TVR Reportedly Back In British Hands Is TVR making a comeback from bankruptcy? Maybe so. Because bat**** car. Read The Internet has been abuzz with rumors about a possible comeback for now-defunct insanemobile manufacturer TVR since yesterday, and now, it looks like things are stirring. The company is reportedly headed back to British ownership where it belongs. The UK's Autocar reports that rights to make TVR cars using existing designs and components have been sold to an unnamed British interest by their previous owner, Russian businessman Nikolai Smolensky. The deal was reportedly completed a few weeks ago, and around the same time, a new company was incorporated in England with the name of TVR Motor Cars Ltd. Autocar is relatively vague on the details, but they do say "the transaction is understood to involve a company fronted by a Mr Les Edgar, a Surrey-based entrepreneur." Back in the summer of 1995, at the tender age of 10, I sat shotgun in my father's TVR Griffith, headed to the traditional establishment that all Very, very interesting. TVR spent decades making cars that were gorgeous as well as obscenely fast and difficult to drive. It's the brand that Jeremy Clarkson famously once said "built a car, put it on sale, and then found out how it handled usually when one of their customers wrote to the factory complaining about how dead he was. But TVR spent most of the last decade incredibly troubled. Smolensky bought them in 2004, but closed the factory in 2006 amidst a number of financial problems. In 2012 he said that production would end permanently. It's too early to say whether this news indicates a comeback for TVR, but I hope that things are headed in that direction. The world could use a taste of their particular brand of crazy once again. TVR Reportedly Back In British Hands Image Unavailable, Please Login
Awesome info. Glad to see this! I am a sucker for British cars anyway, but I have always really liked TVR, and the "attitude" in their cars. Would like to have one at some point.
Yes. Those things just look diabolical. I've often wondered, while pondering the classifieds in one of the British mags like Classic and Sports Car, how hard/if it is even possible to somehow import newer European cars to use here. I'd love to have something cool that is REALLY rare this side of the Atlantic. For example, something like an MGF, MG XPower, various TVR's, modern euro hot hatches that aren't available here, etc.
Nathan, I suppose you could in the end import anything you want, as long as you make it compliant with local legislation. Depending on what you start with, there is cost involved, as many cars were never designed with US market in mind. When you can spread the cost over lots of units, it becomes less of a factor, but doing so for 1 MGF... Best, Jack.
There was a grey market TVR importer based in the US, I believe IIRC had the business name which initials spelled T.V.R., but I'm unsure if or how many cars they might have brought in? Sadly TVR did not have very sophisticated development to accommodate foreign markets, like the north American crash and emissions expectations, so might be the prime reason they simply aren't seen here
One can always dream. I would love to find a lhd 1990 Griffith to import in 2015 once they are 25yrs old. In the meantime I will just have to finish my 65 griffith. Image Unavailable, Please Login
No, you can't. Since 1968 there have been federal requirements for automobiles, including many federal limitations on importation. There are expetions for "show and display" of historically significant cars, however federal law specifically forbids the importation of any modern TVR, including the Sagaris: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/sdlist040109.pdf Matt
I hope TVR has new life, if only because they are so barking mad. Owning a TVR in the past was like owning a bear. I mean it was great, until it pulled your head off, which it would. or "TVR have done the unthinkable - they've fitted wheels to a thunderstorm"
Ah, there's the answer why none have come in It also explains why the grey market import company I read about apparently didn't get anywhere in their efforts Perhaps we'll see something to change that with these new owners?
There's a guy in West Hollywood who has a Sagaris. I've seen him driving around on the Sunset Strip. It's a dark purple color that changes color depending on where the light hits it. I've always wanted to stop him and ask how he got the car here. I don't think it had any plates.
I seem to remember hearing that John Travolta had a modern TVR of some sort....maybe a Cerbera or Tuscan? I know there was one in one of his action movies several years ago, can't remember the name of the film though. Perhaps that was his car?
good to see as he rightly notes, they are being careful to not talk things up to much, as is more typical of other efforts, all talk not beef! I wish them good luck, I hope they don't stop making "insane" cars though & start taking themselves to seriously!
Bang the Sagaris back into production with a crate motor and manual box with off the shelf instruments and it would be a winner. Maybe some of the stuff has to be out-sourced to South Africa e.g. Body lay up (just like noble and AC did). The Sagaris is still a wild looking thing that actually handled pretty well.
Loved my 1972 2500 series TVR, one of the most fun cars I have owned. I sometimes wish I had kept it, but then many of us have a car that we wished we had kept. Would be nice to see TVR's back on the market.
