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TVRThe first car produced under the TVR name (derived from the creator's first name TreVoR) was a hand-built special designed and built by Trevor Wilkinson in 1947, heralding the creation of a company that would go on the become the 3rd largest sports car manufacturer in the world. During the first years, all TVRs were considered specials and only a very few were built, and amazingly the second TVR ever built is still in existence. The firs true production run began in 1957 with the assistance of Ray Saidel, an American who became the first TVR dealer. He helped to design and test a car that was dubbed the Jomar, taken from the names of Saidel's two children (JOhn and MARgaret). The car proved to be very popular, and so many orders were received that production demands could not be met. TVR Engineering had to seek financial backing elsewhere.
At the end of 1958 TVR was transformed into Layton Sports Cars Ltd. which was in reality only a change of name and financial backing. Production remained in disarray, leading Saidel to relinquish his dealership. Closing the American market (which was TVR's largest) was devastating, and orders quickly tailed off. In early 1959, Grantura Engineering was set up to supply components and body shells for TVR, while Layton would do the final assembly. Named after the new company came the newest TVR, the Grantura. With this car, TVR finally began to carve it's niche and define itself for the coming years as producing fast, attractive fibergalss sports cars based on a strong, tubular backbone chassis.
Soon the company became known soley as Grantura Engineering, and he company continued under this name producing the V8 Griffith, until November of 1965 when, under financial duress, the company was purchased by Martin Lilley, who had been a shareholder of Grantura Engineering. The company's name was changed again, back to TVR Engineering, bringing with it a higher level of finish and quality control, failures of which had partly been responsible for slow sales. In an effort to resume the tradition established with the V8 Griffith, but without its negative stigma, Lilley commissioned the Tuscan series. To bolster this new car, and to replace the aging Grantura, he also oversaw the creation of the Vixen for the 1968 model year. These new cars were tremendous improvements in both performance and quality over their predecessors, and they started the long journey of turning TVR into a world-class sports car company. With Lilley at the helm things settled down, and success was only just around the corner.
1971 brought the introduction of the M-Series chassis, and a new high of refinement and luxury, and performance to TVR. While the first cars used leftover Vixen bodies, they were soon fitted with sleek new bodywork that caught the heart of the American public and would bring TVR significant profits during the coming years, guaranteeing them financial stability and a promising future.
TVR was established in 1947 by Trevor Wilkinson, the name 'TVR' being derived from his first name. The first cars were 'specials' using the drivelines from production cars, tuned and installed in a lightweight TVR chassis with minimal bodywork to maximize the agility and power-to-weight ratio. Agility and maximum power-to-weight remain TVR virtues to this day.
TVR made use of proprietary engines, like many low-volume manufacturers, to power its cars for many years. However there were those who opined that this somehow diminished the cachet of the Great British sports cars from Blackpool despite the fact that the engines, by the late 80s, were very heavily modified to TVR own unique, high-power specifications.
That began to change in the early 90s with the birth of the TVR Speed Eight V8 engine that, in 1995, became the world first racing engine to be de-tuned and installed in a road car: the TVR Cerbera. The Cerbera was a rude awakening for the supercar 'establishment'. '0-100 mph in 9 seconds dead' screamed Autocar magazine's front cover.
But the Speed Eight (aka AJP8) was only the beginning. In 1997, a 'Griffith Speed Six' concept car was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show. It show-cased the TVR Speed Six engine, a very modern take on the quintessentially British, growing straight-six. The Speed Six engine, like the Speed Eight, first appeared in the Cerbera. But the Speed Six is renowned as the power-house of the jaw-dropping Tuscan Speed Six that starred in the Hollywood movie 'Swordfish' with John Travolta and Halle Berry.
The Speed Six is also the power plant of the T400R, with which TVR returned to the Les 24 Heures du Mans in France in 2003 and 2004. Both Speed Six-powered T400R finished this most grueling of automotive challenges no mean feat in a class dominated by German and Italian stalwarts.
At the end of 2004, the Speed Eight engine, after an illustrious motorsport career not to mention a spectacular crop of headlines in the world motoring press ceased production with the Cerbera. Now, the Speed Six engine, in various guises, is at the heart of every current TVR model.
And here is the point.
Every TVR car is now TVR-powered. The process that began with the Speed Eight-powered Cerbera 4.2 of 1994 was completed with the Tamora and T350 of 2003. Every TVR is a true thoroughbred sports car powered by Blackpool-built engines, all with serious motor racing provenance.
This is all the more remarkable when compared with the efforts of other Great British marques that have fallen into the hands of volume manufacturers. In the same decade that TVR declared full independence, ever other Great British marque went the other way, sharing engines with sister marques.
This 'reverse trend' is deeper than striking cars that look like no others, powered by special engines that provide driving and performance characteristics like no others. Climb inside a TVR and you will find unique interiors with unique controls. A TVR is a very special driving environment indeed.
The uniqueness goes further still because every TVR is hand-built to customer specifications. Your own TVR will be a unique alchemy of passion, artistry and technology in which you are personally involved. Specifying your own TVR is an experience to be savored but the amazing buying experience is but a prelude to the wonder of ownership.
A TVR is engineered to invite your skill, judgment and 'feel' to unleash the purest, most exhilarating and involving motoring experience: the spirit of driving.
TVRs in popular media
John Travolta drove a TVR Tuscan in the movie Swordfish fitted with Preston (UK) numberplates.
Bugs Bunny drove a "modified" TVR Tuscan in the 2003 Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Yelena (Asia Argento) drove a TVR Tuscan in xXx with Vin Diesel.
Many TVRs are featured in the PlayStation 2 videogame, The Getaway: Black Monday.
Many TVRs are featured in the videogame series Gran Turismo.
TVRs, including the Tuscan and Cerbera Speed 12, are featured in Project Gotham Racing 2
TVRs are also featured in the Xbox 360 games Project Gotham Racing 3 and Test Drive Unlimited.
The TVR Griffith 400 is featured in the racing simulation game GT Legends.
TVRs are predominantly featured in the Test Drive series of video games.
Company Ownership
The history of the company can be divided into five eras, based on ownership:
1947–1965: owner Trevor Wilkinson
1965–1981: owner Martin Lilley
1981–2004: owner Peter Wheeler
2004–2007: owner Nikolai Smolenski
2007–Present: owner Adam Burdette and Jean Michel Santacreu
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