TVR in Breif
TVR was the brainchild of Blackpool-based engineer Trevor Wilkinson who began building light alloy specials in his workshop as a hobby. The first three cars were built on an Alvis Firebird rolling chassis and powered by a 1172cc side-valved Ford engine with Austin Devon suspension components and a Morris 8 rear axle. The number two car is still in existence today.
Martin Lilley, a shareholder in TVR's former partner Grantura Engineering, purchased the company in 1966. He is credited for transforming the company from a small kit car maker to a veritable sport car manufacturer. Throughout his tenure the company expanded, adding the Vixen, Tuscan and M-Series models which carried on through the 1980s.
Peter Wheeler took over at the helm in 1982 and put the company on the map. He is credited with making the switch from naturally aspirated and turbocharged 6 cylinder engines in favour of a revised Rover V8. In 1990 Wheeler decides to start producing engines in-house and creates the AJP8, a lightweight alloy V8. Originally destined for the Griffith and Chimaera, development took longer than expected and it only became available in the 1996 Cerbera and Tuscan race car.
The 1992 Rover V8-powered Griffith has largely been commended for the company's renaissance. When launched at its first Motor Show, orders were taken every eight minutes. Wheeler continued the product onslaught with the Chimaera, Speed Eight -powered Cerbera and the turbocharged six cylinder (Speed Six) Tuscan model which appeared alongside John Travolta in 'Swordfish'. 1998 saw TVR enter the GT1-class with the 7.7 liter Speed Twelve the engine which propelled the Cerbera to win at its debut in Silverstone.
In 2004, 24 year old Nikolai Smolensky, the son of a Russian billionaire, purchased TVR from Wheeler for an estimated £15 million. The first model produced under the new management was the Sagaris, widely acclaimed as the best TVR ever produced. Sadly, and after much negotiation, Smolensky has opted to close the factory in Blackpool, where the company has been based since its inception. There is no word yet on where the company will relocate.
Martin Lilley, a shareholder in TVR's former partner Grantura Engineering, purchased the company in 1966. He is credited for transforming the company from a small kit car maker to a veritable sport car manufacturer. Throughout his tenure the company expanded, adding the Vixen, Tuscan and M-Series models which carried on through the 1980s.
Peter Wheeler took over at the helm in 1982 and put the company on the map. He is credited with making the switch from naturally aspirated and turbocharged 6 cylinder engines in favour of a revised Rover V8. In 1990 Wheeler decides to start producing engines in-house and creates the AJP8, a lightweight alloy V8. Originally destined for the Griffith and Chimaera, development took longer than expected and it only became available in the 1996 Cerbera and Tuscan race car.
The 1992 Rover V8-powered Griffith has largely been commended for the company's renaissance. When launched at its first Motor Show, orders were taken every eight minutes. Wheeler continued the product onslaught with the Chimaera, Speed Eight -powered Cerbera and the turbocharged six cylinder (Speed Six) Tuscan model which appeared alongside John Travolta in 'Swordfish'. 1998 saw TVR enter the GT1-class with the 7.7 liter Speed Twelve the engine which propelled the Cerbera to win at its debut in Silverstone.
In 2004, 24 year old Nikolai Smolensky, the son of a Russian billionaire, purchased TVR from Wheeler for an estimated £15 million. The first model produced under the new management was the Sagaris, widely acclaimed as the best TVR ever produced. Sadly, and after much negotiation, Smolensky has opted to close the factory in Blackpool, where the company has been based since its inception. There is no word yet on where the company will relocate.
posted by Eric at 1:25 PM
1 Comments:
Hello and glad to find your blog. I’ve recently added some pages on all the important TVR models to my website and I invite you to check it out. I’ve posted some nice TVR Tuscan wallpapers, quite a few TVR Sagaris photos and also red hot pictures of the TVR Cerbera. Hope you like them!
Regards,
Michael S.
All-Car-Parts.com
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