11 Ways To Buy A TVR, Whatever Your Budget

Image source: tvrblog.com

By now you’ll have heard all the stories about the sale of TVR back into British hands, the interviews with the new owners, and the wide-ranging speculation on what form the company’s next new model will take. And if you’re anything like us, it’ll have had you wondering just how much it’d cost to squeeze yourself into a chunk of loopy fibreglass nostalgia. Well, wonder no more – there’s a TVR for every budget, as you’re about to find out!

£5,000

Yes, believe it or not, you too can enjoy TVR ownership for this little cash. There are two main choices, and our first would probably be an S-series car like this S2. Powered by the Ford Sierra XR4x4’s 2.9-litre Cologne V6 with tweaked heads and an uprated fuel injection system, it hits 60 in 6.9 seconds and features classic styling that inspired the later Chimaera.

But if nothing but a V8 will do for your TVR ownership experience, fear not – you can also get Wedge-shaped with this 350i. The Tasman-based Wedges divide opinion these days thanks to their edgy styling, but we love ’em because there’s simply no cheaper way to get a V8-powered TVR. And with 197bhp, it’s good for 60mph in six seconds dead.

£10,000

With £10k to spend, you can pretty much take your pick of early Chimaeras. A super low-mileage 400 or 450 can be yours for this sort of cash, but we’d probably go for a slightly higher mileage 500, like this one. With a 5.0-litre V8 good for 340bhp, it could hit 60mph in a stonking 4.1 seconds, and the lairy handling would put hairs on your chest.

But if out-and-out power isn’t your thing, you might prefer the classic styling of this immaculate, low-mileage 3000S. It was TVR’s first convertible car, and so paved the way for the TVRs we know and love today. Under the bonnet was Ford’s 3.0-litre Essex V6, good for 136bhp.

£15,000

15 grand is enough for you to find yourself in a fairly modern TVR, in the shape of a Tamora like this one. Powered by TVR’s own Speed Six engine, here in 350bhp, 3.6-litre, form, the Tamora was a blast to drive quickly and could hit 60mph in 4.2 seconds. Speed Six engines did suffer from some reliability issues, which are worth researching first, but with a rebuild under its belt, this one should be OK.

But if you’re uncertain, perhaps a classic Griffith 400 like this early example would be more up your street? The first ‘new generation’ TVR produced under Peter Wheeler, the Griffith combined smooth, curvy styling with a thumping Rover-derived V8, here in 240bhp form and enabling the 60mph sprint to be dispensed with in 4.7 seconds.

£20,000

We’re starting to talk serious money here, but also serious TVR ownership. For this price, you get a selection of Speed Six models, of which our pick would be an early, 360bhp Tuscan 4.0 like this one, which boasts one of the chromaflair paint jobs that became something of a TVR signature in its day.

Or you could jump into this Cerbera, fitted with one of TVR’s own AJP8 V8 engines, though the ad’s not quite sure whether it’s a 4.2 or a 4.5. If it’s the latter, it’s good for a mad, bad 420bhp, all wrapped up in a 2+2 coupe bodyshell that’ll even give you room to carry around a couple of mates!

£30,000

So you’ve got 30 Gs to blow on a Tiv. While we can’t deny we’re a little jealous, we’re glad for you, because there’s plenty of epic machinery to choose from. How about a pleasingly unhinged Tuscan S? Again featuring the 4.0-litre Speed Six engine, but this time uprated to 400bhp and complete with eye-popping Cascade Indigo paintwork.

Too risqué? Then how about a top-spec, last of the line Griffith 500 SE? Endowed with the awesome 340bhp 5.0-litre V8, this was a properly exclusive bit of kit, with only 100 having been made. Or you could always plump for something completely different – a brand new, unregistered Chimaera, dating from 2001 and in dry storage for the last 12 years. How mad is that?!