The '90s really was TVR’s heyday. Back when disposable income still existed and cars could be made with a bit less tech, the combination of style, speed and value was hugely alluring - as we all know. TVRs became famous around the globe for offering up supercar-slaying speed for middle-order sports car money - no 911 Turbo or Ferrari driver was safe from big power Cerberas and Griffiths. And that was cool.
By the end of the century, however, it was time for a change. The traditional styling cues that had characterised the range would get a radical refresh for the '00s, and neither the Rover nor AJP V8s would carry on forever. The 21st-century TVRs would be Speed Six-powered and look like nothing else on the planet - the revolution would be kicked off by a reborn Tuscan.
It’s easy to imagine now that a dramatic departure from the norm would have alienated fans, but the opposite was true; TVR received something like 1,300 deposits following the debut of a concept at the 1998 British motor show, more than enough to crack on with development and show a production version a year later. Just imagine how this looked next to a Griffith or Chimaera in 1999, with its wild exterior and partially digital dash.
Furthermore, while the old school would soldier on into the 21st century, it was the Speed Six spaceships that would define the brand for those fleeting final years - and they’re the ones now very much in demand. Perhaps partly due to more being around, there are Chimaeras from £10k, plus Griffiths and Cerberas from £20,000, but there’s not a Tuscan, T350 or Tamora for less than £25k. Most are more than £30,000. And that’s before even thinking about the Sagaris…
As such a significant car for the brand (a Chimaera just wouldn’t have been right in Swordfish) on a big birthday, it only seemed right to celebrate 25 years of Tuscan before 2024 is out. There’s a decent selection on PH, as there often tends to be, and while the typical logic is to go for as late a car as possible (the Tuscan 2 brought some useful revisions) it’s hard not to be drawn to this 2002 Speed Six.
Why? Because all is not quite as it seems. ‘Restomod’ would be too strong a term for it, but this Tuscan has certainly been sympathetically optimised to make for the best TVR experience possible. And that promises to be epic. Cosmetically it benefits from a stunning respray in Porsche Dark Olive Green, the interior has been retrimmed in Bentley leather and the much-loved Spider alloys, if not refurbed, are in glorious condition. All these years later, a Tuscan still has the power to stop you in your tracks.
Additionally, this Tuscan benefits from Michelin PS5 tyres, Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs, so the ride and handling ought to be bob on. The seller (well-known specialist Str8Six) also says the in-car entertainment is a ‘Tour de Force’, which is probably the first time that’s been said in the context of a TVR. There’s a proper amp, sub-woofer and set of speakers, basically, which hopefully means this Tuscan could make quite agreeable long-distance company, as well as a Sunday morning sports car.
It means this is the priciest Tuscan on PH, at £52k, but then evidently a lot of money has been spent on it. The mileage is low for a 20-odd-year-old car, and there’s never going to be a time that a Tuscan isn’t a very cool sports car - particularly as they’re becoming eligible for US export. Known to this specialist for many years, it’s probably about the best a Tuscan can get. Looks pretty damn great to us.
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