Trouble at TVR?

[Andy Zarse]

It's like something out of the 1930's isn't it? Workers are probably all members of the Amalgamated Union of Hat-wringers and Allied Trades. No wonder they are going bust. I've been in a few nasty grubby factories in my time and this one is right up there. The state of cleanliness is appalling, no wonder the cars are such shoddy products. I bet it's not like that at Noble. In fact, recalling a recent trip to my local car body shop, well you could eat your dinner off their floor. TVR looks like it hasn't heard of the new fangled vacuum cleaner yet. They've had years to improve this situation, but attitudes and practices become entrenched.

[hgb]

It's like something out of the 1930's isn't it?

That's exactly the reason why they move the production location. The trouble is that this will mean more redundancies if they leave Blackpool.

[Andy Zarse]

Not by my reading of the situation. They are shutting down simply because they cannot sell enough cars to continue production. What kind of quality control will they now be able to excert on the manufacturing process?

[BryanC]

Well I say its a crying shame - don;t forget they had Le Mans heritage and did far better than I thought they would even tho a tool company sponsorsed them ( De Walt )

A mans car - you never saw girly drivers in them, but for me they lost the plot after the Grantura, Vixen and 3500M and of course Grifith 427  - the Cerebera and after was too esoteric, too expensive and had too many better alternatives.

I wish they had stuck to their roots, the fast back 2 seater was always a successful formula - MGBGT for one, and I'm still looking for a successor for the big trip in June.

Finally a TVR story - a guy showing off his new convertible pulled into teh pub car park, Brmmm, Brmmm ( great engine noise ), heads turned, he switched his ignition key off and promptly pulled out the whole barrel. Mmmm - Cool!

Regards

Bryan C

[redstu]

I'm no great fan of progress so if TVR want to produce cars in a 1930s garage then so be it, I think its called individuality (or something similar), however the price should reflect the quality not just the outrageous styling.
The buyers pay their money and make a choice, but standards and expectations have risen.

Personally I'd go for something from Deutchland but it will be a shame if a distinctive (British) manufacturer goes under.

As to government (or any other tax payers) support, no way - if the company doesn't make a profit then tough it may well have to go under- let the ruskie pay for his toys!

This country has a great motoring heritage but with low cost mass produced manufactured imports perhaps not a great future.

[Fran]

A mans car - you never saw girly drivers in them

I used to go out with a bloke that had one (a Griffith I think), was a complete bustard to drive.  I only tried it once driving home from Siverstone in heavy stop/start traffic - was knackering.  We went to LM in it one year, it had less boot space than my MR2 and virtually none once you put the roof in there!!
 
Was great for track days at Castle Combe tho (took  a couple of trips through the cornfield) and I did love the noise it made.

I liked some of the lil styling details, like door buttons under the wing mirror n that kinda thing, but really it was a case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts......... or sommat like that! 

F

[Rhino]

Would worry me to look at the chassis, solid looking spine with little on the outer edge. Bet that twists well under power, and don't slide it into a tree you'd have little protection.
Beside that did like the noise and the look of some. Reliability could be better, remember travelling down a couple of years ago and being passed by one flat chat, commented we would pass him when he broke down. Within 15 mins there he was, bonnet up on the side of the road.

[Snoring Rhino]

Ignoring Matts petty wind up attempts and some of the other negative points; you’re missing the point of TVR's. No they are not the best built, most refined "Super Cars" on the road and sure you can buy an M beamer for the same money, but what you do get is bucket loads of character and a fabulous noise (yes it does sound like an aeroplane - abit like a vette with an performance exhaust) no it doesn’t handle as well as a multi million developed car, but how often do you get the chance to push any car to its limits on the road? Being close to BMW head office we see lots of new Beamers being driven like complete hooligans just get some character out of them and then coming to grief and sometimes in some innocent car full of kids. Followed a M6 the other day, very noisy V8, maybe they have taken the point.
Just like Morgan and Lotus, TVR are a British institution that like many institutions have their faults but what the F**k their great to drive.

 

[Sooty]

It is sad to see the loss of an English car manufacturer, but it's not really a supprise. Build quality?
Overall package! I've only driven one and its the only sports car i've driven where the "limit" can arrive ....err..well before you would hope!
Do like some of the curves though and the sound is good while it lasts!

P.S I was bourne in Blackpool, if there is a good thing to come from this. At least the B.B.C can fit another rollercoaster in!

[Perdu]

Having tried, believe me, you wouldn't want to be a breakdown mechanic trying to get under the bonnet of some of those blarry things to fix 'em either...

A factory job just to look for the starter motor on 'em.

Prolly great driving for a geezer, but Fran points out the drawbacks.

Shame, but ta ta Trevor!

 


bill

[nickliv]

Friend of my Dads had a Griffith for a while, but it kept breaking down, so he decided to get rid of it.

He rang the local 'performance' car specialist and said

"I've got a TVR Griffith that I'm looking to sell, would you be interested?"

The salesmans reply was

"Huh, I'd  rather have AIDS"

[Steve Pyro]

I read in last Saturday's Telegraph Motoring Section that TVR's ex-owner, Peter Wheeler, still owns the factory site.
Also, there appears to be some sort of dispute between Wheeler and current owner, Nikolai Smolensky.

The move to another site looks to be pretty obvious considering this.

[Matt Harper]

Ignoring Matts petty wind up attempts and some of the other negative points; you’re missing the point of TVR's. No they are not the best built, most refined "Super Cars" on the road and sure you can buy an M beamer for the same money, but what you do get is bucket loads of character and a fabulous noise (yes it does sound like an aeroplane - abit like a vette with an performance exhaust) no it doesn’t handle as well as a multi million developed car, but how often do you get the chance to push any car to its limits on the road? Being close to BMW head office we see lots of new Beamers being driven like complete hooligans just get some character out of them and then coming to grief and sometimes in some innocent car full of kids. Followed a M6 the other day, very noisy V8, maybe they have taken the point.
Just like Morgan and Lotus, TVR are a British institution that like many institutions have their faults but what the F**k their great to drive.

 

This wasn't a petty wind-up attempt. I don't think there is any further need to  perpetuate the "TVR's suck/don't suck" debate (it's pretty subjective anyway).
I think the main issue is that not enough people like them to make them viable. I also feel that what appeal they have seems to attract a certain type of individual.
I have never owned one, but I've driven quite a few. I was very unenthused by any of them - based purely on what they cost versus the alternatives (in the same catagory).
I accept that some people and most owners think they are great - the fact still remains, not enough people buy 'em.
One final point that I have to disagree and call bollix on ya on, is where you state that they are fun to drive. On this point, I will exercise my right to be subjective. They are scarily not fun to drive quickly. They are not competent super-cars (for want of a better word). Most owners drive them slowly, because of this reason, preferring to stare at themselves in the reflection of shop windows, manditorily blipping the throtte in a further "Look how cool I am" gesture.

[Snoring Rhino]

Ignoring Matts petty wind up attempts and some of the other negative points; you’re missing the point of TVR's. No they are not the best built, most refined "Super Cars" on the road and sure you can buy an M beamer for the same money, but what you do get is bucket loads of character and a fabulous noise (yes it does sound like an aeroplane - abit like a vette with an performance exhaust) no it doesn’t handle as well as a multi million developed car, but how often do you get the chance to push any car to its limits on the road? Being close to BMW head office we see lots of new Beamers being driven like complete hooligans just get some character out of them and then coming to grief and sometimes in some innocent car full of kids. Followed a M6 the other day, very noisy V8, maybe they have taken the point.
Just like Morgan and Lotus, TVR are a British institution that like many institutions have their faults but what the F**k their great to drive.

 

This wasn't a petty wind-up attempt. I don't think there is any further need to  perpetuate the "TVR's suck/don't suck" debate (it's pretty subjective anyway).
I think the main issue is that not enough people like them to make them viable. I also feel that what appeal they have seems to attract a certain type of individual.
I have never owned one, but I've driven quite a few. I was very unenthused by any of them - based purely on what they cost versus the alternatives (in the same catagory).
I accept that some people and most owners think they are great - the fact still remains, not enough people buy 'em.
One final point that I have to disagree and call bollix on ya on, is where you state that they are fun to drive. On this point, I will exercise my right to be subjective. They are scarily not fun to drive quickly. They are not competent super-cars (for want of a better word). Most owners drive them slowly, because of this reason, preferring to stare at themselves in the reflection of shop windows, manditorily blipping the throtte in a further "Look how cool I am" gesture.

I think the UK car market is having a very tough time in general, so proportionally TVR will have suffered, but in a more critical way, a down turn in sales will hit them harder, simple business economics - still plenty of people ready to buy, but proportionally not enough to generate the economies of scale.
There is also obviously some background manovering going on for both funding and rent reviews by the new owner.
As for posing in shop window reflections and blipping the throttle, lots of people do that, especially if you've got a largish V8, not reserved for TVR's, you can’t stereotype them, there are always going to be tossers, almost a KKK view.
Just pisses me off that some of the last Uk manufacturing jobs heading into decline (like any Car co they are many, many suppliers that will also be hit), but its Ok The TVR boys can get jobs in Blackpool looking after people on holiday - Oh they are stopping coming, Oh they lost their jobs in the factories that generated GNP, that’s OK though cos they can get jobs in the service industry, like bank call centres, Oh they've gone to India, Oh....... Bollocks, no Jobs for anybody apart from a few offshore service industry brokers.
So sorry, can’t agree with your pleasure at TVR's decline matt, we've not yet bailed out of Blighty or want to.. 

[Matt Harper]

That's a little bit unfair IRW - go back to the beginning of this thread. I'm as saddened as anyone by the thought of job loss - particularly when it's through no fault (on the work-force's part). It's happened to me enough times to appreciate the misery of the situation.
My point is that these are cars that are designed with no realistic thought as to who is going to buy them.
I was a supplier to TVR for a few years and back then they had a lovely 'family' feel to the business. Peter Wheeler used to bring his dog to work with him. But even then it was blindingly obvious that you can't run a modern manufacturing enterprise the way they did - and survive long-term. I don't think TVR have ever really known who their customers are.
I appreciate that things are tough in UK manufacturing - and it is horrible that hard-working people with families and responsibilities get kicked to the kerb - but that is the way of the world - always has been.
The fact that you're not prepared to bail out of Blighty, although commendable is, I suspect, a bit of a dig at me personally, because I've done just that. There are a lot of things I miss about Britain, but the strife-filled economy and TVR's ain't among them. IRW - your patriotism is a credit to you  - but who in their right mind would take a TVR over a new similarly priced Bimmer or Audi?