Goodness, there are some cracking rarities up for auction at the moment. There’s a Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition that’s been bumped up to 300hp, a stunning one-of-50 BMW M3 E46 Silverstone Edition and a really very tidy Ford Sierra 4x4 that probably looks better than it did new some 31 years ago. And while the brace of Porsche 928s isn't especially hard to find, the fact this one was once owned by TG legend Richard Hammond and this S4 is a former Brunei royal family car gives them a unique twist.
However, what we have here puts big fat ticks in all the rarity boxes. This, folks, is a 430SE, one of only three examples produced and the very car TVR put on display at the 1991 Earl's Court Motor Show. The 430SE was intended to sit right in the middle of the 400 and 450 but, according to this old forum thread, demand for the old Wedge vanished the moment TVR took the covers off the newer, sleeker Griffith right next to it on stage. The trio swiftly fell into private hands and faded into obscurity, though two of them - one maroon and the other blue - have emerged in recent years. Now we have the final piece of the puzzle with this white show car.
So what’s special about the 430SE? The big change is the 4.3-litre Rover V8 lifted from the Griffith, developing 280hp and 305lb ft of torque. Performance details are scarce given that TVR never properly marketed the car (leading some to question whether it existed in the first place) but it’s estimated the car could reach 60mph from a standstill in 5.3 seconds, putting it just a tenth behind the range-topping 450 despite a 40hp deficit. Some have also reported it sounding noticeably louder than the rest of the 400 range, which might (or might not) have been due to a reworked exhaust manifold. True or not, more Rover V8 rumble can only ever be a good thing.
Like other SE models, the ‘Special Equipment’ package on all three 430s pertained to a sportier aero kit that made the standard Wedge look positively curvaceous. The kit is comprised of a deeper air dam at the front, a small boot spoiler and even a diffuser. Whether any of the changes had any impact on downforce is anyone’s guess, although it’s hard to think of any sports cars in the late '80s and early ‘90s that were playing around with underbody aerodynamics.
A remarkable slice of TVR history, then, and one that appears as fresh as the day it rolled into the Earl's Court Motor Show. Only, there’s a bit more to it than that. At some point in the car’s life, it had been left ‘languishing’ outside in the elements for 12 years. Fortunately, the car has since been treated to a meticulous restoration that involved rebuilding the engine, gearbox and rear axle, all of which has been documented with photographs and invoices. The paintwork has been spruced up, too, while all the original stickers look to be present and scuff-free.
It’s a proper feel-good story seeing an ultra-rare TVR get the restoration treatment it deserves, and you could be its happily ever after by landing the winning bid. It’s guided at £23,000 to £24,000, which is naturally a bit more expensive than other Wedges (this 450SE is going for £17,995), but that’s to be expected given its incredible origins and the vast amounts of time and money that’s been sunk into its restoration. Besides, there’s another one-of-three TVR for sale here on PH and it’s going for nearly quarter of a million quid. Here you get just as much exclusivity for a tenth of the price. Unless it beats reserve, of course...
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