TVR Scamander prototype set for London Concours
Peter Wheeler's maddest TVR hasn't been seen in public for years - it's coming to London next month
It would be fair to say that Peter Wheeler came up with some truly incredible ideas during his tenure at TVR; his ambition and determination were a large part of why he and the brand were so loved. But nothing was quite so audacious as the Scamander, a TVR designed for on-road, off-road and aquatic use. Having not been seen in public for a very long time, it’s now set to steal the show at the 2024 London Concours, to be held at the Honourable Artillery Company from June 4th to June 6th.
The Scamander will be exhibited in the Wildcard class, appropriately enough, fresh from a recommissioning after lying dormant for a dozen years. Quite how you go about bringing a one-off, amphibious TVR prototype back from the dead we’re not sure, but it has been done (with a Harry’s Garage video about it coming soon), and now it’s ready to wow the crowds at the London Concours. We’ve all seen Bugattis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but the one and only Scamander? That’s almost worth the price of admission alone.
The three-seat off-road, on-road, in-the-sea TVR was a vision of Wheeler’s during his time as the boss, though the finished prototype wasn’t completed until 2008. Quite a lot to sort, clearly. Having first been fitted with a four-cylinder engine, this car was subsequently powered by a 275hp Ford V6, with drive to the rear wheels via an automatic gearbox. Quite honestly, the Scamander could have no engine at all and that wouldn’t stop the crowds from flocking. Even by TVR standards, this is something extraordinary; it’s great to learn that it’s been resurrected and will be drawing a proper crowd very soon. The Wildcards category also features a 1958 Mercedes 220S Ponton Cabriolet, a Jaguar XK120 and a Lotus Esprit, which don’t really seem all that wild against a TVR that’s part speedboat, part plane and part sports car.
Andrew Evans, London Concours MD, said: “Some cars are simply too unique and idiosyncratic to be confined to the criteria of our feature classes. This is where our Wildcards come in; a display of truly rare and spectacular cars that exemplify the diversity of the automotive scene, each with their own specialities.” Tickets are available here, priced from £35 - do send us some Scamander pics if you see it, please.
Despite that, I have nothing but admiration for Wheeler's steadfast determination to build the cars that he wanted to build, no matter how insane it seemed to other people.
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