TVR go Back to the Future
Discussion
All this talk about the new TVR to be released at the Motor Show made me wonder what the press will be saying in a few years time...
How about this?
"The Typhon's early life was almost a total disaster. Though the concept of so big and powerful a car was bold and significant, (as expressed in Specification PW.18/02), the Griffith and Centaurus engines were ignored and reliance was placed on the complex and untried Vulture and Sabre units. The former powered the V-type cars, later named Vixen & Vulture, which ground to a halt with abandonment of the Vulcan in early 2004. The T2-type, named Typhon, was held back six months by the desperate need for Tuscans. Eventually, after a most painful development, production began at Bristol Road in 2005 and TVR Motorsport began to re-equip with the big bluff-looking machine in September of that year. But the Typhon was unreliable, rate of turn and performance at speed were disappointing and the rear body persisted in coming apart. There was much talk of scrapping the programme, but, fortunately for the British, the snags were gradually overcome."
How about this?
"The Typhon's early life was almost a total disaster. Though the concept of so big and powerful a car was bold and significant, (as expressed in Specification PW.18/02), the Griffith and Centaurus engines were ignored and reliance was placed on the complex and untried Vulture and Sabre units. The former powered the V-type cars, later named Vixen & Vulture, which ground to a halt with abandonment of the Vulcan in early 2004. The T2-type, named Typhon, was held back six months by the desperate need for Tuscans. Eventually, after a most painful development, production began at Bristol Road in 2005 and TVR Motorsport began to re-equip with the big bluff-looking machine in September of that year. But the Typhon was unreliable, rate of turn and performance at speed were disappointing and the rear body persisted in coming apart. There was much talk of scrapping the programme, but, fortunately for the British, the snags were gradually overcome."
And talking of development, the North AMerican P-51 was pretty average until a man at Rolls Royce said 'Let's put a Merlin in it!'.
Same thing happened with the Avro Manchester, which had twin RR Vultures, was underpowered and caught fire a lot. Then they replaced them with four Merlins and it became the Lancaster.
Seems that Carrol Shelby wasn't the first with the idea then!
Same thing happened with the Avro Manchester, which had twin RR Vultures, was underpowered and caught fire a lot. Then they replaced them with four Merlins and it became the Lancaster.
Seems that Carrol Shelby wasn't the first with the idea then!
DH Mosquito still kicks all ar$e though 
Aah, there's nothing quite like the sound of a Merlin at full chat. Makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck...!
www.macksites.com/sounds/spitfire.wav
Aah, there's nothing quite like the sound of a Merlin at full chat. Makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck...!
www.macksites.com/sounds/spitfire.wav
'The new TVR will be a supercharged V12 with one gear'
24 litres as well I think. Though since most Spits had variable pitch propellers, our new TVR will need a variable clutch (viscous coupling?). It has been done of course - a bloke put a Merlin into a Rolls Royce chassis and stuck a RR grille on the front. Legend says it did 200mph and the police never caught him up... those were the days eh?
24 litres as well I think. Though since most Spits had variable pitch propellers, our new TVR will need a variable clutch (viscous coupling?). It has been done of course - a bloke put a Merlin into a Rolls Royce chassis and stuck a RR grille on the front. Legend says it did 200mph and the police never caught him up... those were the days eh?
Oh yes, and it ran on 100 octane fuel, which makes even Optimax look a bit silly. Just think if there had been environmental protestors in the days of the Battle of Britain eh? 'Ooh, you can't fly those nasty planes, they'll pollute the air and think of the noise over those houses, and what about the lead content in the petrol, and shouldn't you be wearing ear defenders, and I hope that dashboard is recyclable to EU standards or you won't be allowed to fly, and anyway you might crash and hurt some little children... you should really only go at 29mph to be safe you know...'
A Nazi bayonet would be just desserts, I think!
>> Edited by simpo one on Wednesday 28th August 17:07
A Nazi bayonet would be just desserts, I think!
>> Edited by simpo one on Wednesday 28th August 17:07
quote:
....It has been done of course - a bloke put a Merlin into a Rolls Royce chassis and stuck a RR grille on the front. Legend says it did 200mph and the police never caught him up... those were the days eh?
Not a legend - I've seen it! It used to appear at Santa Pod way back in the early 70s. It looked like Thunderbird's Lady P's Roller, but burgundy, not pink - if I recall correctly....and only 4 wheels!
Where to m'lady?
A few Merlin engined cars exist but the famous one with the Rolls grill wasnt anything to do with Rolls at all. They had no input, it didnt use any Rolls parts apart from the grill and the engine and they ended up taking him to court over the use of their trade mark the Spirt Of Ecstacy.
EDIT: As my memory obviously isnt as good as it was!
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 4th September 23:43
EDIT: As my memory obviously isnt as good as it was!
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 4th September 23:43
Yup, 'The Beast' has been popping up in Practical Classics recently; it started life as a sort of Capri-on-steroids and evolved into a 'Scimitar-with attitood', going from a booted saloon to a hatckback. I'd guess the rear end mods were done at the same time as the front was modified once Dodds had to lose the R-R grille etc.
My aged old fatha tells of how many a monster was built along these lines in the late 50's/ early 60's as with the proliferation of jet aircrat, many of the Merlin-engined beauties went to the breakers. Sundry thugs got hold of the engines and fitted them into all manner of lashed-up truck chassis etc., but it was John Dodds and The Beast that did it best and became the one that everyone remembers.
He now lives in Spain, still has the car and uses it infrequently.
According to the info I have, it started off (Custom Car mag) doing 14mpg (seems unlikely) and according to Dodds himself in PC recently, does "1 Km on a litre of 95 octane" which I make to be 2.8 MPG.
Top speed was thought to be 290 MPH but the tyres hadn't been made that could take the job on in the early 70's. This was a Merlin without its supercharger, as they couldn't fabricate an exhaust that could contain the gas pressure and temperature (Spitfires ran open headers!), and not a Meteor tank engine as has been reported variously. The Meteor was a non-supercharged version with different torque characteristics as used in tanks, so I'm told. By a guy who made them...
Also, although I think the Merlin started life with a slightly smaller capacity, by the time the P51D and the later Spitfires (and the Beast!) got it, it was a 27-litre unit.
Kind of puts us and our 4/5/6 litre toys into perspective, doesn't it...;-)
Ian
My aged old fatha tells of how many a monster was built along these lines in the late 50's/ early 60's as with the proliferation of jet aircrat, many of the Merlin-engined beauties went to the breakers. Sundry thugs got hold of the engines and fitted them into all manner of lashed-up truck chassis etc., but it was John Dodds and The Beast that did it best and became the one that everyone remembers.
He now lives in Spain, still has the car and uses it infrequently.
According to the info I have, it started off (Custom Car mag) doing 14mpg (seems unlikely) and according to Dodds himself in PC recently, does "1 Km on a litre of 95 octane" which I make to be 2.8 MPG.
Top speed was thought to be 290 MPH but the tyres hadn't been made that could take the job on in the early 70's. This was a Merlin without its supercharger, as they couldn't fabricate an exhaust that could contain the gas pressure and temperature (Spitfires ran open headers!), and not a Meteor tank engine as has been reported variously. The Meteor was a non-supercharged version with different torque characteristics as used in tanks, so I'm told. By a guy who made them...
Also, although I think the Merlin started life with a slightly smaller capacity, by the time the P51D and the later Spitfires (and the Beast!) got it, it was a 27-litre unit.
Kind of puts us and our 4/5/6 litre toys into perspective, doesn't it...;-)
Ian
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