An Obscure, but Historically Exemplary British Sports Car Brand Is Making a Grand Return

TVR, one of Britain’s coolest and most obscure boutique automakers, is back. Again, supposedly.

Charge Holdings, the owner of Charge Cars, a UK-based firm that specializes in restoring and converting classic cars into resto-modded electric vehicles, recently issued a press release announcing its acquisition and revival of the iconic automaker.

If you’ve never heard of TVR, it’s a small British-based automaker known for making some of history’s most esoteric sports cars. Founded nearly three-quarters of a century ago, the automaker built its reputation on making some of the world’s most unique, lightweight, and compact coupes and roadsters.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

But if it’s still not ringing any bells, that’s okay. It’s had quite a rough history and has been in and out of existence. Which is why its return makes for an even more interesting story.

Helping to define Britain’s love for tiny, lightweight, sports cars

TVR might be one of Britain’s lesser-known nameplates. Even still, it’s often compared to the likes of MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Lotus, Morgan, Caterham, as well as Jaguar and Aston Martin.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

That’s because TVR helped define and establish Britain’s reputation for tiny, fun and simple two-door sports cars.

During Britain’s immediate post-war era, small-time motorsport and car club events became a fixture of the country’s adult pastimes. And because club racing became so popular, TVR took advantage of it and proliferated in that space, alongside the others listed above.

Wikipedia – Mr.choppers

Founded by a bloke named Trevor Wilkinson in 1946, TVR began as TVR Engineering after starting as Trevcar Motors. It originally began as a small, mechanical and automotive engineering consulting firm up until 1949.

It started building chassis frames initially. But with ultimate aspirations to build cars, the company made its first attempt using used parts from other vehicles.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

The result was a bit of a zombie one-off. After attempting to gain public attention in small-time motorsports, one of TVR’s designers, who raced the company’s first prototype, crashed.

But Wilkinson and his team didn’t give up. They continued developing their own frames to build several more one-off examples throughout the early 1950s. That eventually led them to establish a reputation as a sports car coachbuilder.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

The company didn’t really gain recognition until the 1960s. Up through the 1970s, TVR continued producing extremely low production, but specialized models aimed at amateur and professional racecar drivers.

TVR becomes an actual carmaker

TVR Automotive Ltd.

It wouldn’t be until the 1980s and 1990s that TVR rose to prominence and began producing cars to some degree of volume. The results were cars like the Tasmin/280i, 350i and later, the Griffith, Chimera, Cerbera, Tuscan, and Sagaris.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

Though because of its small operations and low production volumes, it’s had quite a few management and ownership issues. So much, that TVR’s history is chaptered and defined by its various owners.

Throughout its storied history, TVR changed ownership five times. The latest marks six. The company hasn’t produced a single car since the early 2000s. Then, it was last owned by a wealthy Russian business magnate by the name of Nikolay Smolensky.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

Although Smolensky expressed his desire to keep TVR afloat as a British outfit, the company suffered from management and funding issues. That also kept it from producing its then-new and promising Sagaris in greater numbers.

Back from the dead once again

In 2013, TVR changed hands once again, purchased by a series of investors led by Les Edgar. Since then, the company’s been in a bit of limbo. Instead of selling cars, it only sold genuine parts for its preexisting cars.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

Under Edgar’s ownership, TVR attempted to resurrect one of its most iconic models, the Griffith, in 2017 as a V8-powered, manual-only sports coupe limited to just 500 units. Although the company managed to produce a working prototype, like its previous attempts, management and funding issues kept it from reaching production. The COVID-19 pandemic also exacerbated the company’s problems.

TVR Automotive Ltd.

Now, Charge Holdings apparently bought all the rights to TVR Automotive. In its press release, the company announced the merger and acquisition. It also announced intent of “laying the groundwork for a new generation of high-performance British luxury vehicles.”

That supposedly includes “delivering the new Griffith to customers.”

While these are the first baby steps towards TVR’s apparent new future, it’s still exciting to see one of Britain’s most storied nameplates come back to life. Now, let’s just hope they get around to actually making cars again.

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