Al Melling Plans to keep TVR British
Discussion
ceejay said:
Personally I very much hope Melling takes over TVR and keeps the marque british based and even better in Blackpool where it belongs. There are always opposing voices on PH with quite a few questioning the merits of a Melling takeover.
I've only owned 2 TVR roadcars, both 4.5 Cerberas, I bought them because of the way they looked and that absolutely fantastic AJP8 engine. If Al can keep TVR's looking like TVRs should, i.e. not anything like those hideous CAD drawings of a new Cerbera I've seen recently and maybe engineer a 32V version of the AJP8 engine, it would sound like TVR heaven to me.
As I understand it Melling intends to keep TVR in Blackpool and keep building the Sagaris, Tuscan and T350 models plus the new Wildcat. Most TVR owners shout for a V8 and if this goes ahead it sounds like that's exactly what we'll get and maybe even a choice of V8s. I assume the SP6 engine will continue for a while otherwise the current model lineup would need to be re-engineered very quickly.
There are obviously many issues to be resolved regarding the long term future of the company, particularly type approval and emissions which will require major investment. I guess this will have to be done for new design cars but the important thing for me right now is that TVR could be back, in the UK and hopefully with a V8. To succeed it will need support from it's main market here in Britain at least in the short term.
Ceejay
I've only owned 2 TVR roadcars, both 4.5 Cerberas, I bought them because of the way they looked and that absolutely fantastic AJP8 engine. If Al can keep TVR's looking like TVRs should, i.e. not anything like those hideous CAD drawings of a new Cerbera I've seen recently and maybe engineer a 32V version of the AJP8 engine, it would sound like TVR heaven to me.
As I understand it Melling intends to keep TVR in Blackpool and keep building the Sagaris, Tuscan and T350 models plus the new Wildcat. Most TVR owners shout for a V8 and if this goes ahead it sounds like that's exactly what we'll get and maybe even a choice of V8s. I assume the SP6 engine will continue for a while otherwise the current model lineup would need to be re-engineered very quickly.
There are obviously many issues to be resolved regarding the long term future of the company, particularly type approval and emissions which will require major investment. I guess this will have to be done for new design cars but the important thing for me right now is that TVR could be back, in the UK and hopefully with a V8. To succeed it will need support from it's main market here in Britain at least in the short term.
Ceejay
KirstM said:
Just been interviewed by the Gazette about the Thunder Ball, they mentioned there is an interview with Al Melling on the front cover of todays edition.
It's up on the website (no mention of the Thunderball - that may be another article)
www.blackpoolonline.co.uk
JR... said:
Absolute nonsense DJC. The vast majority of the people here would love to know both sides of the story.
I got the impression from the Melling talk that he was undoubtedly passionate and didn't want to compromise. Hence I sensed friction between AM and PW in terms of keeping costs under control. From what AM said the AJP8 was a compromise since it was not 32v or dry sumped (which co-incidentally this new engine is
). russ35 said:
KirstM said:
Just been interviewed by the Gazette about the Thunder Ball, they mentioned there is an interview with Al Melling on the front cover of todays edition.
It's up on the website (no mention of the Thunderball - that may be another article)
www.blackpoolonline.co.uk
He talks in one breath about taking back all the workers and then says 30? No mention of his grand plan to sell most of the cars in the USA. But apparently he has an "impressive record of producing sports cars". Which is good. The photo with the piece puts me in mind of the mad professor in back to the Future.
happyfluffer said:
This isnt going to go down too well, but i have to say 'IN MY OPINION' the v8 and speed six engines were nothing better than a joke when they came from mr M.
The fantastic engines they are now is entirely due to J.R. and S.H.
They could have been much further improved with a little funding!
Sorry if this doesent sit well with some.
What I would love to know from someone at the factory is why the AJP 4.5s came with such a poor mapping ie 360 bhp? With some simple tweaking you can get 400+ (eg remap plus new intake hoses). Why didnt the factory set them up to run so well OR was the factory mapping a concsious decision for good reasons (eg to stop the engine prematurely wearing out or something?)?
gazzab said:
happyfluffer said:
This isnt going to go down too well, but i have to say 'IN MY OPINION' the v8 and speed six engines were nothing better than a joke when they came from mr M.
The fantastic engines they are now is entirely due to J.R. and S.H.
They could have been much further improved with a little funding!
Sorry if this doesent sit well with some.
What I would love to know from someone at the factory is why the AJP 4.5s came with such a poor mapping ie 360 bhp? With some simple tweaking you can get 400+ (eg remap plus new intake hoses). Why didnt the factory set them up to run so well OR was the factory mapping a concsious decision for good reasons (eg to stop the engine prematurely wearing out or something?)?
it's pretty much spot-on if you run it in a 5 litre though ..
unrepentant said:
The photo with the piece puts me in mind of the mad professor in back to the Future.
Quality! funniest thing I have read in ages
Perhaps he may bring back the Delorean with a AJP engine and a TVR badge on the front as the new Cerbera
Edited by puffsorted2 on Wednesday 7th February 12:23
russ35 said:
KirstM said:
Just been interviewed by the Gazette about the Thunder Ball, they mentioned there is an interview with Al Melling on the front cover of todays edition.
It's up on the website (no mention of the Thunderball - that may be another article)
www.blackpoolonline.co.uk
Thunderball bit is tomorrow & Monday I believe
puffsorted2 said:
unrepentant said:
The photo with the piece puts me in mind of the mad professor in back to the Future.
Quality! funniest thing I have read in ages
Perhaps he may bring back the Delorean with a AJP engine and a TVR badge on the front as the new Cerbera
I always fancied a DeLorean 
unrepentant said:
[He talks in one breath about taking back all the workers and then says 30? No mention of his grand plan to sell most of the cars in the USA. But apparently he has an "impressive record of producing sports cars". Which is good. The photo with the piece puts me in mind of the mad professor in back to the Future.
I believe he meant 30 staff initially as the article goes on to say (IIRC) that he would hope to have all the staff back within 12 months.
Presumably the job of the administrators is to get the best deal they can for the creditors, and is not influenced by the unsubstatiated aspirations and fantasies of the prospective bidders, unless part of the future income stream is to be returned to the creditors by way of staged payments or royalties on sales. The last thing TVR needs now is to bump from one person with grandiose delusions and apparently no business acumen into another possible even worse place. Hence my point. Getting the best deal for the out of pocket creditors is not necessarily consistent with the best deal for TVR's future - so don't hold your breath for a magical renaissance of what TVR was before. TVR needs a much more focused and substantive business strategy and plan than arm-waving and hollow comments about having all the former TVR employees back at Bristol Ave in 12 months.
I am not sure that IP to any engines, or a production facility to build them, are listed under BA's assets, are they? Doesn't the 6 belong to either NS or Ricardo?
So whomever buys TVR is going to have to either strike a deal with NS/Ricardo or find a new engine anyway.
Seems Melling has what he considers a suitable engine, so one assumes he would expect every new TVR to come with that and that the S6 is history.
trackcar said:
gazzab said:
What I would love to know from someone at the factory is why the AJP 4.5s came with such a poor mapping ie 360 bhp? With some simple tweaking you can get 400+ (eg remap plus new intake hoses). Why didnt the factory set them up to run so well OR was the factory mapping a concsious decision for good reasons (eg to stop the engine prematurely wearing out or something?)?
it's pretty much spot-on if you run it in a 5 litre though ..
Interesting...
Anyone know what the maps were like on the challenge cars?
Edited by BCA on Wednesday 7th February 14:05
hut49 said:
TVR needs a much more focused and substantive business strategy and plan than arm-waving and hollow comments about having all the former TVR employees back at Bristol Ave in 12 months.
Yup.
It would be fantastic for all of the team to get their jobs back but the rate they were selling cars at even before the collapse would not allow that.They need to start small and build it up again keeping it as profitable as possible as they go.That means a smaller company,lower volumes for now and probably higher prices. TVR has never got its pricing right which is a large part of the problem.
KirstM said:
russ35 said:
KirstM said:
Just been interviewed by the Gazette about the Thunder Ball, they mentioned there is an interview with Al Melling on the front cover of todays edition.
It's up on the website (no mention of the Thunderball - that may be another article)
www.blackpoolonline.co.uk
Thunderball bit is tomorrow & Monday I believe
Before,During & After...............
kv
When will it end.....
TVR is, 'was' one of the reason's that modern Great Britain is called Great Britain!
SW
Founder of www.supportbritain.com and vry proud of it!
TVR is, 'was' one of the reason's that modern Great Britain is called Great Britain!
SW
Founder of www.supportbritain.com and vry proud of it!
hendry said:
I am not sure that IP to any engines, or a production facility to build them, are listed under BA's assets, are they? Doesn't the 6 belong to either NS or Ricardo?
So whomever buys TVR is going to have to either strike a deal with NS/Ricardo or find a new engine anyway.
Seems Melling has what he considers a suitable engine, so one assumes he would expect every new TVR to come with that and that the S6 is history.
So whomever buys TVR is going to have to either strike a deal with NS/Ricardo or find a new engine anyway.
Seems Melling has what he considers a suitable engine, so one assumes he would expect every new TVR to come with that and that the S6 is history.
Good, it's a shit engine anyway. When it works it's great, but it lasts about as long as dot cotton's cigarettes do. Putting the S6 back into production would be commecial suicide. TVR need to build their reputation back up with cars that are reliable. Who's going to buy a £40k TVR with an engine that will only go 10,000 miles between rebuilds?
gazzab said:
Surely Melling has his own Speed Six engine ie the one before TVR changed it ?
AJP6 perhaps?
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