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TVR
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Introduction Since the 90 is, TVR is owner Peter Wheeler has been pushing the company to be a world-class sports car maker like Lotus (it is no longer in the league of Marcos, Caterham etc.) He grew the product line up to a healthy 3 models - Chimaera, Griffith and Cerbera. He improved the styling and build quality of the cars. He commissioned the development of TVR is own engine - AJP-V8 and the Speed Six engine, the latter has a modern 4-valve head design. He will soon take the company to GT2 class racing.  

Despite the lack of financial and technical aid, TVR still grows steadily. Car production has passed the 1,000 units mark long ago and it is now aiming at 2,000. It should be noted that TVR is now the biggest independent British car maker as Rover, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce and Lotus were sold to foreigners. 

Of course, the little British sports car maker still cannot compete with Porsche and Ferrari for technology. All its cars are relatively simple and raw, without ABS and the electronic gadgets commonly found in other cars. However, this enable TVR to be cheaper and lighter, accompany with the powerful engines, it is hard to find a TVR not faster than Porsche or Ferrari. 

Cerbera
Sales figure Betwen 1,000 and 2,000 units per year
Location Bristol Avenue, Blackpool.
Brief History The TVR story began in 1949 when a young engineer, Trevor Wilkinson, built the first TVR with its own chassis and a Ford engine. However, it took nearly 10 years for the company to be well known, and that was achieved by the Grantura, a short wheelbase sports car sold in kit car form and accepted various engines and running gears. The chassis was a tubular spaceframe, covered by a glass fiber body like Lotus. 

However, it was the 63 Griffith that established the principle for today s TVR - a powerful engine and lightening performance. It was fundamentally a Grantura with a Ford V8 which had been using in GT-40 and the Mustang Shelby. 271hp pushing the lightweight body gave it a performance nearly matching the mighty AC Cobra. 

After a series of bankruptcies and change hands, TVR was stablised in the hands of Lilleys. The Grantura and Griffith were evolved into Tuscan. In the 70 s, the Grantura-based models were eventually replaced by a new one, M series, whose Lotus-inspired tubular backbone chassis still serves today s TVRs. Again, various engines could be fitted, such as Ford V6, Triumph s straight six and even a turbocharged version of the Ford V6. 

The current boss, Peter Wheeler, took over TVR in 1982. That decade saw a new series of V8 cars, starting from 350i, then 390i, 420 SEAC and 450 SEAC. An ex-Lotus designer created a wedge-shaped body like the contemporary Lotus Elite and Eclat. The V8 came from Rover but modified or enlarged by TVR itself. The top model s 4.5-litre unit output 324hp and was faster than a 911 turbo. Later, a smaller model, S, was born. 

The 2-car line up was replaced by a trio in the 90 s. First came the new Griffith, with a stylish smooth body and Rover V8. A more civilised variant, Chimaera, was added soon, then followed by a much modified derivative called Cerbera. The Cerbera has stronger chassis and better handling, also the first TVR engine - a high-revving AJP-V8 designed by engine expert Al Melling. A 24-valve straight six was added in 1998. Based on the Speed Six, a 800hp 7.7-litre V12 appeared in 1999.