally oriented sports cars. However, when the Tasmin was presented at the beginning of the 1980s, many people found it too extreme, too wedge-shaped. But the performance was right and the car became ever more powerful and faster over the 11 years it was built. Nevertheless, it remained less desirable than the vehicles before and after, perhaps wrongly so. This report portrays a TVR 350i 2+2 from 1983, the first and only left-hand drive vehicle of this type ever, supplemented by many pictures from today and back then, as well as 15 (!) brochures and price lists.
Premium
TVR S3C - The open time capsule
Many cars today are said to have been ahead of their time. The TVR S, on the other hand, was deliberately designed as an old-fashioned reminiscence of days gone by - and fulfills this role so well that it is almost hard to believe how young it actually is. Because hardly any other nineties car offers such a sixties feel. This article describes the development from the S to the S4C and describes the impression behind the wheel of an S3C
The "Chimaera" is a fire-breathing monster from Greek mythology. On the occasion of a test drive with the 5-liter model of the TVR, we wanted to find out how much fire there is in the unconventional Briton and how it drives today, more than 20 years after its presentation. This much can be revealed: The soundscape alone before we set off was impressive...
The era of Peter Wheeler as owner of TVR in Blackpool, England, is regarded as the golden age of the brand. In an era in which more and more electronic helpers were finding their way into cars, TVR could already boast on paper about what its cars consistently lacked: first and foremost, of course, weight, but also ABS or airbags, electronic suspension and other features. One car, however, offered even more of the "less" that TVR fans love so much, the "civilized" racing car for the road: the only TVR T440 R that was ever built.
If a car manufacturer with four model series and self-developed engines builds 500 cars a year, they should actually be very expensive. But a TVR cost just over EUR 100,000 and so it was not surprising that the company could not be successful in the long term with this strategy. But with the Tuscan, TVR succeeded in creating a final bouquet that many a competitor could take a leaf out of their book. This driving report is dedicated to the TVR Tuscan S Mk 2 and shows it in many pictures, including sales brochures and a sound sample.
Current market prices for TVR
Coupe, 78 PS, 1588 cm3
Coupe, 85 PS, 1622 cm3
Coupe, 85 PS, 1622 cm3
Coupe, 95 PS, 1798 cm3
Coupe, 93 PS, 1798 cm3
Coupe, 270 PS, 4727 cm3
Coupe, 88 PS, 1599 cm3
Coupe, 88 PS, 1599 cm3
Coupe, 85 PS, 1599 cm3
Coupe, 85 PS, 1599 cm3
Coupe, 270 PS, 4727 cm3
Coupe, 127 PS, 2994 cm3
Coupe, 62 PS, 1296 cm3
Coupe, 106 PS, 2498 cm3
Coupe, 69 PS, 1599 cm3
Coupe, 106 PS, 2498 cm3
Coupe, 137 PS, 2994 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of TVR
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVR Chimaera 1997 Sold SWVA Poole Auction (April 25, 2014) |
Chimaera | 1997 | Sold | SWVA Poole Auction (April 25, 2014) | |
| TVR T 350 C 2003 Not Sold Brightwells Classic & Vintage Cars and Motorcycles (March 4, 2015) |
T 350 C | 2003 | Not Sold | Brightwells Classic & Vintage Cars and Motorcycles (March 4, 2015) | |
| TVR Tuscan 2001 Not Sold ACA Kings Lynn (January 23, 2016) |
Tuscan | 2001 | Not Sold | ACA Kings Lynn (January 23, 2016) | |
| TVR Vixen S3 1972 Sold Brightwells Herefordshire Sale (July 17, 2013) |
Vixen S3 | 1972 | Sold | Brightwells Herefordshire Sale (July 17, 2013) | |
| TVR Vixen 1971 Sold SWVA Dorset Sale (July 31, 2015) |
Vixen | 1971 | Sold | SWVA Dorset Sale (July 31, 2015) | |
| TVR 2500 1971 Sold Bonhams London Olympia Sale (December 6, 2017) |
2500 | 1971 | Sold | Bonhams London Olympia Sale (December 6, 2017) | |
| TVR 280S 1989 Sold Anglia Car Auctions Kings Lynn Auction (November 1, 2014) |
280S | 1989 | Sold | Anglia Car Auctions Kings Lynn Auction (November 1, 2014) | |
| TVR Cerbera 1997 Sold CCA CCA Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show Sale (April 1, 2017) |
Cerbera | 1997 | Sold | CCA CCA Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show Sale (April 1, 2017) | |
| TVR 3000 S 1979 Conditional Sale Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Swiss Classic World Luzern (June 1, 2024) |
3000 S | 1979 | Conditional Sale | Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Swiss Classic World Luzern (June 1, 2024) | |
| TVR 280 S1 Ford 1988 Sold ACA Kings Lynn Auction (April 5, 2014) |
280 S1 Ford | 1988 | Sold | ACA Kings Lynn Auction (April 5, 2014) |
Query all auctioned vehicles of TVR
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