Melling Wildcat

[Green Montego]

The Melling Wildcat is in Autocar today - looks fantastic, well engineered. Word from the factory is it's the nearest British competitor to Shelby. Check out youtube for a video of it smoking its tyres!!

[hemi orange]

I've been following this project for a while now. The article in Autocar showed how passionate Melling is. It was a real shame he never bought TVR when it went up for sale. I've been in contact with the factory and am putting the deposit down on one of the first Wildcats. I'm having a Hemi in mine!

[Green Montego]

Look forward to seeing it. Have you decided which charity your donating to? Al Melling has said on Rochdale online that £2000 of the price of the car will be going to Great Ormond Street or another charity of your choice. Also, the website is up now almellingsportscars.com.

[Targarama]

Interesting. Definitely a styling ripoff of the Griffith (no bad thing). However, no external door handles, no proper roof, no sidewindows (caterham styley sidescreens available), and the slick lines of the Griff are a bit messed up with the addition of an external boot lock, bonnet latches etc.

Melling says he has focused on simplicity and no odd bits which typically gave problems (such as solenoids I guess). Fair reason. As a result the car is a bit too basic for my liking.

Oh, and the engine is solidly mounted to the chassis. Good vibrations...

I don't know why other TVR owners bought theirs, but for me it was the taste of practicality and refinement mixed with beasty performance which turned me to TVRs. Otherwise I may as well just have bought a Caterham R300/400/500 or a Westfield with a V8.

[Green Montego]

The video of the Wildcat is now on the website. The word from the factory is that Al Melling is doing a deal with Chrysler for fuel injected 427 hemi and a 440.

[thunderbelmont]

Rather have a Bowler Wildcat. That's mad too.

Nice to see they're using the Chevy LS1(derivative). It'll make a reliable plant that's very tunable at low cost.

Long live the good ship Melling, and all who sail in her. Let's hope Al can keep going for many years to come.

[Tahiti]

Yummy.

[Spam]

WOW! I heard about this a while back when all the talk of the car was in the press but just thought it would be just another british sportscar.

After looking at the pictures I love the look of it. Let's hope it drives as well as it looks but certainly looks very promising.

[bennno]

Green Montego said:

Look forward to seeing it. Have you decided which charity your donating to? Al Melling has said on Rochdale online that £2000 of the price of the car will be going to Great Ormond Street or another charity of your choice. Also, the website is up now almellingsportscars.com.

Why stop at £2k, why doesnt he add £10k to the price of every car and give a £10k donation to charity

Alternatively, buy a tired Griff for £10k. Get it stripped, the chassis blasted and power coated, fit a Ls3, get the body repainted and a full leather trim and save yourself some money

bennno

[Satsuma]

melling is 65 now. an engineering genius just the same but i should guess too old to have the energy to become a motor manufacturer. the hellcat came to nothing... i think the wildcat will just recede quietly too.. but dont let me write it off lets see..

[shirt]

has the hellcat project been abandoned then? in this months 'classic cars' mag there is an article about the AJP v8 with a sidebar stating melling's v10 is 'due for completion soon'