true identities of factory cars with 'TVR' plates

[andyvg]

I was wondering if anyone knows (or knows where I can ask) what the factory press cars/demonstrator M series cars of the late 70's were re-registered as when they were sold on.

Reason I ask is that I have the build sheet for my mid '77 M that states a factory request build and I've recently discovered that the reg my car has is 3 numbers later than the first 3000S prototype (the one without the boot).

I know TVR were using several 'TVR' plates at the time (TVR 100 for example) could my car have been masquerading as one prior to being registered in '78?

[davidy]

Some cars kept their original plates like OFR940M (3000ML), but others we re-registered by the factory. the S you referred to EBV178S left the factory finally as TYG14W with a boot!!! There were at least 3 S's built without boots.

Mervyn Larner may be able to help, but if your car was built in 77/78 and has an S registration it is unlikely that it was ever registered TVR100, because TVR would have re-registered it with a later plate. Remember the DVLA rules were not as strict then.

Also there was a dealer in Blackpool at the time so there are a fair number of cars with Blackpool registrations, there is no telling what factory request build was (it could have even been for stock, or a local motor show that they were attending)

Perhaps writing to Martin Lilley c/o TVRCC may help, he does seem to have a good memory for cars that he made.

Hope that helps

David

[andyvg]

Thanks davidy gives me a starting point!

[f402mlr]

My Parents in the early 90's owned HCKxxxS, an early 3000S without a boot, there was an (coal hole) opening behind the rear shelf. It was sold in 95 to Steve Reid. We understood it to have been the white car in the background of the brouchure shoots, however it was dark blue when we had it. I have some pictures of it next to my 280S somewhere.

PS How's Wales Dave?

[davidy]

According to Mervyn's records the white car EBV178S (I have a set of press photos for this car) became TYG14W owned for a period by Phil Harris then Bristol RO.

There were I believe 4 cars that originally didn't have boots, the first was the pre-prototype which had TR6 rear lights (I thought that this was 'your' car) and then 3 others, one of which was the white car and another is currently owned by Ian Bannister.

Wales (or the borders) is great and no way would I go back to Surrey!!!

David

[Terminator]

I heard that three of the cars without bootlids were eventually returned to the factory and had bootlids retro-fitted. These cars were pre-production cars and a couple were sold to a sports car hire company in Reece Mews, west London. Can't remember their name right now, it'll probably come to me when I'm stuck on the M11 in the morning.

The white car that became blue was owned by a neighbour of mine in the early 1980s in Woodford Green, Essex. I tried to buy it from him but he p/xed it for a Morgan, then I lost track of it.

I've owned a couple of ex-factory cars, but usually TVR never even bothered to officially change the registration; they just stuck on TVR 100 or TVR 22 for the publicity shots

I still have the V5s for the prototype 2500 Vixen (ETE 953J) and the demonstrator 280i Auto (LEO 497Y)