TVR to return ‑ with help from Gordon Murray and Cosworth

When TVR ceased producing cars in 2006, there was hope among the many fans of the brawny machines that someone, somewhere would pick up the mantle and once again start building the high speed pieces of Blackpool Rock. After all, it had happened so many times in the past …

However this time it was different. The factory closed its doors, the staff went and found employment elsewhere and bodyshells and unfinished cars littered the yard behind the anonymous gates on Bristol Avenue. There was to be no saviour this time. A couple of tame efforts were made to build cars again, but these came to nought.

Today’s news of another brave soul intent on giving the world a TVR might just be quite a bit more than another false dawn. Gordon Murray has been announced as being involved in the design and speaks of the new car as deserving ‘the best chassis and powertrain that can possibly be delivered’ and that he is ‘delighted that his company is involved’ with businessman Les Edgar’s plans. Add to this the fact that Cosworth has been slated to produce an atmospheric V8 for the car and that a range of four cars will be launched in 2017 and things begin to look rosy. Or at least rosier than they have looked for TVR in over a decade.

We wish the new venture all the very best. And who knows, we might even see TVRs racing again as they do at the Revival in the Fordwater Trophy (main pic). The question is though: How close will the new TVRs be in spirit to the old cars? Might there be a danger that all the factors which made the cars fun (and, admittedly, less then bullet-proof-reliable) are engineered out? Shouldn’t British sports cars have some imperfections/character, or would we all prefer a TVR which can rival the Germans for reliability and build quality? And if they are to be built with reliability and longevity in mind, will they have to abandon the ‘affordable’ tag so proudly worn by almost every TVR built so far?