Snobbery
Author
Discussion

GI

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

266 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
We all know that the S Series was an 'entry level' Tiv but was there, at the time when they were being produced, any snobbishness from the big wedge owners and then the early Chimp and Griff owners?

And is there any now? Are we seen as the cheapskates of the TVR world?

I was just musing this because of a comment in another forum about how TVR should make another entry-level model circa £30,000. Now I'm just assuming that some current owners of Tuscans, T350s and Sagarii might look down their nose at a cut-down TVR for the masses priced at between 25 and 30k, being that it might be construed as cheapening the kudos of the marque.

GreenV8S

31,017 posts

313 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
No, the 'S' series is a proper TVR which sets the standard for the others to follow. But we try not to look down on them, there are only so many 'S' series to go around and they can't *all* have one.

gifdy

2,078 posts

270 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
No, the 'S' series is a proper TVR which sets the standard for the others to follow. But we try not to look down on them, there are only so many 'S' series to go around and they can't *all* have one.


Excellent !

bridgdav

4,805 posts

277 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
I don't know about you but....

People who have to buy cars with so many Driver Aids

Instead of those who prefer Real sports cars they are the lesser owners IMHO...

Why do they need all that luxury...
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Power steering.
On occasions 2 extra cylinders.
Disc brakes all round.
Stiffened Chassis.
Dials that work.
Roof panels that don't leek.
Central locking.
16 inch wheels.
Headlights.
Seat belts that don't stick.
Doors that don't drop.
Brakes in general.
A boot.
A heater.
Wing mirrors you can see out of.
Doors that close properly and don't creak.
Indicators that are not from a Sherpa van.
A car that doesn't eat Throttle pots.
Cars that can drive over bumps in the road.
Windscreen wipers....
.....
.....
They even have to buy extra Leven bits to make their car look nice.(excusing Mike)
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Need I go on.....?


What they need is a proper TVR



>> Edited by bridgdav on Tuesday 11th April 18:32

GI

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

266 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all

tvrgit

8,489 posts

281 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
The March 2006 Classic Cars for Sale summed it up when it said:

In many ways the overlooked S is the best TVR to buy out of the lot. It has the looks, style and charisma of classic older TVRs but twinned with more modern running gear and added durability. It's not half as naff looking as the power dressed Tasmin or the "sexually challenged I'm all bloke really" Chimaera and Tuscan ranges - and cheaper than the lot of them"

Who am I to argue?

(The whole article can be downloaded from [url]www.haggishead.myby.co.uk/TVR/classiccars.pdf[/url] )

>> Edited by tvrgit on Tuesday 11th April 18:30

Mr.Cerbera

5,151 posts

259 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
The only characteristic that has saddened me about TVR ownership - the same as it did with motorcycle ownership - was the Us and Them that pervades the marque.

Bad enough that meets are made per model but meets for particular clours ???

For Goodness Sake let's all just congratulate ourselves on being 'a little eccentric' and enjoy each other's commaraderie.

and don't forget ....

Just because you're paranoid desn't mean that they're not out to get you !

gifdy

2,078 posts

270 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
Friendly banter, 'tis all.

GI

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

266 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
I think you can forgive a little flag waving from the different camps - it's natural for people to form interest groups, and for some people their interest is more about one colour or one model.

There are enough multi-model meets out there to make a few model specific meets worthwhile - there's not much you can compare between your S and someone else's Tuscan while standing in the rain with the bonnets up. It's sometimes nice to be among several similar cars just to see quite how variable TVR were with their output!

Anyway, I love all TVRs whatever they are.

And does anyone know about what the TVR community thought of the S during it's production?

jonnylayze

1,640 posts

255 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
Mr.Cerbera said:
The only characteristic that has saddened me about TVR ownership - the same as it did with motorcycle ownership - was the Us and Them that pervades the marque.

Bad enough that meets are made per model but meets for particular clours ???

For Goodness Sake let's all just congratulate ourselves on being 'a little eccentric' and enjoy each other's commaraderie.

and don't forget ....

Just because you're paranoid desn't mean that they're not out to get you !


I take it that the them and us you're talking about applies to different models rather than TVR/ non TVR owners. If so, that is a bit sad.

We should all congratulate one another on choosing TVR. As a brand of car, its position is unique. For my part my family has the TVR bug bad. In addition to my S my brother owns a 4.0 Chimp (having had a 3000M Turbo) and my Dad has a 3.1 litre Taimar SE (having had a 1600M and 3000S.

I don't think the S is a lesser TVR - it seems to me its the bridge between the classic models and the cars which took TVR into becoming a global brand (Chimeara, Griffith and Cerbera). However, I do think there is scope for a =n entry level car in the mould of the S (selling for c. £25-30,000) possibly with the 2.5litre Ford V6 (clearly a good enough engine for Noble) and more than enough pwer to see off Boxsters, Z4s and the like.

Also (at the risk of offending the TVR-engined TVR crew - no offence intended), I wonder whether TVR should look at using proprietary engines in the bigger engined cars - Morgan now use a BMW V8. Given the reliability issues which many people seem to be having these problems can only damage the marque over the long term. Either that or TVR need to detune the engines - power is more than ample now - and engineer in some durability.

RIP the RV8

the gazman

1,686 posts

249 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
I get waved at by everybody I see, the wheel's probably falling off. The TVR bunch are the most sociable bunch around IMHO.

honourablepickle

457 posts

263 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
rip the RV8 ?
well it is a good old lump but it seems a bit old fashioned now
tvr should just fit the LS engines to everything and get reliability and power in one package
as to the S being a poor TVR relation - I like to think of it as retro - which I understand to be in style at present .....
reb

yellabelly

2,258 posts

282 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
In the EMTVRCC group there are no model barriers, it doesn't matter what you drive (well we have got a porker driving RO) so everybody mixes but you have to work at it otherwise it's just them old buggers who patronise us youngsters sorry Bill!!
YB

HarryW

16,026 posts

298 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
Can't say I've ever come across it tbh.

mr clifford

816 posts

256 months

Tuesday 11th April 2006
quotequote all
When I bought my first S2 in 1990 it cost me just under £19,000 of hard earned dosh.
It wasnt an entry level TVR then !
...and still aint imo.
Just older !

Hoover.

5,993 posts

271 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
no snobbery here

When I first had my S I thaught the same (snobbery) at a few meets...... then I found it was me expecting people to come and talk to me......... Just make a bit of an effort to talk to people and you will be richly rewarded. You will find that most of the Tivers are complete car nuts with an interest in anything mechanical and most have at one point owned an S or want one.

Hoover

jonnylayze

1,640 posts

255 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
honourablepickle said:
rip the RV8 ?
well it is a good old lump but it seems a bit old fashioned now
tvr should just fit the LS engines to everything and get reliability and power in one package
as to the S being a poor TVR relation - I like to think of it as retro - which I understand to be in style at present .....
reb


If you think about it the S was probably the first 'retro' model introduced by any manufacturer - since copied (but not bettered) by lots of others: BMW - Mini; VW - Beetle; Ford - Mustang and GT (actually at the risk of upsetting people here I might swap my S for a Ford GT)

>> Edited by jonnylayze on Wednesday 12th April 07:59

mycroft

1,545 posts

276 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
Hoover. said:
no snobbery here

When I first had my S I thaught the same (snobbery) at a few meets...... then I found it was me expecting people to come and talk to me......... Just make a bit of an effort to talk to people and you will be richly rewarded. You will find that most of the Tivers are complete car nuts with an interest in anything mechanical and most have at one point owned an S or want one.

Hoover

I think you hit the mark Steve.
I put a post on here last night saying I thought there was some snobbery, i read the post again It was rubbish. I couldn`t think of anytime someone snubbed me cos I had an old car.
Most of the problem is mine, too shy to go and butt into someone else`s conversation and jealous of the newer cars,,
and the older ones
and ones like mine but a different color,
in fact I want them all.

The thing I didn`t know I was buying into when I got my car was such a friendly group of people.

GreenV8S

31,017 posts

313 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
mycroft said:
The thing I didn`t know I was buying into when I got my car was such a friendly group of people.


When I got my first TVR I thought I was buying a car. I had no idea how strong the social aspect of owning a TVR is. It sounds trite but it really is a way of life - or it can be, if you want it.

honourablepickle

457 posts

263 months

Wednesday 12th April 2006
quotequote all
when you spend as much time and cash messing around with old tvrs as people on this group seem to , it's a good job people are friendly and supportive or some of us would have gone mad without the knowledge that others were suffering as well.
reb