420 Sports Saloon

[iainjones]

Folks, thread on the White Elephant, and i guess ff's extended threads, have lead me to wonder if anyone knows anything more about the "420 Sports Saloon", I've an A4 promotional/sales photo and spec for it , but have never heard any mention of it within Wedge/TVR circles, does it still exist??? Or was it a one off prototype in a simular, but less fortunate, vein to the White Elephant???

If it helps jog memories, its in a similar colour to the silver of (stainless) Steves SEAC and had what appears to be a headlight pod that stretches across virtually the full width of the car.

Regards
Iain

[uriel]

I heard it had some parts scavenged from it and what was left was chopped up and binned.

Would be a shame as I think it was a sweet looking car. I loved the smoothed front and the lights on it.

[wedgeman]

iainjones said:

Folks, thread on the White Elephant, and i guess ff's extended threads, have lead me to wonder if anyone knows anything more about the "420 Sports Saloon"?

The 420 saloon was actually the NEC motorshow car for I think 1987. It was apparently based on a 390SE. The car was never actually finished as the passenger door was never made in time for the show. So everyone on the TVR stand had to say that this was done on purpose to give the public a proper view of the interior! You will notice that photographs were only ever allowed to be taken from one side...

Whilst at the show hardly any orders were taken for the car do it was scrapped & chainsawed.

Whilst researching Nelly I found some striking similarities between the front end of the 420 and the White Elephant. Just before the P&P in Cardiff I rang John Ravenscroft to ask him a few questions & he confirmed that when the 420 was scrapped, they actually kept the nose and grafted it onto Nelly, subsequently cutting out the headlamp housings and bigger air vents in the front spoiler. So the White Elephant is also part 420! Well at least the nose still exists!...

Also found out that Nelly was built on a development SEAC chassis and was based on a FHC Tasmin inner body shell...

Hope this helps - better take my anorak off now!!

Howard

[iainjones]

wedgeman said:

Also found out that Nelly was built on a development SEAC chassis and was based on a FHC Tasmin inner body shell...

Oh so maybe it was turned into FF's possible SEAC...
sorry, shouldnt jest

Thats a real pity cos the 420SS looks a very nice car, and you can see a couple of design cues that made later models eg the lack on door handles that have continued ever since the Griff had them removed...

Anyway, thanks was just curious thats all.

Regards
Iain

>> Edited by iainjones on Sunday 10th October 10:46

[stainless_steve]

Anybody got any pics of the car ?

[wedgeman]

stainless_steve said:

Anybody got any pics of the car ?

Sorry about the quality Steve..

[stainless_steve]

Thanks Howard