Well-informed TVR enthusiasts know that founder Trevor Wilkinson’s first car was built on an Alvis Firebird chassis. But just what do they know about the now-defunct Alvis Ltd?Alvis was based in the historic British “motor city” of Coventry. Viewers of BBC America on direct tv may have seen the city in series like Angels, Keeping Up Appearances, and Doctor Who. Alvis was founded as TG John and Co. Ltd. in 1919, producing “stationary engines, carburetor bodies, and motorscooters” (“Alvis Cars,” Wikipedia). The name change to Alvis is unexplainedit may be related to the Norse weaponsmith Alviss. In any case, the name was changed in 1921, a year after production on the first Alvis 10/30 began. Read the rest of this entry »

Britain has always had a rich automobile history. From Aston Martins to Minis to TVR there is always something new and interesting coming out of the U.K., but one of the more unique manufacturers, Noble Automotive, doesn’t get as much attention as they deserve.

Established in 1999 in Barwell, Leicestershire, England their debut car was the M10. Very few were made as buyers withdrew their money in favor of the upcoming M12. The M12 appeared in 2000 and was a very popular car. Powered by a turbo V6 and with a fiberglass composite body, the M12 would do 0-60 Read the rest of this entry »

Everybody loves performance. Whether it is in the world of money or cars, performance is the key. There are two types of performance. There is the bad kind when the stock market takes a dive and people end up losing money. There is the good kind of performance when a motor runs like new after an overhaul. With cars it is important that performance is maintained. When a family leaves for a vacation in a vehicle that is not performing well Read the rest of this entry »

The British city of Blackpool is one of several communities in the British Isles where automotive design is still practiced. At one time the nation was home to many small and independent auto manufacturers. Blackpool, Coventry and Abingdon were just a few of the towns where the British auto industry flourished.

Blackpoo l remains the home of an automotive design center and college. The design college in Blackpool provides a degree program in automotive design and engineering for students seeking to enter Read the rest of this entry »

When a brand’s as distinctive as TVR, the fans are equally unique. Admirers of TVR cars can come together in the TVR Car Club, which was originally founded in 1962 as a small London-based group of super-fans. Today, the club has over 7000 members and operates around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

In the late 1990s, there was a war going on in the roads. The McLaren F1 was dominating sports car makers everywhere with its futuristic design, and in 1998 set the still-unbroken record for fastest production car worldwide, 240 mph. British maker TVR, however, was not about to take this challenge lying down, and in 1996 displayed the first model of the TVR Project 7/12. The 7 referred to the number of liters in the engine, although it was actually 7.7, and the 12 stood for the number of cylinders. The engine could produce over 1000 horsepower and was so expensive to build that only five are known. Read the rest of this entry »

Today, TVR has a large fan-base who marvel over its sleek, sexy, and stylish cars. But how many know that it’s history stretches back more than half a century? The first car under the TVR name appeared in 1949a two-seater alloy body with a tubular chassis built by founder Trevor Wilkinson and partner Jack Pickard. The TVR brand comes from Trevor’s name. Read the rest of this entry »

You can’t spend every minute in your TVR car, as much as you might want to. Since you’ve got to get out sometime, why not look into some books to improve your driving enjoyment? There are a variety of volumes written by fans who take their work very seriouslyseriously enough to spend their days test-driving cars, interviewing insiders, and compiling it all together to give you the same thrill. Read the rest of this entry »

Buying a TVR is a commitment that should not be entered into lightly. Make sure the time is ready for both you and your spouse to bring home such a special visitor. Once you’re both on the same page, there are a few tips for making the experience easy and enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »