Period pictures

[oliverb205]

Oh go on then. Here is the White Elephant, only is wasn't called that then, at the factory in April 1989.

Oliver.

[oliverb205]

And following on from the D---VFR thread, the blue 350i was photographed at Oulton Park in September 1987, and was a factory car which once appeared on TV in some obscure BBC drama.

The red 390SE was snapped at Oulton in May 1988.

Oliver.

[oliverb205]

Here is the pearl white car again, at Oulton Park in October 1989. So it has a 350i rear bumper, 390SE front bumper, and US side reflectors...

Oliver.

[oliverb205]

And finally, for tonight, are a couple of shots from the 1986 Motor Show at the NEC.

Oliver.

[gmw9666]

Outstanding pics Oliver :-)

[mrzigazaga]

oliverb205 said:

Fantastic pictures...Thanks for sharing them...What is that silver beast to the left of the SEAC..Something without a front bumper and a totally different spoiler ..The one everyone is looking at...

[Wedg1e]

mrzigazaga said:

Fantastic pictures...Thanks for sharing them...What is that silver beast to the left of the SEAC..Something without a front bumper and a totally different spoiler ..The one everyone is looking at...

SPEED 8!

[oliverb205]

It was the 420 Sports Saloon, which looked like a cut and shut 2 door Volvo 940. It was broken up when no one wanted one and the nose section was used on the White Elephant.

Oliver.

[Wedg1e]

oliverb205 said:

Here is the pearl white car again, at Oulton Park in October 1989. So it has a 350i rear bumper, 390SE front bumper, and US side reflectors...

Oliver.

Well, it could easily be an early 390SE. The early cars had few visual differences from the 350i, the most obvious being the front airdam which incorporated air ducts for the brakes... but the sills and rear bumper were the same to start with, and the rear under-wing came along later as well. The front wheelarch shows the early version of the flares; the next version had the little extra bit on the shell grafted-on to the airdam, then later still the flares were added to the whole arch, front and rear.
'Course, this being TVR, it might just as easily be a 350i with a prototype 390SE front spoiler ...

ETA... and the pre-streamlined mirrors.

Edited by Wedg1e on Monday 30th March 22:45

[oliverb205]

Wedg1e said:

mrzigazaga said:

Fantastic pictures...Thanks for sharing them...What is that silver beast to the left of the SEAC..Something without a front bumper and a totally different spoiler ..The one everyone is looking at...

SPEED 8!

No, the Speed 8 didn't debut until 3 years later in 1989.

Oliver.

[Wedg1e]

oliverb205 said:

It was the 420 Sports Saloon, which looked like a cut and shut 2 door Volvo 940. It was broken up when no one wanted one and the nose section was used on the White Elephant.

Oliver.

Doh... 1986... of course The Speed 8 came along later. Mind you in the pic it seems to have no roof... unless that's the SEAC from a different angle.

[Wedg1e]

oliverb205 said:

It was the 420 Sports Saloon, which looked like a cut and shut 2 door Volvo 940. It was broken up when no one wanted one

Wasn't that largely due to the introduction of the S?

[Wedg1e]

oliverb205 said:

And finally some bodyshells sitting in the sun.

Oliver.

The blue mould looks like the Wedge, I'd say the red one is for the S series?
Some good clues there as to how the Wedge shell went together, not really 'bonded along the waistline' as the advertising suggested though. Inner wing has the modified battery recess.

Sorry, too cold to go back out to the workshop so I'm post-bombing instead

[Waynester]

oliverb205 said:

And finally, for tonight, are a couple of shots from the 1986 Motor Show at the NEC.

Oliver.

What was the eventual registration of the 420 SEAC? Not Stainless' (Steve Charlesworth) old SEAC, that was a 450...though I thought it was an NEC show car too, or am I getting confused? Probably.

I lived in Fernhurst from '85-'87 literally 30 seconds walking distance to the TVR dealership. I would stare at the brand new Wedges for sale..like they were sweets in a sweetshop! I was only 14..but it's where my interest & passion for the Wedge was born. If only camera phones were available then to 'da yoof' like they are today.

[gmw9666]

Waynester said:

What was the eventual registration of the 420 SEAC? Not Stainless' (Steve Charlesworth) old SEAC, that was a 450...though I thought it was an NEC show car too, or am I getting confused? Probably.

I lived in Fernhurst from '85-'87 literally 30 seconds walking distance to the TVR dealership. I would stare at the brand new Wedges for sale..like they were sweets in a sweetshop! I was only 14..but it's where my interest & passion for the Wedge was born. If only camera phones were available then to 'da yoof' like they are today.

If my memory serves me right the silver seac on the stand was later re painted black.....doesn't answer your question about the reg though lol

[Waynester]

gmw9666 said:

Waynester said:

What was the eventual registration of the 420 SEAC? Not Stainless' (Steve Charlesworth) old SEAC, that was a 450...though I thought it was an NEC show car too, or am I getting confused? Probably.

I lived in Fernhurst from '85-'87 literally 30 seconds walking distance to the TVR dealership. I would stare at the brand new Wedges for sale..like they were sweets in a sweetshop! I was only 14..but it's where my interest & passion for the Wedge was born. If only camera phones were available then to 'da yoof' like they are today.

If my memory serves me right the silver seac on the stand was later re painted black.....doesn't answer your question about the reg though lol

It does help explain a bit though.. thanks.

[oliverb205]

It definitely had a roof. Think you are right about it's reception, no one was keen on the looks and the S and SEAC were well received do PW concentrated on them. No idea whether the 420SEAC was resprayed black.

Oliver.

[mrzigazaga]

oliverb205 said:

Would of looked cool as a DHC..I see there are no door handles, Was that because it had what the Griff ended up with or was it not finished?...

[mrzigazaga]

Just found another thread on the subject...It also shows the pic i was looking for that i wanted to post up as regards to the "Graffiti" post ...Again...I will...
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&...

[oliverb205]

mrzigazaga said:

Would of looked cool as a DHC..I see there are no door handles, Was that because it had what the Griff ended up with or was it not finished?...

It didn't actually have doors, so didn't need door handles. There was no passenger door, so punters could see inside on the show stand, and the rumour was that the driver's door didn't open, it was just a groove carved into the side to look like a shut line. I guess the idea was to insert the key and turn to pop open the door.
IMHO it was too big to be a convertible, 4 seater drop heads rarely work. Very much of it's time, but the wedge look was starting to look dated and the S was such a hit that it was a no brained for TVR to concentrate on that to increase production.

Oliver.