It’s TVR time!

Sometimes the memory of seeing a car in a particular place sticks with me for good. Usually it’s because the car looked so right in that moment. An Alfa Romeo 8C once screamed past me on an empty Autostrada early in the morning. I won’t be forgetting that. This certainly makes me odd, but I don’t think I’m alone. No less memorable was the sonorous passing of a much more attainable vehicle, a black TVR Griffith coming the other way over the Westmorland Dales in Cumbria, and it got me thinking.

For less than the cost of an electric Smart car (which will surely be recycled before you know it) you could own something that will forever be truly special.

The TVR Griffith was a Ferrari-beating sensation in the early 90s and we think it’s maturing into a perfect classic. There’s also something about TVR. There aren’t many other cars that are so universally well received as a TreVoR. I think the lack of pretension helps. Even if you don’t know about their humble seaside origins in the North of England, they are cars that somehow radiate a lack of pretension. Nobody seems to resent a colourful TVR burbling by, at least that’s what I like to imagine.

Oodles of bottom end torque and a spacious leather-clad cabin make the Griffith a wonderful summer touring car. Steering is tactile (earlier cars are unassisted but easily converted) and the original uncatalysed cars have an exhaust note to savour at any speed. The clutch is memorably beefy, TVR quirks abound and the roof is ingenious. Just like the more softly sprung Chimera (the Griffith’s sister car), the lightweight targa panel lifts out with ease and the rear window can be left up or down as you prefer. It’s a usable and long-legged classic V8 convertible with pedigree and presence, so why does it remain so affordable?

Gordon Murray tells the story of the Griffith’s tubular steel chassis performing rather poorly (to say the least) on a McLaren test rig in period. Whilst this means there are certainly more rewarding cars to ring out on tricky roads, I’m not sure this is such a bad thing, especially for a classic car. The rewards from this era of TVR can be had at sensible speeds. Hustled along the right road a sorted Griffith is a joy and it’ll likely bring a smile to people coming the other way too.

Originally available in either 4.0 or 4.3 litre form, the TVR tuned Rover V8 soon grew to 5.0 litres…bored and stroked in the Griffith 500. The basic hardware is meat and potatoes, parts are cheap and specialist support in the UK is excellent. In truth you could maintain a TVR of this vintage anywhere in the world on a very reasonable budget. Later TVRs with their home grown ‘speed six’ and ‘speed eight’ engines are different matter unfortunately!

- Good cars can still be had for under £20k, and if you prefer the more classically proportioned Chimera you’re in luck, decent ones start at a good deal less than that.

- The Griffith name may yet have another day in the spotlight with the long-awaited (Gordon Murray designed) new Griff supposedly still on the horizon.