Tag Archives: TVR

Cerbera Speed 12

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2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Sywell, England | May 20, 2023

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Holy grail territory right here. As far as 1990s (and early 2000s) unobtanium supercars go, they don’t get much harder to come by than this. And that’s because it is the only one ever completed. The basic road-going Cerbera is already a pretty outlandish car. But TVR turned it up to 11… er 12, with this one.

The idea for this car first surfaced in 1996 with the Project 7/12 concept. It was aimed at GT1 competition. By 1998, the first race car was ready. Now called the Speed 12, the car competed in a few British GT Championship races. In 2000, a GT2 racer was completed, and TVR started taking orders for the road-going version.

Then Peter Wheeler, the head of TVR, drove one of the prototypes and realized it was too insane – even for TVR – to sell to the public. That’s because the car was powered by a 7.7-liter V12 that made around 840 horsepower. TVR’s with fewer cylinders and much less power are known to be handfuls.

So TVR dismantled all of the prototypes, except one. Over the next few years it was upgraded with all of their racing know-how, including the engine. It was purchased by the current owner in 2010 and has been kept in ready-to-go condition by a former TVR mechanic. Silverstone hasn’t put an estimate on it, but you can read more here.

TVR 3000M

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1977 TVR 3000M

Offered by Historics Auctioneers | London, U.K. | February 25, 2023

Photo – Historics Auctioneers

TVR‘s M-Series of cars defined the marque for the 1970s. They launched in 1972 with the 1600M. The 3000M debuted in October 1972, and just 654 were built, although mechanically identical variants such as the hatchback Taimar and the drop-top 3000S would add to that total, as would a small number of turbocharged cars.

Power in the 3000M is provided by a 3.0-liter Ford V6 rated at 138 horsepower. The body is fiberglass, which is finished in blue over an off-white leather interior here.

These are relatively affordable old sports cars that will make onlookers do a double-take, especially in the U.S. but in Europe as well, as these are not a common sight anywhere. The pre-sale estimate here is $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

TVR Tuscan Challenge

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1999 TVR Tuscan Challenge

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | August 26-27, 2022

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The first TVR Tuscan was a car built in the 1960s. It was essentially a V8- (or V6)-powered version of the Grantura. The name was reused on the somehow more-wild Tuscan Speed Six of 1999-2006. In the intervening years, a Tuscan Challenge one-marque racing series took place.

Beginning in 1989, the Tuscan Challenge spec race car ran in a single-make series put on by TVR. The last season was around 2006. The cars resembled the early-1990s Griffith and Chimaera but actually debuted before either car. It’s somewhat unclear how many race cars were built in 1989 and later updated and modified, or how many they continued to build new over the next decade. This one was built new by TVR in 1999.

It’s powered by a either a 4.4-liter or 4.5-liter V8. Race wins for this chassis totaled four in the 1999 season and three the following year in which it took second in the championship. It now has an estimate of $79,000-$91,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

TVR 350i

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1985 TVR 350i Convertible

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | December 4-9, 2021

Photo – Brightwells

In late 1983, the TVR Tasmin 280i was upgraded with a bigger engine and renamed the Tasmin 350i. In 1984, the Tasmin name was dropped and the model became known simply as the 350i. It was offered as a coupe and convertible.

The engine is a 3.5-liter Rover V8 that made 190 horsepower when new, enough to scoot this little wedge to 130 mph. Over 1,000 350is were built, so they aren’t incredibly rare, but the relatively low entry point (price-wise) hasn’t likely leant itself to a spectacular survival rate.

But this one looks pretty nice and benefits from an engine rebuild about 2,000 miles ago. And, yes, it kind of looks like an FC RX-7. It now carries a pre-sale estimate of $12,000-$15,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $10,089.

TVR 290S

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1992 TVR S3 290S

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | March 27-April 1, 2021

Photo – Brightwells

TVR produced an “S” series of cars between 1986 and 1994. They were the transition between the wedge-shaped TVRs of the 1980s and the insanity of the 1990s. There were four “S” cars powered by V6s, and there was the V8S.

The S2, S3, and S4 all shared the same 168-horsepower, 2.9-liter Ford V6. The changes between the series were mostly cosmetic (or emissions-related), and the S3 was launched in 1990. It got a stiffer chassis than earlier cars as well as longer doors and an interior redesign.

Only 887 examples of the S3 were built through 1992, making it the most common of the S cars. But, uh, they are still not common at all. This is a cheap way into TVR ownership (though there is nothing saying that TVR ownership will remain cheap). The pre-sale estimate is just $8,700-$10,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,524.

Chimaera 4.5

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1999 TVR Chimaera 4.5

Offered by Brightwells | Online | December 10, 2020

Photo – Brightwells

The Chimaera was TVR’s “tourer.” It was intended for long-distance cruising and was sold between 1992 and 2003. Now, TVRs don’t have the world’s greatest reputation for reliability (so take “long-distance” with a grain of salt), but the intent was still there. Also, who cares. TVRs are awesome. And this one has over 90,000 miles, so take that, reliability skeptics.

There were a number of different power levels of Chimaera offered. We’ve featured a 4.0-liter example previously, and this one is two steps up. The 4.5 is powered by a 4.5-liter Rover V8 rated at 285 horsepower. Top speed was supposed to be 160 mph.

All Chimaeras were drop-tops, and only one model was slotted in above the 4.5. This example is finished in Canyon Red over Biscuit leather. It is expected to sell for between $13,500-$16,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $14,903

TVR Grantura

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1961 TVR Grantura Series II

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Online/Somewhere in Europe | June 3-11, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Remember the Griffith? That insane short-wheelbase coupe powered by a huge Ford V8? Well, this is the AC Ace to the Griffith’s Cobra. TVR’s Grantura was built in a number of series between 1958 and 1967. No V8s here – these were all four-cylinder-powered.

Series II cars were built between 1960 and 1962, and like other Granturas, they feature a fiberglass body and mechanical parts from other cars on sale at the time. Some cars used bits from Volkswagens, MGs, Triumphs, or Austin-Healeys. This car is powered by a 1.6-liter inline-four from an MGA. That was a factory option.

With this engine, which produced 79 horsepower in the MGA, the Grantura was capable of 98 mph. Approximately 400 Series II cars were built, making it the most popular of all Granturas. This right-hand-drive example should bring between $27,000-$38,000 when it sells at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,743.

Griffith 200

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1965 Griffith 200

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Elkhart, Indiana | October 23-24, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM has rescheduled the sale of this monster Indiana collection for late October instead of the beginning of May. But that’s not going to stop us from talking about some of these great cars now! That is partially because this is more or less the only auction catalog available anywhere on the internet at the moment.

The Griffith is an awesome little beast. They have a short wheelbase, a lot of power, and are notoriously difficult to drive at the limit. It’s kind of like a Shelby Cobra – a British sports car (in this case, a TVR Grantura) with a big Ford V8 stuffed under the hood marketed by an American company. Jack Griffith was a TVR repair guru in the U.S., and he initially tried to shove a Cobra’s V8 into a Grantura.

Eventually, he figured it out and started selling 289-powered Griffiths. This car is actually the only one ever built with a 260ci (4.3-liter) Ford V8. Only 261 examples were ever built, 192 of which were supposed to be U.S.-market cars. The rest were branded as TVRs in the U.K. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $134,400.

TVR Chimaera

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1996 TVR Chimaera 4.0

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | March 4, 2020

Photo – Brightwells

TVR offered a range of sports cars in the 1990s as they moved away from their wedge-shaped vehicles of the 1980s. The Griffith was the first one introduced, in 1991, and the Chimaera came next, followed by the Cerbera.

The Chimaera was around from 1992 through 2003 and was only offered as a two-door convertible. They were all powered by Rover V8s of varying sizes. This is a 4.0-liter model that produced 240 horsepower when new. It was the least powerful Chimaera made. Top speed was 152 mph.

In all, about 6,000 examples were produced, making it one of the most popular TVR models ever built. The pre-sale estimate on this car is $12,000-$14,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

TVR Griffith 500

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1997 TVR Griffith 500

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | November 27, 2019

Photo – Brightwells

The Griffith is a storied name in TVR history, and it was originally launched by Jack Griffith in the U.S. The idea was simple: stuff a V8 in a TVR Grantura and create a monster. The Griffith Series 200, 400, and 600 were built throughout the early and mid-1960s. They were sold as TVRs in the U.K.

In 1991, TVR introduced the Griffith 500. A range of engines were available, and this car has the best one: a Cosworth-developed 5.0-liter V8. It was rated at 340 horsepower and could hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That was really fast in the 1990s. Especially in this price range.

This generation of the Griffith represents some serious, devilish fun. In all, 2,351 examples of the Griffith 500 were built through 2002. This one should bring between $25,000-$27,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.