Production start and VIN numbers

[Hoover33]

There was 91 Grey 4l one on ebay a few months ago.... mulburry interior..

deleted my emails that were asking questions on it went for £10k with low 50s on the clock...

[tweety]

Seems a bit strange that yours was registered as an 89 car, can't have been built then or else surely they would have used it at the 90 Motorshow. Maybe the log book was originally for the Speed 8 or another show car and they just used it for convenience, did either Speed 8 make it on to the road? Is your F-reg similar to the 90 Motorshow car (F596 ACK), as that was built on an S chassis so might expain it all. I managed to get hold of one of the 'Griffith' Motorshow plates, red lettering and red/grey border, as worn by all the early show cars, excellent thing Ebay.
Did the grey car actually sell at £10Kish on Ebay, if it was a 91 then it must have been the other show car, but I thought someone was having it rebuilt? Good price either way.

Al.

[mack]

Al,
Mine's not like the original prototype, as it has the Griffith chassis and was obviously built some time before the Oct'91 Earls Court Motorfair.
The registration date just seems to be one of those TVR anomalies!!

According to the factory,it was the first body produced from the mould and subsequently became the first car finished,out of the three pre-production motor show cars, .As the three cars were produced in quick succession, obviously yours will have been either the second or third one produced.

If you've seen the pre-production sales brochure that crops up on ebay from time to time - that's my car before the motorshow,as the headlamp covers were held in place with clips rather than sealant.
I've also been told that the engine hadn't been fitted at that point,so the car had to be pushed into place for the photos and the front end weighted down to give the right impression!

I can't imagine it was Neill Anderson's old car on ebay - the last time I heard,it was stripped down and having a new chassis fitted at one of the local dealers up here.I think I remember that ebay car being discussed on PH at the time,it looked like it was probably a clean straight car,somebody obviously got a bargain!
Your motorshow plate sounds good - I'll have to look out for one of them!
mack

[Hoover33]

... The grey 91 Griff def went for 10k ... only one bid
Not sure if it is the car talked about, but from what I can gather/remember from emails it was a demo car ( I assumed a dealership rightly or wrongly)

[shadowfax]

Just in time for the Griff growl - shant be there in flesh, cos we're 6 miles away at Woodvale and gardening this weekend .... but will be there in spirit:

How many Griff 500s are still registered with DVLA? Plus those still running abroad?

You could run a comp at the Growl and when we get the answers the winner is the closest to guess the 'informed' figure.....

As it's my idea, here's my 50p and I reckon there are still 1050 still in existence and 890 still on the roads in this country

PS Dont sell yours cos as the numbers go down the values go up ....

Edited by shadowfax on Thursday 3rd August 21:53

[FlipFlopGriff]

The grey '91 motorshow car was Steve Prevett's who will be at the Growl Sat pm/Sunday.
First outing after a total rebuild.
FFG

[geeman237]

Some good information on the earliest Griffiths on this thread. My chassis/VIN ends 11670, first registered Feb 13th 1992, sold through The TVR Centre. Would love to know what number Griffith this was built.

[BIG DUNC]

I have been lead to understand that mine was an early one. It originally came from HHC. I will check the VIN number and then this thread again over the weekend.

I am hoping that in about a month or so it will be on the road again for the first time since 2006.

[BIG DUNC]

1st registered 15 April 92.
Last 3 digits of the VIN 771.

Definitely an early one.

Came from HHC. I would like to think one of the first batch, but it may not have been.

A nice TVR reg (from new) which would have been sought after (&snapped up quickly).

As I have been doing the rebuild I have found a few unusual things such as the very early style diff bushes.

Anyone shed any light on it?

[BIG DUNC]

Working on the car yesterday, I found on the underside of the console, written in marker pen was the date "25 Feb 1992" and then a signature. Is that a significant date for my car, or just the day that the trimmer fitted the console?

[geeman237]

I've managed to pull together a list of the early chassis numbers from several PH discussions and also the FB Griffith group. Here's what I have found. I think all these cars still survive.

VIN ends__Reg Date___Details (where found)
TBC______26-1-92____none
11105_____3-2-92_____none
11599_____TBC_______First customer car, yellow
11657_____3-2-92_____Mica (?) Red 4.0
11661_____6-2-92_____Red 4.0
11662_____31-1-92____Red 4.0
11670____13-2-92____Cureton Green 4.0
11705____14-2-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11733____21-2-92____Yellow 4.0
11736____17-2-92____none
11738____17-2-92____4.3
11756____1-3-92_____Grey 4.5
11761____11-3-92____none
TBC______14-4-92___4.3
11770_____6-3-92____Red 4.0
11771_____15-4-92___4.0
11794_____28-3-92___4.3
11825_____30-3-92___Cooper Green ? 4.6
11807_____1-4-92____none
TBC______1-5-92____Mica Blue 4.3
TBC______1-5-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11865_____19-5-92___Blue, 4.0
TBC______21-5-92___Red 4.3
11940_____18-6-92___4.3BV (first one)
11977_____12-6-92___Ruby Red Mica ?
12093_____9-9-92____none

[BIG DUNC]

Nice work.
Put mine down as Mica Blue.

As an aside I thought it was originally supplied by HHC, but it turns out I was wrong on that. It was actually Christopher Neil.

[FlipFlopGriff]

11599 registered 9/1/92 - pastel yellow (not sure of exact colour) but was a 1991 motorshow car and also the first customer car - original reg J7768CNW. 11756 was also a 91 motorshow car and also a press car in dark grey - reg J524MHG - also a 4.5 and used by Neill Anderson as a mule.
FFG

[davep]

geeman237 said:

I've managed to pull together a list of the early chassis numbers from several PH discussions and also the FB Griffith group. Here's what I have found. I think all these cars still survive.

VIN ends__Reg Date___Details (where found)
TBC______26-1-92____none
11105_____3-2-92_____none
11599_____TBC_______First customer car, yellow
11657_____3-2-92_____Mica (?) Red 4.0
11661_____6-2-92_____Red 4.0
11662_____31-1-92____Red 4.0
11670____13-2-92____Cureton Green 4.0
11705____14-2-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11733____21-2-92____Yellow 4.0
11736____17-2-92____none
11738____17-2-92____4.3
11756____1-3-92_____Grey 4.5
11761____11-3-92____none
TBC______14-4-92___4.3
11770_____6-3-92____Red 4.0
11771_____15-4-92___4.0
11794_____28-3-92___4.3
11825_____30-3-92___Cooper Green ? 4.6
11807_____1-4-92____none
TBC______1-5-92____Mica Blue 4.3
TBC______1-5-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11865_____19-5-92___Blue, 4.0
TBC______21-5-92___Red 4.3
11940_____18-6-92___4.3BV (first one)
11977_____12-6-92___Ruby Red Mica ?
12093_____9-9-92____none

Nice work!

Please add mine:

11968 27-06-1992 4.3 Cobalt Blue, Anthracite full leather, supplied by The TVR Centre, Barnet

Edited by davep on Tuesday 11th June 14:12

[BIG DUNC]

Geeman, Have you contacted the club to see what info they have?

What happened to the records from TVR when it folded? Would it be wishfull thinking to hope they still exist somewhere?

[MikeE]

FlipFlopGriff said:

11599 registered 9/1/92 - pastel yellow (not sure of exact colour) but was a 1991 motorshow car and also the first customer car - original reg J7768CNW. 11756 was also a 91 motorshow car and also a press car in dark grey - reg J524MHG - also a 4.5 and used by Neill Anderson as a mule.
FFG

J524MHG was built as a 4.3, it was later updated to a 4.5 when NA was racing it

Isn't your car the first 4.3BV in the list below?

[geeman237]

BIG DUNC said:

Geeman, Have you contacted the club to see what info they have?

What happened to the records from TVR when it folded? Would it be wishfull thinking to hope they still exist somewhere?

I have contacted the club, but I am not a member. When researching my car I was told the TVR records were actually thrown out by TVR, but someone retrieved them from the rubbish. Not sure if the club has them or the person who retrieved them still does. I haven't asked the club for details on the first production cars, and not sure if they will give them to me, data protection and all that.

There were about 640-ish(?) 4.x cars built, and I wonder how many are left? Could be barely 100 judging by the responses on here and the FB group. I bet there are a lot more tucked away in garages, no longer on the road. DVLA information is sketchy as the V5's often don't say Griffith, just V8 or sports in some cases.

I posted this information in the S Series forum asking if any owners of S cars had VINs in and around the earliest Griffiths. Haven't seen any replies yet.

Judging by the VINs and registration dates found to date, I'd hazard a guess that early production was around 10-20 Griffiths per month. It must have ramped up to around 50-60 later in the year. Anyone on here have any first hand knowledge of early production?

[lancepar]

I'll add mine when I get back off my hols, I can only remember the DoR 7th Feb' 1992.

[FlipFlopGriff]

MikeE said:

J524MHG was built as a 4.3, it was later updated to a 4.5 when NA was racing it

Isn't your car the first 4.3BV in the list below?

Yes.

[Ducati0]

geeman237 said:

VIN ends__Reg Date___Details (where found)
TBC______26-1-92____none
11105_____3-2-92_____none
11599_____TBC_______First customer car, yellow
11657_____3-2-92_____Mica (?) Red 4.0
11661_____6-2-92_____Red 4.0
11662_____31-1-92____Red 4.0
11670____13-2-92____Cureton Green 4.0
11705____14-2-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11733____21-2-92____Yellow 4.0
11736____17-2-92____none
11738____17-2-92____4.3
11756____1-3-92_____Grey 4.5
11761____11-3-92____none
TBC______14-4-92___4.3
11770_____6-3-92____Red 4.0
11771_____15-4-92___4.0
11794_____28-3-92___4.3
11825_____30-3-92___Cooper Green ? 4.6
11807_____1-4-92____none
TBC______1-5-92____Mica Blue 4.3
TBC______1-5-92____Moonraker Black 4.0
11865_____19-5-92___Blue, 4.0
TBC______21-5-92___Red 4.3
11940_____18-6-92___4.3BV (first one)
11977_____12-6-92___Ruby Red Mica ?
12093_____9-9-92____none
12110_____2-10-92 __Cherry Pearlescent 4.3