1997 TVR Griffith

 Highlights 

• 5.0-litre Griffith 500

• Remapped with CANEMS aftermarket engine management system

• Fully stripped and repainted in 2016

• Retrimmed interior

• Bills and invoices to back-up work carried out

 Overview

The TVR ‘2G’ Griffith brought back a name from the past when it debuted in 1990, quickly becoming the fastest-selling TVR ever after its announcement at the Birmingham Motor Show with the company taking one order every eight minutes, according to its own historical archives 

Powered by a range of engines developed from the venerable Rover V8, the growling Griffith was every inch a TVR in the traditional mould – rear-wheel-drive, edgy, fast and sleek, with a homegrown character and hand-built nature.

This one’s a 500, which means it gets a 5.0-litre version of the magical engine, but with an aftermarket CANEMS engine management system that gives it 313bhp and 370lb ft of torque, along with electronic ignition, an upgraded fuel pump, induction system, injectors, cam followers and a rolling road remap, to name just some of the work carried out under the vendor’s 15-year period of ownership. The work was done by respected Lloyd Specialist Developments in Warminster, Wilts, in 2016, along with a full engine bore inspection and pressure tests.

Since then, the car has been almost completely rebuilt. Originally Starmist Green with sage green carpet interior, both were a bit tatty, so the vendor had the car repainted in distinctive Green Candy Pearl on a black basecoat, meaning it reacts and turns darker in. dull light. The interior was also completely retrimmed and refitted by D&C trim in Blackpool. All of this cost over £12,000.

The car is now reluctantly offered for sale as the owner no longer uses it much and – to quote them – TVRs need using. It’s not an original, preserved and standard example, but one that has been tweaked and upgraded to suit the owner’s tastes. 

 Loud, eye-catching and gloriously British, it’s a real head-turner. 

History and documentation 

• First registered on 12 June 1997 by HR Owen TVR in London

• MOT until 13 August 2026; no advisory notes

• UK registration document in the name of the private vendor

• Huge file of invoices documenting most of the work carried out including £8,000+ of recommissioning work in 2016, a full mechanical overhaul and regular maintenance from RPB TVR specialists in Callington, Cornwall

• Two keys 

• Original handbook and service book

 Interior 

• Retrimmed by D&C trimmers in Blackpool in 2016

• Black and tan full leather interior including dash and roof

• Design is unique to the car

• TVR headrests

• New steering wheel

• New gear lever to return car to original style

• Upgraded speakers

• New kick plates on side sills, still with plastic cover on them

• Bespoke hood bag

• Diamond weave door trims and roof lining

• Carbon fibre dash finish

• Beautifully presented with no notable wear

Exterior

• Stripped down and rebuilt in 2016

• Work carried out by Surface and Design in Blackpool, where the car received bodywork refurbishment and a respray. 

• Full strip of body with fibreglass strip down and repair to deal with water absorption and age-related issues 

• New bonnet and windscreen fitted during refurb

• Paint is a green Candy Pearl over black base, that looks green in some lights and black in others. The vendor reports that it looks fabulous in cloudy weather.

• Touch-up paint included

• Headlights upgraded to larger units with amended light openings

• Front bar in air intake removed for cleaner look

• All indicators and lenses replaced with clear lenses 

• All new badges

• Team Dynamics wheels in very good condition with perfect centre caps

• Regularly rustproofed underneath and believed to be sound

• Car has one larger stone chip and a rubbing mark (to white primer) on the bonnet/ drivers wing join evidenced by condition photos.

• It also has several stone chips and the odd light scratch consistent with normal use over 10 years since respray.

• The green candy paint is in good condition but not perfect.

 Mechanical 

• 5.0-litre V8

• 313bhp, as tested on a rolling road

• Five-speed manual gearbox

• Due to the updated CANEMS system the car is described as very smooth and doesn’t shunt as much as original cars

• Nitron dampers 

• New fuel lines

• New brake lines

• Competition clutch and crankshaft oil seal

• Full engine bore inspection and pressure test suring refurb

• Lots of other work done at same time including suspension refurb, head reskim, new fuel lines, powder coated rocker covers, new cam followers, new prop shaft, corner weighting, all new suspension mounts with poly bushes and silicon engine hoses 

• Reported by the vendor to drive without fault, with amazing performance and a fantastic soundtrack

 Summary

 Of all the TVR to emerge from the company’s resurgent period through the 1990s and early 2000s, the Griffith was the most visceral and engaging – it was the flagship of the range, a TVR at its most fierce and uncompromising, and the 500 sat at the top of that tree.

 Even a standard car is one that will get your heart pumping, but this one, with its tasteful and subtle improvements, plus its remapped engine and power delivery, is as engaging as they get. A proper beast, but one that is presented in a condition you’d be just as happy to show as you would to take out for a high-speed blast. It’s a heck of a thing…

This wonderful TVR is being stored at a secure storage facility in Cornwall. To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in St Austell, Cornwall.