TVR 280i/350i

[Coventrysucks]

Originally Posted by Cotterik

there is absolutely no resemblance to todays TVR range

Fast and lairy two seat convertibles and coupes, with large displacement 6 and 8 cylinder engines, lightweight GRP bodies, no driver aids, bits out of Fords, dubious reliability records and a precarious financial situations.

As compared to the "modern" line up of fast and lairy two seat convertibles and coupes, with large displacement 6 and 8 cylinder engines, lightweight GRP bodies, no driver aids, bits out of Fords, dubious reliability records and fatal financial situations.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Originally Posted by Cotterik

I'm pretty confident it will all straighten out. I'd never expect their whole range to just disappear and change.

Evo reports this month that Bertone is about to close down...

Enough of that.

Wedges are awesome.

The Tasmin was the first of the line, introduced in 1980 under the Lilley's ownership, it was available in coupe and convertible form with either the 2.8 Ford Cologne V6 (280) or 2.0 Pinto 4 cyl.

The car did not sell that well, and with TVR in difficulty, Peter Wheeler took over deciding to replace the underpowered Ford engines with the Rover V8, initially in 3.5-litre, 190bhp guise, to create the 350.

Alongside the 350, a range of SE cars was developed; the 350SE with 280bhp, 390SE with 275 (3.9-litre).

In 1985 the series 2 350 was introduced, and the SE line continued with first the 1986 420SE (4.2-litre, 300bhp), then 1988 400SE (4-litre, 275bhp) and 1989 450SE (4.5-litre, 320bhp).

The most potent cars of the Wedge series were the SEACs; Special Edition Aramid Composite (kevlar), although in reality kevlar proved too difficult to manufacture, and apart from 20 or so of the 55 built, they were bodied in GRP.

The 1986 420SEAC, in addition to the 91kg saved by the single-piece bodywork, have a 4.2-litre V8 with 300bhp, whilst the 1988 450SEAC gained 213ccs and 24bhp.

The SEACs were amongst the fastest cars of their time, despatching 60 in 4.7 seconds, and hitting 165mph - very respectable figures for a mid-eighties convertible.

In all over 2500 Wedges were built, making them one of TVR's most successful models, with c.1300 cars being V8s.

[2ndclasscitizen]

Originally Posted by Cotterik

I second that. how hard is it for the british to keep tradition in the car industry.

Tradition doesn't build cars or make money.

Originally Posted by Coventrysucks

The most potent cars of the Wedge series were the SEACs; Special Edition Aramid Composite (kevlar), although in reality kevlar proved too difficult to manufacture, and apart from 20 or so of the 55 built, they were bodied in GRP.

Best name for bodywork ever. Also, I remember reading in an EVO article on older TVRs that most of the SEAC-bodied cars wound up being redone in normal TVR GRP.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Coventrysucks

The car did not sell that well, and with TVR in difficulty, Peter Wheeler took over deciding to replace the underpowered Ford engines with the Rover V8, initially in 3.5-litre, 190bhp guise, to create the 350.

IIRC the Rover V8 was introduced because some middle-eastern people were interested in it, but didn't want to buy a car with a Ford engine in it, wasn't it?

[Coventrysucks]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

IIRC the Rover V8 was introduced because some middle-eastern people were interested in it, but didn't want to buy a car with a Ford engine in it, wasn't it?

True, they were trying to export to Saudi Arabia, and the USA was not hugely popular at the time, so the Ford engines were a non-starter - in some cases literally.

I doubt that Wheeler would have been particularly tortured over the decision to find a new, bigger, more powerful engine though.

[The_Canuck]

This TVR looks great. I think I have seen one in town actually.

[Duell]

TVR 350i