Availability

Time has passed since the Wedges were manufactured, with the last 400 SE being produced in 1991. So you'll be looking at cars anything up to 18 years old by now. Most of them have found their way into the hands of true enthusiasts by now, and you'll see (hear) some cars in great condition. Whether their owners want to sell them is another matter entirely. Luckily, lots of people trade up their Wedges for newer TVR models, so there is a supply available.

Given the wide variation and limited numbers of some models, you may have to search hard to find a good example of the rarer models.

How Much?

See our price guide in the adverts section.

Where From?

The best place to look for a private sale would be in Sprint magazine, published by the TVR Car Club. There are usually a dozen cars in there each month. Given that the owners have at least taken the trouble to join the club, you should find that these cars are the best available. Beware of the dog-eared cars advertised in the back of your local paper.

On the internet, you could check out the following sites:

• Auto Trader
• Top Marques

It's rare to find wedges in showrooms of the TVR franchised dealers. The following specialists are more likely to hold stock:

• David Gerald Sportscars Ltd.
• Steve Reid Classics.

Inspecting

If you're not familiar with the marque, it would be well worth getting an expert to check the car out. The AA and RAC provide inspection services, although it's probably better, and cheaper even, to get one of the specialists to take a look. For the best advice, ask on the TVR email list (see TVRCC for details).

In particular check the cooling system, UJs, chassis outriggers and the rear window on the Fixed Head Coupe (1000 GBP to replace!) Check for cracking of the GRP which may indicate that the car's had a bump. Be extremely careful of chassis repairs. Any bent chassis have to be rejigged by the factory back in Blackpool.

Insurance

To get an idea of what it might cost to insure a Wedge, check out the TVR Insurance Guide.

It's likely that you'll be able to insure it as a classic car, with the advantage that it's cheaper and may be able to run alongside your normal car policy, should you be running two cars. Limited mileage policies are common.

Check whether your insurance will cover you for a courtesy car. If you should damage the bodywork of your Wedge, you may find that new mouldings will have to be taken back at the factory. I know of one case where a new nose cone was required, despite relatively minor damage. This took several months, as the factory had to dig out the original moulds again.