Motorshow Speed Eight

[tweety]

Just managed to get hold of a sales brochure for the above and it looks really good. I know the history and why it wasn't made, but wondered if anybody on here had seen the car at the motorshow and what they thought of it in the flesh. Interesting to see similarities with the Griff, rear Cavalier lights, 4.3 engine, interior, especially dash, TVR's first curvy effort? I take it they only made the one show car and it is now in TVR heaven?
cheers Al.

[shpub]

Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.
Two versions were made and it would have gone into production but everyone thought the GRiff was better.

[rev-erend]

Aparently - there were two cars.

One was cut up by chain saw after a motor show..
there following years car show car then went to
the TVR dealer in Birmingham.

[RichB]

shpub said: Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.
Two versions were made and it would have gone into production but everyone thought the GRiff was better.

Steve, were the Griff and Speed 8 displayed at the same show? To me the Speed 8 looks like a a sort of 2+2 Griffith (with a bit of late wedge around the nose) and as such the Griff was bound to take the plaudits - correct? Rich...

[pete_w]

shpub said: Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.

why do they do things like this? It just seems such a blody waste. All the time put in building the thing and bang, it's gone forever.

[Podie]

pete_w said:

shpub said: Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.

why do they do things like this? It just seems such a blody waste. All the time put in building the thing and bang, it's gone forever.

Any pics lying about...?

[Podie]

From - www.b-link.co.uk/talkingtvr/prototypes/speedeight.htm

[pete_w]

yep, prefer the griff

[RCA]

pete_w said:

shpub said: Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.

why do they do things like this? It just seems such a blody waste. All the time put in building the thing and bang, it's gone forever.

All the time!!!!!!
Probably put together the day before the motorshow!!

[TUS 373]

Amazing car - cross between a Wedge and a Griff. I can see bit in that gene pool. Nice interior I thought.

[CraigAlsop]

Looks a wee bit like a convertible M1 to me...

[Podie]

TUS 373 said: Nice interior I thought.

Stereo was behind that pop-up panel you can see the cutout of...

[andyvdg]

TUS 373 said: Nice interior I thought.

Yeah, it's got that wood strip on the passenger side like the old Rover 400s

[shpub]

RichB said:

shpub said: Cut up with chain saws and dumped in a skip.
Two versions were made and it would have gone into production but everyone thought the GRiff was better.

Steve, were the Griff and Speed 8 displayed at the same show? To me the Speed 8 looks like a a sort of 2+2 Griffith (with a bit of late wedge around the nose) and as such the Griff was bound to take the plaudits - correct? Rich...

The Speed 8 was shown in 89 and 90. The photos are of the 90 car which was tweaked a bit. Yes basically the Griff killed it.

[redced]

When i scolled down the page it just jumps out of the page as looking like a BMW Z1. Great looking car cross between a wedge and a Griff

[bertie]

I think you can see that the Griffith interior evolved from this.
Same shapes and swoops.

[NickD]

Not a patch on the Griff.

Reminds me a bit of the Scimitar (sp?)

[tasmin83]

I saw the Speed Eight in the flesh at the factory in
1991 and(as a wedge owner) thought it looked quite nice. Very smooth lines and, as one PHer said, kind of a cross between the Griff and a wedge. Got photos of it there at the factory and would hate to think that it had since been cut up with a chain saw.

[350zwelgje]

My ultimate dream car (consider it as the ultimate wedge).
Sat in it when it was a the factory (got dirty from the dust on/in it).
Had no gearbox/engine in it anymore. Never had a hood made up.
Scrapped? Why.. it would be my worst nightmare!
When I win the lottery, I can ask perhaps the factory to build another one off.
I think they used a stretched 400 chassis to make the 2+2.