Where would tvr be now?
Discussion
I'm not sure TVR would have been attractive to any of the majors. Apart from being relatively unknown outside the UK, they were into making great value, spectacular cars for enthusiasts. More or less the exact opposite of what the majors are about.
Couple that to the pub know all impression that they were unreliable (erroneous though it was) and I think that does it.
If TVR were still around today I think they would have probably have been forced to move upmarket or at least charge a lot more for their cars. A bit like what Smolensky seems to be trying now.
They are sorely missed and I am just glad that I was around for the Golden Age.
Couple that to the pub know all impression that they were unreliable (erroneous though it was) and I think that does it.
If TVR were still around today I think they would have probably have been forced to move upmarket or at least charge a lot more for their cars. A bit like what Smolensky seems to be trying now.
They are sorely missed and I am just glad that I was around for the Golden Age.
What TVR would need to get beyond the stage of 'make a couple of new cars based on existing designs, and rebuild some more' is some sort of unofficial agreement with a major OEM where they buy in the oily parts and get support from the the more petrolheaded in the OEM's engineering departments to properly implement/integrate the drivetrain and electronic control systems - like Wiessmann/BMW, Donkervoort/Audi and KTM/Audi.
In most of these cases, 'inofficial' technology transfer comes about because people within the larger organisations are enthusiastic owners of the low-volume products and see a possibility to do the sort of stuff that would never get the green light where they work (I have it on close authority that two senior engineers of a big German OEM's performance division were ordered to the corporate CEO's house for a stern b
king at 10.30 pm after a press launch where it transpired they had programmed the new car's vehicle stability control systems a little less tightly than it should be according to corporate policy).
I know it's not what people want to hear - all-British, bespoke engines etc is what TVR was all about blah blah - but in today's environment it's the only way for a small-scale, specialist manufacturer unless you are concentrating on the motorsport/off road market.
Anyone here knowing TVR owners high up in Ford, JLR R&D departments?
In most of these cases, 'inofficial' technology transfer comes about because people within the larger organisations are enthusiastic owners of the low-volume products and see a possibility to do the sort of stuff that would never get the green light where they work (I have it on close authority that two senior engineers of a big German OEM's performance division were ordered to the corporate CEO's house for a stern b
king at 10.30 pm after a press launch where it transpired they had programmed the new car's vehicle stability control systems a little less tightly than it should be according to corporate policy).I know it's not what people want to hear - all-British, bespoke engines etc is what TVR was all about blah blah - but in today's environment it's the only way for a small-scale, specialist manufacturer unless you are concentrating on the motorsport/off road market.
Anyone here knowing TVR owners high up in Ford, JLR R&D departments?
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 16th February 09:37
It would still be bankrupt or seriously struggling.. Unless they made cars for the American market, and possibly the Asian market too, although the Chinese seem to much prefer comfy chauffeur driven silent cars, not loud ones.. So it would need to crack the American market which would be hard alongside the Corvette.. it would have needed to go up market but then it would be competing with Aston martin but would have found it difficult to shed its 'unreliable' image as well as not being able to compete with Aston's pedigree and premium image.. Unless they used an American Engine (to combat the reliablility issue at least), although this might cause many UK followers to move away to marques like Noble/Farbio instead.. so it would be a catch 22 situation... So I stand by my opening line lol
Or, of course, it would fill the gap that is left by all the bigger fish in the pond pandering to the Asian/Russian/rich Arab kid market... The above would be true if one were planning to sell 5,000+ cars per annum as Smolenski originally envisaged. We all know now that is no more than a pipe dream. However the likes of Donkervoort are happily surviving on a few dozen cars a year at best, by having kept control of the motorsport, driving incentive and most of the aftermarket for their cars. 
900T-R said:
Or, of course, it would fill the gap that is left by all the bigger fish in the pond pandering to the Asian/Russian/rich Arab kid market... The above would be true if one were planning to sell 5,000+ cars per annum as Smolenski originally envisaged. We all know now that is no more than a pipe dream. However the likes of Donkervoort are happily surviving on a few dozen cars a year at best, by having kept control of the motorsport, driving incentive and most of the aftermarket for their cars.
I guess its all just speculation we will never really know! But with Donkervoort I would compare them more to Bristol cars (who are also now bankrupt!).. Small specialist car companies seem to struggle hugely in the UK unless they sell their souls to the US.. Aston has saved itself using this strategy and Range Rover/Bentley have become hugely profitable due to the demand in the US market? Given the state of our economy and the cost of manufacture in the UK, I still think TVR would be where it is tbh..
tejr said:
Aston has saved itself using this strategy and Range Rover/Bentley have become hugely profitable due to the demand in the US market?
Comparing Range Rover and Bentley with TVR? 
Even Aston in its current guise is a complete mismatsch in terms of size and financial backup (let alone the Ford days) and I don't believe they sell that much in the US of A compared to UK, Germany et al, either. Lotus? Hmmm, closer but not quite. TVR's natural Umfeldis stuff like Donkervoort, Wiesmann, Noble, Spyker etc. - true low volume cars with construction methods to match.
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 16th February 12:58
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 16th February 12:59
Latty666 said:
Just a random thought but tvr had some great and outrageous ideas, where would they be now If they had been snapped up by a major manufacturer who was prepared to fund them and help them develop there designs??
They did not need a major manufacturer, just one Lawrence Tomlinson, who ended up buying Ginetta when the Soviets got hold of TVR instead of him. He has taken the marque to a whole new level in the motor racing world.http://www.ginetta.com/
(The web site was being upgraded as I type this so theres nothing on it- hope it will be back soon)
blitzracing said:
Latty666 said:
Just a random thought but tvr had some great and outrageous ideas, where would they be now If they had been snapped up by a major manufacturer who was prepared to fund them and help them develop there designs??
They did not need a major manufacturer, just one Lawrence Tomlinson, who ended up buying Ginetta when the Soviets got hold of TVR instead of him. He has taken the marque to a whole new level in the motor racing world.http://www.ginetta.com/
(The web site was being upgraded as I type this so theres nothing on it- hope it will be back soon)
Podie said:
blitzracing said:
They did not need a major manufacturer, just one Lawrence Tomlinson, who ended up buying Ginetta when the Soviets got hold of TVR instead of him. He has taken the marque to a whole new level in the motor racing world.
Hmmm... well, that's not strictly true - according to LNT himself. He wasn't prepared to pay what PW wanted, and Smolenski offered more without the requisite DD. There is no doubt in my mind that if LNT had aquired TVR it would now be at least the company Ginetta is with a range of nice cars both race and road powered by the AJP8 and the Speed6.
swisstoni said:
I'm not sure TVR would have been attractive to any of the majors. Apart from being relatively unknown outside the UK, they were into making great value, spectacular cars for enthusiasts. More or less the exact opposite of what the majors are about.
Couple that to the pub know all impression that they were unreliable (erroneous though it was) and I think that does it.
Not sure I agree, unless TVR had been bought by a company without a marketing department.Couple that to the pub know all impression that they were unreliable (erroneous though it was) and I think that does it.
The 'unreliable' pub comments woukd be replaced by "TVR used to be really unreliable until VAG bought them."
Probably be true for the Straight 6 4l TDi engine too.
Lotus seem to be doing pretty well, producing attractive (imho) new models, and greatly enhancing the older ones, Evora GTE, Exige S and so on, albeit with externally sourced engines that they re-work (e.g. supercharged engine in Evora GTE - no different to TVR Rover V8 days then ??)
For TVR to still be trading today, apart from about £300m+ investment to clear all debts and set up 21st century manufacturing facilities, they would need to have simply dropped the tubular chassis, regardless of it's merits, and really bitten the carbon/composite bullet to produce chassis like all the competitors do.
Personally, I would prefer any surviving TVR company to continue to produce it's own engines - I just love the AJP8 and SP6 - and that's perfectly possible/feasible - just look where we are now with SP6 engines, but they would have to keep the original design ethos - outrageous and gorgeous styling, inside and out. All that would come with a price tag, and I imagine they would have to be £100k cars.
They won't ever be back tho - as a newcar/manufacturing brand it's simply dead and buried. TVR lives on through us lot and us lot alone.
For TVR to still be trading today, apart from about £300m+ investment to clear all debts and set up 21st century manufacturing facilities, they would need to have simply dropped the tubular chassis, regardless of it's merits, and really bitten the carbon/composite bullet to produce chassis like all the competitors do.
Personally, I would prefer any surviving TVR company to continue to produce it's own engines - I just love the AJP8 and SP6 - and that's perfectly possible/feasible - just look where we are now with SP6 engines, but they would have to keep the original design ethos - outrageous and gorgeous styling, inside and out. All that would come with a price tag, and I imagine they would have to be £100k cars.
They won't ever be back tho - as a newcar/manufacturing brand it's simply dead and buried. TVR lives on through us lot and us lot alone.
V8 GRF said:
Podie said:
blitzracing said:
They did not need a major manufacturer, just one Lawrence Tomlinson, who ended up buying Ginetta when the Soviets got hold of TVR instead of him. He has taken the marque to a whole new level in the motor racing world.
Hmmm... well, that's not strictly true - according to LNT himself. He wasn't prepared to pay what PW wanted, and Smolenski offered more without the requisite DD. blitzracing said:
They did not need a major manufacturer, just one Lawrence Tomlinson, who ended up buying Ginetta when the Soviets got hold of TVR instead of him. He has taken the marque to a whole new level in the motor racing world.
http://www.ginetta.com/
Not to detract from LNT's achievements in any way - but how many road cars has Ginetta built and delivered to customers so far? And outside the UK?http://www.ginetta.com/
Podie said:
RedSpike66 said:
Lotus seem to be doing pretty well,...
Thought I'd read they weren't making money? Happy to be corrected.http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...
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