Former TVR Griffith press car for sale

Cerbera diff, Tuscan brakes, better suspension - is the best a Griff can be?

Is there any beating a TVR Griffith? Almost 35 years after launch it still looks fantastic, every single engine derivative provides plenty of power, and none of them weigh very much either. It’s arguably the pinnacle of the Rover-engined TVRs, rarer and just that bit more desirable than a Chimaera both then and now.

That’s now reflected in the values, with a host of nice-looking Chims on PH for less than £15k, but all the Griffs bar one for sale at £22,000 and above. Still a heck of a lot of V8 drama, handbuilt charm and lightweight thrills for the money, though the difference is definitely there. And those that do like a Griff - that’s got to be most of PH, surely - will be intrigued by this one: a 1992 car with a 4.5-litre Big Valve in it, that once served as TVR’s press and development car. All Griffiths will have lived a life, but this one more than most.

So it was on Top Gear and in the magazines (copies of which come with the car) and was also used by Peter Wheeler to get to Tuscan Challenge races. It then served as a development car for the later Cerbera and Tuscan, which is why it has the wheels from the latter; it was run for a while by TVR chassis engineer Neil Anderson as a company car, who couldn’t help tinker here and there also. It won sprint championships with a 5.3-litre engine, for example. It’s some history, that’s for sure. And this Griffith wouldn’t be a notable TVR without a PH claim to fame. Former owner Steve Prevett, who bought the car in 2003 and had it pretty much restored then, was refreshing the Griff again in 2018 and referred to the oracle that is the PH forum for colour suggestions.

It came out looking pretty good in the forum pics, and still fabulous a few years later. Grey is pretty subdued for a TVR, though works perfectly with the oxblood leather and probably helps focus the eye on just how ruddy good a Griffith still looks - rather than just being blown away by a crazy colour. For almost 90,000 miles it looks wonderful, a testament to how well it’s been kept.

Indeed it’ll probably be better than most, with some recent suspension work and replacement of perishable items. Sure, it’s not original, though it seems churlish to complain about deviation from stock when the results look this good and the history is so rich. Not every Griff out there can claim to be as important (or as interesting) as this one.

It sits in the classifieds as the most expensive Griffith, at just over £50k, which might be too much for some, with the next priciest at £30,000. Those just wanting a Griffith will probably plump for another example. But with its unique spec, notable past and careful ownership, this one has an appeal all of its own. For the TVR collector, or simply the person who wants the best of the best, it looks like some opportunity.

See the original advert here

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Andy83n

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91 months