some pics from TVR factory visit

[911legend]

[jojackson4]

[F1SERB]

What year was this

[F1SERB]

What year was this

[Richard 858]

Certainly an interesting insight into production methods, quality & staffing ! Thanks to Keith for posting them, a real piece of English automotive history.

[fizmo100]

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

F1SERB said:

What year was this

I'll guess 96

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

F1SERB said:

What year was this

I'll guess 96

or 97

(Cerberas & old Chimaera with door release on wing & old lights)

[Podie]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

F1SERB said:

What year was this

I'll guess 96

or 97

(Cerberas & old Chimaera with door release on wing & old lights)

Interesting to see an early Chimaera on Estorils from the factory.

[911legend]

i just found them up the loft when I was looking for something else, it was a Porsche club invite day think it was 97 but not certain, to be fair Richard I took the photos at lunchtime when the lads were sitting around, remember the 2 having their buttys in the bodyshell outside lol and the girls making the wiring looms on the boards, it was LHD too podie, we thought they all looked a bit too kit car like and didn't consider buying one so Im wondering why ive a 4.0 sitting in my garage now 18 years or so later !

Edited by 911legend on Sunday 18th January 15:25

[waveydavey1000]

Am I right in thinking the early Cerbs, say '96 and '97 had painted chassis?
They look silver painted, not white powder coated as the post '97 ones.
Anyone know for sure as the early ones tend to fare a little better than the later?

[Harry171]

Early silver chassis cars were slightly better, they generally speaking have much longer lifespans.

[ianwayne]

Podie said:

Interesting to see an early Chimaera on Estorils from the factory.

The sloping number plate recess shows it to not be all THAT early. 1997 at a guess.

And nobody seems to have noticed it's LHD as well. Not many of those made.

[Chuffmeister]

22/08/96 is written on the inside of the boot on the fibreglass shell, so,it would likely be sometime shortly after that.



Quite a contrast to the BMW factory...

Edited by Chuffmeister on Sunday 18th January 19:17

[911legend]

Well spotted!

[fizmo100]

Excellent contrast of pics - very evocative and perfectly sums up what TVR was/is about. Hard to believe they were making their own engines and giving Ferrari a run for their money (in a straight line) from that place. Proper underdog stuff. I guess we Brits are suckers for that sort of thing, I know I certainly am. Part of the pride of owning a TVR I think.

Anyway, enough sentimentality I think...

[glasgowrob]

amazing stuff,

always great to see the old pics like this come out.

[ChimpOnGas]

Chuffmeister said:

22/08/96 is written on the inside of the boot on the fibreglass shell, so,it would likely be sometime shortly after that.

If you zoom right in on that photo you'll actually see it says 22/03/96, if you look above the date you'll also see a word.

And I was delighted to see the word is "Mushrooms +1"

My Chimaera was built in November/December 1996 and signed in the same place with the same word, in my case just "Mushrooms" (no +1 on my car).

Could that be Mushrooms standing behind his creation?

If so I suspect it's the very same Mr "Mushrooms" who built my car

Thanks to the OP for scanning & posting the photos

[Chuffmeister]

ChimpOnGas said:

Chuffmeister said:

22/08/96 is written on the inside of the boot on the fibreglass shell, so,it would likely be sometime shortly after that.

If you zoom right in on that photo you'll actually see it says 22/03/96, if you look above the date you'll also see a word.

And I was delighted to see the word is "Mushrooms +1"

My Chimaera was built in November/December 1996 and signed in the same place with the same word, in my case just "Mushrooms" (no +1 on my car).

Could that be Mushrooms standing behind his creation?

If so I suspect it's the very same Mr "Mushrooms" who built my car

Thanks to the OP for scanning & posting the photos

You're right Dave. Didn't see that zoom function in Photobucket.

I wonder how many of those fibre shells you see in the pics are still on the road?

[ChimpOnGas]

Chuffmeister said:

You're right Dave. Didn't see that zoom function in Photobucket.

I wonder how many of those fibre shells you see in the pics are still on the road?

Hard to say Christian, but with early silver/grey chassis Cerberas rolling off the production line and that March 96 Chimaera shell having already been filled & prepped for the paint shop, I'd say the OP's series of photos were most likely taken in the first weeks of April 1996.

It's a good six months before my part facelift car was made but it does seems "Mushrooms" was very busy man that year.

I'd love to find out who Mushrooms really was.

Anyone know?