The Bonkers Amphibious TVR Scamander Has Been Revived

A couple of months ago, a truly unique vehicle re-emerged into the limelight after years hidden from public view. The Scamander was a one-off prototype conceived by Peter Wheeler, who’d guided TVR through its later, slightly mad era. Penned by ex-TVR stylist Graeme Brown, it was an off-roader with a central driving position, amphibious capability and styling that made it look like something built for a sci-fi film.

Following Wheeler’s death in 2009, the Scamander was stashed in a barn on his family farm in Lancashire and largely forgotten. However, it reappeared in February when Harry Metcalfe of the Harry’s Garage YouTube channel paid Wheeler’s son Joe a visit to take a look around it.

Remarkably, despite not having been started for 12 years, it fired up and drove on the first attempt with little more than a new battery and a few replaced fuses. At that stage, Joe said there were plans afoot to make the Scamander roadworthy again.

It seems it’s all happened pretty quickly: a quick check of the Scamander’s reg reveals that it’s now taxed and tested for the next year, and it’s been announced that it’ll be headlining the new Wildcards class at the London Concours in June.

A relatively new event that takes place each summer on the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company in central London, the London Concours has quickly established itself as one of the more popular and accessible events of its type. The new Wildcards category is designed to accommodate cars that don’t necessarily fit into the rest of the event’s classes.

Other cars on display in the class alongside the Scamander will include a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 220S ‘Ponton’ Cabriolet, a 1976 Lotus Esprit S1, and a Jaguar XK120. Meanwhile, another Harry’s Garage video on the Scamander will go out on 5 May, chronicling the work that’s gone into getting it concours-ready.