Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

If you try and examine the history of TVR even on summary sites such as Wikipedia or similar what will strike you is the complex history of TVR and the details of it's changes, trials and tribulations are complex at best and confusing at least.

In the 1970s when I eagerly looked out for new sportscars the TVR Vixen was rare although the circular Ford Cortina Mk 1 rear lights version was the one I saw more than any other.

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The models that followed were numerous and the only ones I could identify were the Taimar and the Tasmin.
However in the autumn of 1991 the local hostelry I went to for liquid refreshment had a group of guests staying for a few days. As regulars we started talking with them and after friendly discourses they invited us outside to have a peek at a new "secret" TVR model they were photographing here in North Wales.
Hidden inside unmarked car box trailers were two cars, one of which we were allowed to see, the other we were not.
























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The new to be Chimaera and a peek is all we were given.

It was after this that I took an interest in TVR for the first time. The Cerbera followed in 1996 but the last models built, the Sagaris and the final Typhon didn't appeal to me.

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So, what is your opinion of TVR?
Two years ago I more than fancied a Chimaera and I cannot work out why a coupe Cerbera is more valuable and sought after than the open Chimaera.

I asked the opinion of Dave Evans, the proprietor of the garage where we everything "modern". His apprenticeship and "improving" included RS Fords including RS1600, RS1800 and above.
"Buy one by all means but don't bring it here WHEN it breaks down"

He was more than enthusiastic in assessing BMW M3's for me including the one I eventually bought 18 months ago and that says it all.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Ray White]

My Brother bought a new Chimaera and at first was well pleased with it. However, after a while it began to cost more and more until he had lost the faith and tried to sell. No one wanted it and as the price came down and down, it soon became clear that this was a serious problem. In the end a dealer took it off his hands for a seriously depreciated price and the TVR experience was put down to one of life's bad decisions.

My brother has had some seriously quick supercars in his time and must have spent a fortune over the years but in his case the cost is just pocket money. For anyone of more modest means thinking of buying a TVR, I would advise against. It will keep you poor.

[ukdave2002]

When I joined the firm I'm still with some 25 years ago, the owners had Bentleys ,and he successful middle managment all seemed to have TVR's , us then youngsters had XR3i's or Astra GTE's company cars which we were more than happy with

I drove some TVR's at the time and it was great to say I had driven one, but long term I'd stick iwith my GTE. Since then I have had an 911 and an M3 and they were both in a different (better) league to any of the TVR's as an everyday car.

Oddly enough the founder of our company (bently driver) bought Marcos Cars in the mid 90's created a factory works team and got a manufacture entry at Le Mans, we all got a freebie trip to Le Mans that year , however even through my most rose tinted glasses both TVR & Marcos look too much like kit cars for me to hamper after one , Phil Hulme (my boss and past owner of Marcos Cars) said to me in the 90's , that the Marcos was great to drive, but he always had to check to see what bit had fallen off every time he stopped, TVR owners have similar tails!

Dave

[lowdrag]

Back in the early 1990s I was talking to the service manager of a Ferrari dealership that had also taken on TVR. For him, it was a terrible decision since as far as he was concerned "the owners were the test drivers and we repaired the cars without being correctly paid". He then took me in the back to see a new car that the owner had spun, hit the kerb and flipped. The roll cage on the passenger side had collapsed, but luckily there was no passenger since he would almost certainly have lost his life. A cousin had a Grantura many years back, and I don't remember it ever being without one problem or another, mostly head gaskets. I've never owned one and frankly have never really wanted to given the many gremlins - and depreciation as already mentioned.

[mikeC]

The reliability problems have always discouraged me from looking too enthusiastically at TVRs, but is/was this just an original quality control problem? Have today's TVRs been sorted by subsequent owners and modern day restorations, or do they still have inherent and insurmountable faults?

[Ellis]

It appears that we may all be able to buy new TVRs again shortly.
A businessman by the name of Les Dale has bought the TVR name from the former Russian owner, Smolensky, and if you click on :

www.tvr.co.uk

you may get a hint of the future.

We shall see.........
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rootes75]

A youngish lad down the end of our lane has a TVR, he has restored it with his father. I'm not keen on the look of it but the sound of the engine is lovely.