TVR model range — historical overview
This page is a chronological reference to TVR’s road-car model range, from the company’s founding in Blackpool in 1947 through the Peter Wheeler era and into the recent revival attempts. It’s a quick lookup for production years, engines and approximate build numbers — useful when identifying a car, sourcing parts or working out which platform shared what.
TVR was, at its peak in the 1990s, reportedly the third-largest specialist sports car manufacturer in the world. The cars share a common recipe throughout: a tubular steel backbone or spaceframe chassis, glassfibre bodywork, and (usually) a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels.
Classic era (1958–1979)
Section titled “Classic era (1958–1979)”The early cars used a mix of bought-in engines from Coventry Climax, MG, Ford and others. Bodies were glassfibre over a tubular steel frame — a formula TVR kept for the rest of its life.
| Model | Years | Engine(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grantura | 1958–1967 | Coventry Climax, MG, Ford | First production TVR; multiple Mk variants |
| Griffith 200 / 400 | 1963–1967 | Ford V8 | US-market car; named after Jack Griffith |
| Vixen S1–S4 | 1967–1973 | 1.6 Ford Kent | Lightweight coupe; replaced the Grantura |
| Tuscan V8 | 1967–1971 | Ford V8 | Rare — around 174 built |
| 3000M / 2500M / 2000M | 1972–1979 | Ford Essex V6 (and others) | Popular in club racing |
| Taimar | 1976–1983 | Ford Essex V6 | Fixed-head coupe development of the 3000M |
Wedge era (1980–1991)
Section titled “Wedge era (1980–1991)”The angular Tasmin family — universally nicknamed the “Wedge” — covered a wide spread of engines and body styles (coupe, convertible, 2+2).
| Model | Years | Engine(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmin / 280i | 1980–1986 | 2.8 Ford Cologne V6 | The original Wedge |
| 350i, 390SE, 400SE, 420SE, 450SE | 1983–1989 | Rover V8 (3.5–4.5) | Increasing levels of Rover V8 tune |
| 420 SEAC, 450 SEAC | 1986–1988 | Tuned Rover V8 | Kevlar/carbon-composite bodywork; very rare |
S Series (1986–1994)
Section titled “S Series (1986–1994)”The S Series returned to softer, curvier styling and reused a lot of Ford running gear. The V8S grafted the Rover V8 into the same shell. Brake hardware is largely Ford Fiesta Mk3 / Sierra / Saab — see the brake servo cross-reference for details.
| Model | Years | Engine | Approx. built |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 1986–1988 | 2.8 Ford Cologne V6 | 197 |
| S2 | 1988–1989 | 2.9 Ford Cologne V6 | 662 |
| S3 | 1989–1993 | 2.9 Ford Cologne V6 | 730 |
| S3C / S4C | 1993–1994 | 2.9 Ford Cologne V6 | 411 (S3C) |
| V8S | 1991–1994 | 4.0 Rover V8 | ~410 |
Peter Wheeler era (1990–2006)
Section titled “Peter Wheeler era (1990–2006)”This is the period most people picture when they think of TVR: aggressive styling, big power, and from the Cerbera onwards, TVR’s own engines designed by Al Melling — the AJP8 V8 and the Speed Six straight-six.
| Model | Years | Engine(s) | Approx. built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griffith | 1990–2002 | Rover V8 4.0 / 4.3 / 4.5 / 5.0 | ~2,351 |
| Chimaera | 1992–2003 | Rover V8 4.0 / 4.0 HC / 4.3 / 4.5 / 5.0 | ~5,256 |
| Cerbera | 1996–2006 | AJP8 (4.2 / 4.5) and Speed Six 4.0 | ~1,490 |
| Tuscan Speed Six | 1999–2006 | Speed Six 3.6 / 4.0 | — |
| Tamora | 2002–2006 | Speed Six 3.6 | — |
| T350C / T350T | 2002–2006 | Speed Six 3.6 / 4.0 | — |
| Sagaris | 2005–2006 | Speed Six 4.0 (~406 bhp) | ~213 |
| Typhon | 2003–2004 | Supercharged Speed Six | Handful only |
The Chimaera was TVR’s highest-volume model. The Cerbera is significant as the first TVR with engines designed in-house rather than bought in from Ford or Rover.
Smolensky era and beyond (2004–present)
Section titled “Smolensky era and beyond (2004–present)”Nikolay Smolensky bought TVR in 2004. Production at the Bristol Avenue factory in Blackpool wound down through 2006 and ceased shortly after. A series of ownership changes and revival attempts followed.
In 2017 a new TVR Griffith was unveiled — a Gordon Murray–designed car with a Cosworth-prepared Ford “Coyote” V8 — but as of writing it has not entered series production.
See also
Section titled “See also”- Buyer’s guide — Griffith, Chimaera & Cerbera
- Rover V8 in TVRs
- AJP8 (Speed Eight) engine
- Speed Six engine
Compiled from Wikipedia and community sources — production figures vary between references, so treat them as approximate and verify against marque-specific sources before relying on them.