The Griffith is back - almost
Discussion
Autocar are running a story this week tht says Melling is bring back the Griffith in the shape of the Melling Griffon.
Debuting at the Autosport show in January. Cost £50k and guess what it looks like a modern Griff.
The car has an all new spacefarme chassis and suspension set-up designed to correct what Melling says was "key engineering shortcomings.
Cars are to be made in Rochdale.
Looks like a case of unlucky Smolenski (again)
Debuting at the Autosport show in January. Cost £50k and guess what it looks like a modern Griff.
The car has an all new spacefarme chassis and suspension set-up designed to correct what Melling says was "key engineering shortcomings.
Cars are to be made in Rochdale.
Looks like a case of unlucky Smolenski (again)
This is what it says:
Lancashire engine guru Al Melling is launching a 170mph, front-engined two-seat sports car, designed to replace the TVR Griffith, the failed Blackpool car company's most famous model.
Called the Melling Griffon, it is similar in size to the Griffith and is powered by a further-developed, 460bhp 4.7-litre version of Melling's AJP8, the flat-crank, two-valve V8 he designed in the early 1990s.
The new car is designed to be the car the TVR Griffith would now be, had it remained in production. First buyers will get cars early next year at a price close to £50,000. Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.
"The Griffith was always the most popular TVR," says Melling. "It is still highly recognisable on both sides of the Atlantic and it's a tragedy it was allowed to die. But we're doing something about that."
Melling, whose business interests were recently rationalised into one NASDAQ-listed group, has pushed the Griffon to the top of his priority list because he believes there is urgent demand for a £50,000 bespoke British roadster. But he is also continuing to work on the 200mph V10-engined Hellcat super-coupé revealed earlier this year.
The Griffon, which will be built at Melling's Rochdale HQ, has all-new suspension and a tubular spaceframe/backbone chassis designed to correct what Melling sees as key engineering shortcomings in the original TVR.
The Griffon will make its debut at the Autosport show at the NEC next January.
Why does Melling care about TVR?
Al Melling and his Rochdale-based company have been closely associated with TVR and its successive managements for years. First they operated parallel businesses in the same county, then Melling designed engines for TVR (notably the AJP8 and Speed Six), plus a still-born six-speed gearbox. Finally Melling became a bidder for the Blackpool-based sports car maker, which hit the buffers last year under the management of Russian-born Nikolai Smolenski.
Melling was not successful in buying TVR, but he believes his association with its customers gives him insight into their future requirements, hence the Griffon.
Lancashire engine guru Al Melling is launching a 170mph, front-engined two-seat sports car, designed to replace the TVR Griffith, the failed Blackpool car company's most famous model.
Called the Melling Griffon, it is similar in size to the Griffith and is powered by a further-developed, 460bhp 4.7-litre version of Melling's AJP8, the flat-crank, two-valve V8 he designed in the early 1990s.
The new car is designed to be the car the TVR Griffith would now be, had it remained in production. First buyers will get cars early next year at a price close to £50,000. Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.
"The Griffith was always the most popular TVR," says Melling. "It is still highly recognisable on both sides of the Atlantic and it's a tragedy it was allowed to die. But we're doing something about that."
Melling, whose business interests were recently rationalised into one NASDAQ-listed group, has pushed the Griffon to the top of his priority list because he believes there is urgent demand for a £50,000 bespoke British roadster. But he is also continuing to work on the 200mph V10-engined Hellcat super-coupé revealed earlier this year.
The Griffon, which will be built at Melling's Rochdale HQ, has all-new suspension and a tubular spaceframe/backbone chassis designed to correct what Melling sees as key engineering shortcomings in the original TVR.
The Griffon will make its debut at the Autosport show at the NEC next January.
Why does Melling care about TVR?
Al Melling and his Rochdale-based company have been closely associated with TVR and its successive managements for years. First they operated parallel businesses in the same county, then Melling designed engines for TVR (notably the AJP8 and Speed Six), plus a still-born six-speed gearbox. Finally Melling became a bidder for the Blackpool-based sports car maker, which hit the buffers last year under the management of Russian-born Nikolai Smolenski.
Melling was not successful in buying TVR, but he believes his association with its customers gives him insight into their future requirements, hence the Griffon.
F A N T A S T I C Let's face it TVR are looking at customers with more money and if they ever build new cars I am expecting them to be out of my price range (and would you do business with at crook?).
Melling (whatever some of you think) is on the money as far as I am concerned. If they debut it as they said at the Autosport show I will pay my deposit there and then.
I loved my Griff's and Melling is spot on to capitalise on this area of the market.
Melling (whatever some of you think) is on the money as far as I am concerned. If they debut it as they said at the Autosport show I will pay my deposit there and then.
I loved my Griff's and Melling is spot on to capitalise on this area of the market.
ColG said:
Hmm, looks like they ought to get the calculator out again, and give the Griffon's power to weight ratio another go!ColG said:
That looks brilliant - so like the Griffith but matured with time. 
No details of who's engine it'll use, and IMHO the reworked design has lost some of the purity of the original. I can't see the Design council giving this one an award like they did for the original....
Bottom line is who will buy one, no really, who will actually hand over £50k of their own money for one of these. TVR couldn't sell the Tuscan 'vert which in my view is already the modern Griff, and that was £10k cheaper than this. All Melling has no track record of producing any road cars, even before people start to talk about reliability compared to the last blackpool TVR's, so who will really buy these.
I genuinely hope that this comes off, but i'm not convinced.
Paul
Bottom line is who will buy one, no really, who will actually hand over £50k of their own money for one of these. TVR couldn't sell the Tuscan 'vert which in my view is already the modern Griff, and that was £10k cheaper than this. All Melling has no track record of producing any road cars, even before people start to talk about reliability compared to the last blackpool TVR's, so who will really buy these.
I genuinely hope that this comes off, but i'm not convinced.
Paul
Melling said:
"The Griffith was always the most popular TVR,"
Actually the Chim was, basd on sales volumes............... 
Melling said:
it's a tragedy it was allowed to die.
It died cos no one was buying it. The last LEs took ages to sell. Cynicism aside though, it looks like a development of the Griff Speed Six prototype, which I always liked. If it makes production (and given Mr Mellings record in these sorts of things thats a very big IF, I'm afraid) then I'd be interested in one.
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