1996 TVR Chimaera 400

Highlights 

• Stunning, well-specced Chimaera

• Lovely overall condition

• Comprehensive history file

• Outriggers reported to be in good condition

• Tuscan Speed Six headlight upgrade 

Overview

It may be the best-selling TVR of all-time, but everything is relative. The TVR Chimaera was still very much a product of a cottage industry, but in a good way – a car that was built for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. 

Back when the company was producing cars in an industrial unit in Bristol Avenue, Blackpool, the Chimaera enjoyed a 12-year hand-built production from 1991 to 2003, with approximately 6,000 of them built in total.

It’s also known in car industry folklore for the influence of a dog in its design – when TVR boss Peter Wheeler took some investors to look at the styling buck for the upcoming new sports car, his dog ran forward and took a huge bite out of the polystyrene model.

The German pointer, Ned, claimed his own place in motoring history at the time, as the fang-shaped cut-outs around the indicator recesses became a standout design signature of the model – not something that would have happened in the clinical design studios of major manufacturers, and which makes TVR even more endearing as a result. 

This example is a 1996 Chimaera 400, named after its 4.0-litre V8 Range Rover engine, and comes with an astonishing history file dating right back to the original customer handover at 17 miles, through to its most recent major service at a reputable specialist in September 2025.

It has covered 88,000 miles from new and is presented in superb order, with a Tuscan Speed Six twin headlamp conversion and some minor upgrades to make the car more usable, such as a sat nav aerial and hands-free Bluetooth integration.

If you want a car that’s absolutely thrilling to drive, is well-maintained, and will give you a shot of adrenaline every time you climb behind the wheel – then here’s your opportunity. 

It offers a raw, unblinkered driving experience, a seductive soundtrack and blistering performance, which earns it three massive ticks in our book, and that’s before you consider its fetching colour scheme and lovely overall condition, or the fact it had a full camshaft overhaul and timing chain replacement just 12,000 miles ago. 

History and documentation 

• First registered February 7th 1996

• Supplied new Team Central TVR in Kingstanding

• UK V5C in the name of the vendor

• MOT to August 11th 2026; advisory items for rear tyres since addressed

• Original handbook and service history book

• Two keys

• HPA alarm/immobiliser

• Service booked stamped at 625 miles (1996 – main dealer), 7,413 miles (1996 – main dealer), 15,681 miles (1997 – main dealer), 17,771 miles (1997 – specialist), 24,087 miles (1998 – main dealer), 30,248 miles (1999 – main dealer), 37,027 miles (2000 – main dealer), 43,266 miles (2001 – main dealer), 48,877 miles (2002 – specialist), 51,025 miles (2003 – specialist), 68,505 miles (2012 – specialist), 68,750 miles (2013 – specialist), 69,843 miles (2016 – specialist), 73,525 miles (2017– specialist), 76,500 miles (2018 – specialist), 81,877 miles (2022 – serviced by owner), 85,985 miles (2023 – serviced by owner), 87,372 miles (2025 – specialist)

• Selection of invoices showing other maintenance 

• Some old MOT certificates

• Sought-after Steve Heath manual for The TVR Griffith and Chimaera 

Interior 

• Beige leather upholstery with embroidered TVR head restraints in excellent condition

• Seats have been cleaned and restored and are in very good condition

• All upper carpet areas and the boot lining colour refreshed to give a brighter look

• Seat belt guides have been added to the head rests, to give a more comfortable fit and stop snagging. 

• No cracks or damage to fascia

• Three-spoke Personal steering wheel

• All instrumentation works as it should

• Radio has been replaced with a more modern android DAB version, including Bluetooth and a microphone on the windscreen pillar for hands-free calls. Can also run android apps or use android auto from your phone

• Sat nav aerial fitted to allow use of navigation software. 

• Both electric windows work, as do all the dials fans, switches, heater and internal lights.

Exterior 

• Lovely Starmist Blue metallic paint 

• Paintwork is in good condition, with some very minor scratches or marks for anyone who looks very closely, but nothing obvious

• The headlamps have been upgraded to Tuscan-style "Speed Six" versions, giving double headlights and a much better lighting pattern

• All tyres are in good condition, with new rears fitted in September 2025 – Yokohamas on the front and Maxxis at the rear

• Alloys are in very good condition without damage or scuffing – 18-inch rear and 17-inch front. 

• Under the car, the outriggers are reported to be all in good condition, as is the exhaust. 

• The roof is watertight, but the rear soft top window has a small repair, about the size of a pound coin, at the edge on the driver’s side.

Mechanical 

• 4.0-litre Rover V8

• 275bhp

• Five-speed manual

• 0-60 in 5.1 secs

• 151mph top speed

• Sounds incredible

• Full camshaft overhaul and timing chain replacement just 12,000 miles ago, in 2017

• At the last service it was noted that the NSF ball joint is beginning to show signs of wear

• Can be difficult to engage reverse when cold

• No reported mechanical issues 

Summary

 With its rumbling Rover V8, lightweight body and snug, encapsulating cabin, the Chimaera offers a driving experience that will stir every single one of your senses in a manner that you would normally only experience in an old-school classic, yet being a Nineties car with a mechanical set-up that means you can get parts off the shelf in most motor factors, it won’t cost you classic or supercar money to run – nor to buy. 

 Despite that, it’s a car steeped in heritage, wearing the badge of one of the most revered British sports car brands in motoring history. 

  To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Maidstone, Kent.