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View Full Version : TVR founder has died....



gcarter
06-17-2008, 01:09 PM
Remember those wierd little British sports cars?
"TreVoR" (get it?) Wilkenson passed away on June 6 in Minorca, Spain at 85.
He started the company in '47. It was/is all fiberglass, including the chassis. In fact I think he beat Colin Chapman to designing a chassis with all the strength in a "backbone" i.e., transmission tunnel.
I guess they still build a few of these but apparently not for export.
Anyone here ever own or drive one?

DonziJon
06-17-2008, 01:49 PM
Had a friend that had a "Griffith" (TVR). Massaged 289 Ford, 72 spoke wire wheels. "E" Type Jag fully independant rear end and center section. Inboard rear brakes. etc. That car would go around a corner AND do just over 11 seconds in the quarter.:smash: Rode in it a few times.. never got to drive it. It was Ugly and the FRP bodywork was mediocre at best, but who cares, it was freakin fast. :nilly: John

zelatore
06-17-2008, 02:09 PM
I know they were trying to make a bit of a comeback as a boutique builder in England; I don't know if the orriginal founder was involved with the latest cars or not.

They are still building a few of them. I think John Travolta drove a TVR Tuscan in a move a few years ago as a marketing placement deal (swordfish) in an attempt to build some US interest for possible export here but I don't think it went anywhere.

gcarter
06-17-2008, 03:15 PM
Trevor sold out in '60 or '61.
Their latest attempts have included a homebuilt 4.5 DOHC V-8(I think) and it may be based on the Buick sourced Rover V-8. From what I understand it's not tremoundously reliable, kind of like the old Triumph Stag.......
Anyway, when the latest version of the "Chrysler" Viper came out, Car Magazine, that staunchly anti-American British car magazine, said that for the money, the TVR was a much better buy!!!!!!!
Car Magazine, BTW, is the ONLY publication to ever write that the Chrysler PT Cruiser was much too big of a car.

DonziJon
06-17-2008, 03:47 PM
BTW: That Griffith (TVR) I mentioned above cost maybe $500. less that a new XKE Roadster. Back then, (1965) A new XKE Roadster cost $5,695. The XKE Coupe was $5,295.

EDIT: The price of the Coupe.

justleft
06-17-2008, 04:38 PM
Yea, I raced against a TVR in IMSA Sedan (maybe '78). It was basically
British Layland running gear. Cool car but the fiberglass work was rough.

I was running a BRE Datsun 510 (1600 cc). He had me on straights but I was
so much better on brakes and turning.

RIP Mr. Wilkenson

Eugene Nahemow
06-17-2008, 08:10 PM
I had a TVR Vixen back in the late 70's.
The car was unbelievably fast and handled anything I could throw at it.
I lost my license in NY because of that car.:drive:

gold-n-rod
06-17-2008, 08:16 PM
The TVRs were all the rage in the car rags in the mid to late 70's. I always thought I'd like to have one, but it was British, after all.

Do you know why the British don't make computers?
















They haven't figured out how to make them leak oil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :smash:

BUIZILLA
06-17-2008, 08:24 PM
like this ??

DonziJon
06-18-2008, 09:00 AM
like this ??

YUP: That's it. When you first mount "cheater" slicks on the back, then stomp on the gas, the car squats and the slicks will Burn nice little slots through the rear fenders.

You can tell something is not quite right, because you can smell burning rubber and fiberglass.. AND the cabin is full of smoke and you have to roll down the windows to breath. No problem though. Once you do it a few times there's plenty of clearence after that.

I could never get over how my friend, having just recently paid over $5K for the car, just looked at the slots (holes) in the fender and said... COOL! :nilly: