Frequently Asked Questions about Classic TVR

What does TVR stand for?

TVR is a contraction of Trevor, the first name of founder Trevor Wilkinson, made from the letters T, V and R. Wilkinson started his Blackpool, England, business under the name Trevcar Motors and later renamed it TVR Engineering. Sources give different years for the renaming, but they agree that the three letters came from the founder's own name.

Who founded TVR and when?

Trevor Wilkinson founded TVR in Blackpool, England, in 1946 or 1947, as sources differ on the year. He set up Trevcar Motors, a general engineering and car repair business, and worked with partner Jack Pickard. The first TVR chassis was built in 1949, and the fastback that became the Grantura followed in 1958. Wilkinson left the company in 1962.

Where were TVR cars built?

TVR built its cars in Blackpool, in Lancashire, England. The business began in an old wheelwright's workshop and later worked from premises at Hoo Hill. At the end of 1970 it moved to a larger factory on Bristol Avenue, in the Bispham area of the town, and stayed there until 2006. The manufacturing arm, Blackpool Automotive, went into administration in December of that year.

Who owned TVR over the years?

TVR passed through a series of private owners. Founder Trevor Wilkinson left in 1962, and after a period of financial trouble Arthur Lilley and his son Martin bought the business in 1965. Peter Wheeler, a chemical engineer and TVR owner, took control in late 1981 and sold the company to Nikolai Smolensky in 2004. A consortium led by Les Edgar bought the brand in 2013.

What is the connection between the TVR Griffith and the United States?

The TVR Griffith was created for the American market by Jack Griffith, a Ford dealer on Long Island, New York. TVR shipped Grantura-based cars from Blackpool without an engine or gearbox, and the Ford 289-cubic-inch V8 was installed in the United States, rated at 195 hp or 271 hp in high-performance form. About 192 Griffith 200s were built before the Griffith 400 replaced it.

What is a TVR 280i?

The TVR 280i was the Ford V6 version of the wedge-shaped Tasmin, which TVR introduced in 1980. Its fiberglass body, styled by former Lotus designer Oliver Winterbottom, sat on a tubular steel backbone chassis, and power came from a fuel-injected 2.8-liter Ford Cologne V6. TVR later dropped the Tasmin name and sold the Ford-engined car simply as the 280i.

What is a TVR S1?

The TVR S1 is the first version of the S series, a convertible that TVR showed at the 1986 British International Motor Show and began delivering in 1987. It used the 2.8-liter Ford Cologne V6 from the 280i, rated at 160 bhp, in a steel tubular backbone chassis with a fiberglass body. The S2, with a 2.9-liter V6, replaced it in 1988.

When did TVR stop selling cars in the United States?

TVR stopped exporting cars to the United States in 1987, and the last model sent there was the 280i. The first TVR had reached the country in 1956. In the 1970s TVR sold the 2500M to American buyers with the 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine from the Triumph TR6, chosen because it was already certified for US emissions rules. No later TVR models were exported to the United States.