Jethro Bovingdon reviews my TVR Griffith

Jethro Bovingdon reviews my TVR Griffith

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strangehighways

Original Poster:

482 posts

172 months

Saturday 23rd April 2022
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This was posted in my Readers Cars thread but I think it probably got lost in the shuffle so I will repost here as it may be of interest to some of you!

A really cool thing happened recently.

Hagerty were after an early Griffith for a comparison test against a Honda S2000, and TVR Car Club North Yorkshire were contacted about finding a Griff for a photoshoot in the North York Moors, as well as Jethro Bovingdon (Evo magazine, Top Gear USA etc) driving the car and writing the review article. The North Yorkshire TVR Car Club main guy Peter Reid contacted me and I said of course I would do this! I booked the day off work the next week and found my way to the meeting point at the Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge.

The weather was cold and damp, but for most the day it didn't rain. I went along with Peter in convoy with his late Tuscan and met the 4 guys at the pub - Jethro, Anthony Ingram and James Mills from Hagerty, and Dean Smith a freelance photographer. They were all really nice guys and proper car nuts. Jethro was such a lovely guy, very friendly, open and honest and it was just like chatting to a friend down the pub. I asked him a few questions about his Evo days, Harry Metcalfe and what he is up to at the moment with Top Gear USA and his crazy 996 911 project.

Lots of time was spent setting up photos by moving cars into almost inch perfect positions, and the guys would often drive off leaving me and Peter chatting in a random car park. They had a Range Rover for transporting them all and to use as the photo car, and also brought along an Audi R8 from Audi UK. Jethro had lots of time to drive both my car and the Honda S2000 which they got from Honda UK.

At one point, James asked if I would like a ride in my Grif with Jethro driving. What a great experience that was! I've not really been driven at a pace like that before, and it was pretty eye opening just how quickly a car can be driven when you know what you are doing. Jethro is obviously a superb driver and was very fluid. It was a little nerve wracking at first, but then I settled down and enjoyed it. Fantastic experience.

Here's the article followed by a few photos Peter took during the day.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/car-reviews/ret...













dinkel

27,177 posts

265 months

Saturday 23rd April 2022
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"Feedback, agility, delicacy, fluidity, individuality, noise and, yes, maybe a bit of good ol’ fashioned fear."m

porterpainter

766 posts

44 months

Saturday 23rd April 2022
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Good write up. Sounds like it was a fun day!

Zeb74

409 posts

136 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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Thanks for sharing, nice article (especially for Griffith or Chimaera owners :-)).

Granturadriver

629 posts

268 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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Good article, nice car!

I really like it that TVRs have such an emotional effect after so many years.