Original Cerbera sketches.
Discussion
Twas funny, When Clarkson arrived the day for the shoot we thought s*** he won'y fit in it, such a scaled-up bloke!
But he did, mind you seat was well back.
What a thoroughly nice bloke he was! - invited us to have a beer with him that night, naturally I went.
The day after the viewing on top gear, the phones never stopped ringing with enquiries.
But, here's a thing, the instrument pod thingy was the result of Me going to a Hotrod swop meet @ White Waltham aerodrome, and coming back with some P5B Rover Coupe instrument dash pods, which I brought into work on Monday to do a foreigner (copy).
Wheeler spotted em and said "what are these", I made up something about using them at some point on an interior or something, so we spent the next few hours moving them about -
finalizing on the column (Peter was racing and wanted air in the driver's face)
Everything else was done around that, and manimalized like Motorbike dash.
so, there you have it!
But he did, mind you seat was well back.
What a thoroughly nice bloke he was! - invited us to have a beer with him that night, naturally I went.
The day after the viewing on top gear, the phones never stopped ringing with enquiries.
But, here's a thing, the instrument pod thingy was the result of Me going to a Hotrod swop meet @ White Waltham aerodrome, and coming back with some P5B Rover Coupe instrument dash pods, which I brought into work on Monday to do a foreigner (copy).
Wheeler spotted em and said "what are these", I made up something about using them at some point on an interior or something, so we spent the next few hours moving them about -
finalizing on the column (Peter was racing and wanted air in the driver's face)
Everything else was done around that, and manimalized like Motorbike dash.
so, there you have it!
I think the factory is basically in the same position now as when Wheeler took over - they were making wedges, and the market had moved on, Winterbottom's design was just too late, orders had dropped, and the important USA market was too risky.
The Griffith came about as Ravenscroft's answer to fixing all the problems encountered on the aquare cars - Ill fitting panels, sinking flat surfaces, and complicated construction.
Naturally, the race program allowed them to experiment with different suspension / chassis ideas, which found their way onto the cars "Racing improves the breed", so, it is important that the factory returns to some kind of racing.
In my opinion, the Cebera has always been a little too-small, just needing to be a bit bigger, and I have always hated the side 'stripe' feature, but lose it, and it's not a Cerbera, - I have the sketches to prove this, so, needs to stay in some way. (if doing a new car)
Perhaps this should be made MORE FUNCTIONAL, like an aerodynamic add-on rather than jusr a styling feature .
All good dialogue, so lets see what they do eh?
NC
The Griffith came about as Ravenscroft's answer to fixing all the problems encountered on the aquare cars - Ill fitting panels, sinking flat surfaces, and complicated construction.
Naturally, the race program allowed them to experiment with different suspension / chassis ideas, which found their way onto the cars "Racing improves the breed", so, it is important that the factory returns to some kind of racing.
In my opinion, the Cebera has always been a little too-small, just needing to be a bit bigger, and I have always hated the side 'stripe' feature, but lose it, and it's not a Cerbera, - I have the sketches to prove this, so, needs to stay in some way. (if doing a new car)
Perhaps this should be made MORE FUNCTIONAL, like an aerodynamic add-on rather than jusr a styling feature .
All good dialogue, so lets see what they do eh?
NC
crazynick said:
I think the factory is basically in the same position now as when Wheeler took over - they were making wedges, and the market had moved on, Winterbottom's design was just too late, orders had dropped, and the important USA market was too risky.
The Griffith came about as Ravenscroft's answer to fixing all the problems encountered on the aquare cars - Ill fitting panels, sinking flat surfaces, and complicated construction.
Naturally, the race program allowed them to experiment with different suspension / chassis ideas, which found their way onto the cars "Racing improves the breed", so, it is important that the factory returns to some kind of racing.
In my opinion, the Cebera has always been a little too-small, just needing to be a bit bigger, and I have always hated the side 'stripe' feature, but lose it, and it's not a Cerbera, - I have the sketches to prove this, so, needs to stay in some way. (if doing a new car)
Perhaps this should be made MORE FUNCTIONAL, like an aerodynamic add-on rather than jusr a styling feature .
All good dialogue, so lets see what they do eh?
NC
The Griffith came about as Ravenscroft's answer to fixing all the problems encountered on the aquare cars - Ill fitting panels, sinking flat surfaces, and complicated construction.
Naturally, the race program allowed them to experiment with different suspension / chassis ideas, which found their way onto the cars "Racing improves the breed", so, it is important that the factory returns to some kind of racing.
In my opinion, the Cebera has always been a little too-small, just needing to be a bit bigger, and I have always hated the side 'stripe' feature, but lose it, and it's not a Cerbera, - I have the sketches to prove this, so, needs to stay in some way. (if doing a new car)
Perhaps this should be made MORE FUNCTIONAL, like an aerodynamic add-on rather than jusr a styling feature .
All good dialogue, so lets see what they do eh?
NC
Just a thought.... but have you considered writing a biog.... I could listen to your stories all day
Maybe you could do a regular spot on the forum.... maybe a new story every fortnight.... I'm sure most TVR nuts would love to hear your experiences on a regular basis
This is the most interesting thread I've read on here for absolutely ages.
The sad thing is that if (time allowing) TVR employees posted on here (with insights, not necessarily 'what's wrong with my engine/car threads') it'd really improve the communication between customer and supplier. Much in the same way as the Noble forum used to be....
D
Edited to add: Are those drawing really nearly 10 years old? They look brand new. The Griff coupe is just gorgeous and the Tuscan Racer looks a lot like the Sagaris (vents, front lights etc).
The sad thing is that if (time allowing) TVR employees posted on here (with insights, not necessarily 'what's wrong with my engine/car threads') it'd really improve the communication between customer and supplier. Much in the same way as the Noble forum used to be....
D
Edited to add: Are those drawing really nearly 10 years old? They look brand new. The Griff coupe is just gorgeous and the Tuscan Racer looks a lot like the Sagaris (vents, front lights etc).
Edited by _deejay_ on Friday 23 June 09:44
Hi
Thanks for tha accolade, but would run out fairly quickly, I lefy 9 years ago!
And pretty pushed for time occasionally - travelling between Asia and UK, - but will add what I can as I find stuff/ remember things.
I am not looking for any fame or recognition here, it was a long time ago but was a stepping stone to other things.
I just want to share what I have here cos there's no use them sitting in a shoe box, and what better place to put it than here.
In the beginning for me in 1992 it was a MAGICAL place with a FAMILY feel amongst the staff, but as time went on it got bigger and bigger and this was lost, single young men grow up and have families, and you are no longer prepared to stay up till 4AM to rub a bonnet master down.
We used to prank a lot to make it fun as were not wonderfully paid (trebbled my income when I went to Nissan), there were iscyanate foam bombs (more on this another time), the fire hose was used on the youngsters a couple of times when it was hot, etc, (Wheeler even caught me at it once - "Good idea, he said cool em down"
- it was the hottest day of the year!
I think at that time we were making the Cerbera floorpan.
As long as you got the job done, anything was ok - is there a parallel now? - think not.
They were good times and we did it against all odds!, kind of poking the car industry in the eye. Problem is the rest have caught up now, I bet a lot of the cars we sold went to other manufacturers for tear-down to see exactly how they could emulate / improve on the cars.
I will pass on stuff to BOSS CERBERA as I find it
ENJOY
Thanks for tha accolade, but would run out fairly quickly, I lefy 9 years ago!
And pretty pushed for time occasionally - travelling between Asia and UK, - but will add what I can as I find stuff/ remember things.
I am not looking for any fame or recognition here, it was a long time ago but was a stepping stone to other things.
I just want to share what I have here cos there's no use them sitting in a shoe box, and what better place to put it than here.
In the beginning for me in 1992 it was a MAGICAL place with a FAMILY feel amongst the staff, but as time went on it got bigger and bigger and this was lost, single young men grow up and have families, and you are no longer prepared to stay up till 4AM to rub a bonnet master down.
We used to prank a lot to make it fun as were not wonderfully paid (trebbled my income when I went to Nissan), there were iscyanate foam bombs (more on this another time), the fire hose was used on the youngsters a couple of times when it was hot, etc, (Wheeler even caught me at it once - "Good idea, he said cool em down"
- it was the hottest day of the year! I think at that time we were making the Cerbera floorpan.
As long as you got the job done, anything was ok - is there a parallel now? - think not.
They were good times and we did it against all odds!, kind of poking the car industry in the eye. Problem is the rest have caught up now, I bet a lot of the cars we sold went to other manufacturers for tear-down to see exactly how they could emulate / improve on the cars.
I will pass on stuff to BOSS CERBERA as I find it
ENJOY
Ted, page one soon?
A superb thread. I feel like the boy I was, listening to my Grandad's old stories about "When it were 'ard".
Truly brilliant designs !
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is ' What designs were you responsible for with the other maufacturers ?'. I have certainly never seen anything as viscerally pleasing as a Cerb interior.
A personal thanks from me too for making this vehicle such a dream come true.
My dad would have been so proud of me !
Truly brilliant designs !
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is ' What designs were you responsible for with the other maufacturers ?'. I have certainly never seen anything as viscerally pleasing as a Cerb interior.
A personal thanks from me too for making this vehicle such a dream come true.
My dad would have been so proud of me !
Well I have to say as a die-hard open top car fan that the Griffith is the definitive TVR for me, however... I've always said that the perfect TVR would have been the Griffith with a Cerbera interior and an AJPV8 engine! That Griffith Coupe is stunning, in the same way as the Alfa Romeo Competitzione 8C concept car is stunning it could really put TVR back on the road to recovery. 
Rich...
Rich...richb said:
Well I have to say as a die-hard open top car fan that the Griffith is the definitive TVR for me, however... I've always said that the perfect TVR would have been the Griffith with a Cerbera interior and an AJPV8 engine! That Griffith Coupe is stunning, in the same way as the Alfa Romeo Competitzione 8C concept car is stunning it could really put TVR back on the road to recovery. Rich...
Rich...But can you believe that was 10 years ago? Completely and utterly ahead of their time, IMHO.
It's a shame that leading edge seems to have been lost.
Thank you for the interior- as said before there are a lot of beautyful cars around but often even in very expensice cars the interior looks a bit boring (this was even more so in the late eightys and early ninetys, where Ferraries looked like Fiats and Astons like Fords inside).
This has much improved over the last years and is IMO another trend you guys and TVR may have started off with the CERB. So even owners of other expensive toys need to
This has much improved over the last years and is IMO another trend you guys and TVR may have started off with the CERB. So even owners of other expensive toys need to
Regarding the 'PRANKS' referred to earlier, it was par for the course to invent your own special party trick!
Don't know who invented this one, but it was rather FORMIDABLE!!,and henceforth unsurpassed!
We used to use Icocyanate (yes, Cyanide based foam as used in the building industry for cavity wall insulation), to form the mass which was to be sculpted.
Nasty, horrid closed-cell stuff which if you imagine the similarity of getting sand in your trunks @ the beech but with spikes,- !
This came in two parts which were mixed in a bucket and poured over a bag / shape ans allowed to expand up to 10 times the volume.
NOW, imagine putting 2 pints of each of this into a big pop bottle!1
Stretch, crack, crack stretch......... BOOOOOM
You now have a most excellent foam bomb!
These were perfected and once someone new started (Do you remember DAZ lol), they were set and stashed under the un-suspecting person's desk..........wait for it..........crack........stretch.......crack.......BOOOOOM!!
Anyhow, one day (Wheeler was supposed to be away), we set one ready to go in the boot with the lid just placed on ,with I think Nobby (Paul Daintree) in a Chimmy or Griff master. then waited......crack.......stretch....then....OH SHIT, Wheeler walked in..
Blast!, get him out, laugh...I'm gonna fall over laughing,.....crack so trying to get him out quick,.....stretch, he walks over to Nobby and starts to discuss the dash.....Crack....No.....stretch, then promptly walks out sslamming the steel door.....crack, stretch.
Well we were all frozen,......stretch,...then BOOOOOM.
Boot flys up into the air, smash as it imprints an impression in the ceiling, then crash as it hits the floor narrowly missing Nobby...
Wheeler walks in "what was that"?, "what was what I replied", "hmmmm nothing" says Peter and walks away lighting another fag.
Just another normal day in the 'Play pen'
Nc
Don't know who invented this one, but it was rather FORMIDABLE!!,and henceforth unsurpassed!
We used to use Icocyanate (yes, Cyanide based foam as used in the building industry for cavity wall insulation), to form the mass which was to be sculpted.
Nasty, horrid closed-cell stuff which if you imagine the similarity of getting sand in your trunks @ the beech but with spikes,- !
This came in two parts which were mixed in a bucket and poured over a bag / shape ans allowed to expand up to 10 times the volume.
NOW, imagine putting 2 pints of each of this into a big pop bottle!1
Stretch, crack, crack stretch......... BOOOOOM
You now have a most excellent foam bomb!
These were perfected and once someone new started (Do you remember DAZ lol), they were set and stashed under the un-suspecting person's desk..........wait for it..........crack........stretch.......crack.......BOOOOOM!!
Anyhow, one day (Wheeler was supposed to be away), we set one ready to go in the boot with the lid just placed on ,with I think Nobby (Paul Daintree) in a Chimmy or Griff master. then waited......crack.......stretch....then....OH SHIT, Wheeler walked in..
Blast!, get him out, laugh...I'm gonna fall over laughing,.....crack so trying to get him out quick,.....stretch, he walks over to Nobby and starts to discuss the dash.....Crack....No.....stretch, then promptly walks out sslamming the steel door.....crack, stretch.
Well we were all frozen,......stretch,...then BOOOOOM.
Boot flys up into the air, smash as it imprints an impression in the ceiling, then crash as it hits the floor narrowly missing Nobby...
Wheeler walks in "what was that"?, "what was what I replied", "hmmmm nothing" says Peter and walks away lighting another fag.
Just another normal day in the 'Play pen'
Nc
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