The abbreviation TVR stems from the name of the company's founder
Trevor Wilkinson, his first garage sporting the letters T, V, and R. The history of TVR can be divided into several eras, each of which is associated with the company's owner at the start of that period: • 1946–1965, founder Trevor Wilkinson, who left in 1962 • 1965–1981, Martin Lilley • 1981–2004,
Peter Wheeler • 2004–2013,
Nikolay Smolensky • 2013–2025, syndicate of British businessmen led by
Les Edgar • 2025— , brand purchased by Charge Holdings
Wilkinson era Founding Trevor Wilkinson (14 May 1923 – 6 June 2008) was born in
Blackpool and left school at 14 to start an
engineering apprenticeship at a local garage. In 1946, he purchased an old
wheelwright's workshop in Beverley Grove, Blackpool, to start an engineering business that he named
Trevcar Motors. Initially, the company performed general engineering work (not always automobile related), and would also refresh and service cars and trucks. In 1947, local auto enthusiast Jack Pickard joined the company. Trevcar Motors was subsequently renamed to TVR Engineering (dropping several letters from Wilkinson's first name), and it continued to find general mechanical engineering work through the following years.
One-off specials: TVR One, Two, and Three (1949–1953) In 1949, TVR built its first original chassis. The Hotchkiss-style rear suspension used the live axle from a
Morris Eight, and the front suspension was of an independent trailing-arm design. The engine was a
Ford 1,172 cc sidevalve from a 1936 van, tuned to 35 hp. Even before the car was bodied, it was crashed by the man hired to create the bodywork, Les Dale. After repairs, the body was styled and built from aluminium, and painted
British racing green. Although neither Wilkinson nor Pickard found the finished bodywork to be very aesthetically appealing, it was functional, and the two men conducted the first successful test drive on the runway at
Squires Gate aerodrome in 1949. Later that year, TVR Number One was sold to Wilkinson's cousin for £325. It was later crashed and salvaged for parts. ,
Newby Bridge,
Cumbria|thumb|left TVR Number Two began with the same chassis design found on the first car, using the rear axle, springs, dampers, brakes, and steering from the Morris Eight, as well as the same sidevalve Ford engine. However, the front suspension design was changed to use wishbone control arms and a single transverse leaf spring. The bodywork was again constructed by Les Dale, and it was similar in appearance to the first car. An auto enthusiast local to Blackpool purchased the car for use in competition, although it was eventually registered for road use in 1952. Around this time, the car was refreshed: it received a new body style with a lower nose, and some different instrumentation and equipment (including a tachometer from a
Supermarine Spitfire and Marchal headlamps from a
Delage.) After the sale of the Number Two car, TVR began work on Number Three, which again used the same chassis and suspension design. Instead of the sidevalve Ford engine, it was fitted with the 1,200 cc 40 hp
OHV four-cylinder engine from an Austin A40. This car was painted yellow, and in contrast to the rounded bodywork of the first and second cars, it was styled with a blunt nose and a squarish vertical panel as the grille. Driven by Wilkinson in a number of car club events (such as sprints and
hillclimbs) in 1952 and 1953, the car was quick enough to earn several awards. It was during these club events that one David Hives was introduced to the TVR management, and he would become a key TVR employee a decade later.
Competition Press reported: "Jomar has gone into Formula racing, too. The Jomar
monoposto has been designed by Ray and is built in his Manchester N.H. shop (the sports car chassis are built for him in England)." In 1959,
Motor Sport reported: "The cars are made in Blackpool and the majority of the production is exported to America, where the sports version is known as the Jomar." Ray Saidel, enthusiastic about the prospect of selling TVRs in the United States, purchased several cars in addition to the rolling chassis that he had bought previously; he imported one Open Sports and three Coupes, with the intention of selling them under the Jomar name. He was not especially successful in selling the cars, and felt that one problem lay in the car's styling. Saidel wrote to the factory and suggested that the next model be styled as a
fastback. These cars utilised the same chassis. In 1959,
Motor Sport reported: The JOMAR COUPE is the result of a joint Anglo-American project. The firm of T.V.R. Engineering of Blackpool, England is responsible for the basic-designing and building of the JOMAR chassis upon which in 1956 and 1957 Saidel Sports-Racing cars of
Manchester, New Hampshire, using aluminum bodies of their own design carried out extensive research and development. Through the efforts of both concerns the successful MK2 was evolved. Before the name "Grantura" was selected, some alternatives were briefly considered. A model name of "Trevor" was rejected, as was the suggestion of "Hoo Hill Hellcat" (which was proposed by Averil Scott-Moncrieff, the wife of TVR director David "Bunty" Scott-Moncrieff.) An engineer (and earlier TVR customer) named John Thurner left his position at
Rolls-Royce and joined TVR in November 1959, whereupon he was named Technical Director. Thurner's experience and enthusiasm were sought to help the company improve the Grantura and to streamline production, and he was given full control of Grantura development. This raised the ire of Wilkinson, who regarded Thurner as a professional competitor and who felt that he was being undermined by the company he originally created. It was subsequently updated in 2018 as part of an updated corporate identity delivered by Forge Design Consultancy, "suitable for both digital and print media - to support their international relaunch." Reliability problems and customer complaints began to mount through 1964. In 1964, a dock strike in the US severely damaged Jack Griffith's ability to import cars. Griffith was then unable to meet his financial obligation to Ford, which stopped supplying drivetrain components. Ties with TVR were also then severed, and the already-struggling TVR was no longer able to continue. In September 1964, a director meeting was held at TVR, and it was announced that the company would be stopping production and closing the factory at Hoo Hill. TVR went into liquidation in November of that year.
Trident roadster|thumb In 1965, TVR produced four prototypes of a car named the
Trident. It was powered by the same Ford V8 as was found in the Griffith, and the body was hand-built of aluminum and steel by
Carrozzeria Fissore in
Savigliano, Italy. The styling was the work of
Trevor Fiore (born Trevor Frost In 1966, Last established in
Trident Cars Ltd and started building the car under the model name "Clipper".
Lilley era In late 1965, Arthur Lilley and his son Martin Lilley purchased the assets of TVR to mitigate their personal losses of £2,000 worth of TVR shares. TVR Engineering Ltd. was then formed on 30 November 1965, with Arthur as chairman. Arthur approached David Hives and offered him the position of General Manager and Senior Designs and Development Engineer, which David accepted. After two years of this arrangement, Hives asked Arthur Lilley to appoint his son Martin as managing director whilst Hives went to America to talk to Gerry Sagerman about the importation of TVRs. This ultimately resulted in Sagerman establishing TVR Cars of America. TVR had no outstanding orders to fulfill, and significant outstanding debts towards suppliers. Additionally, members of previous work force had apparently stolen parts and damaged machinery out of spite when they were laid off. In the final days of 1965 and into early 1966, the new workforce gained confidence in management as it became apparent that the Lilleys were genuinely interested in the success of the business. The factory began to ramp up production of the Mk3 1800S. During the period, some partially finished cars were delivered as kits to Martin's Barnet Motor Co. car dealer business, where they were finished. On the evening of 3 January 1975, a fire broke out in the TVR factory, likely caused by faulty wiring in a 3000M factory demonstrator car. Several complete and nearly complete cars were destroyed, as well as many components in the company's stores. Soot and ash covered every surface, and the damage was estimated to be £200,000. A small team of office workers came in to clean and perform administrative tasks while the insurance company made its assessment. The factory walls were sandblasted to remove the coating of soot, but the sand damaged many pieces of equipment that were not moved out first. Despite the lack of heat and electricity in the building, some limited amount of car construction began again. Four cars were completed in April, and then eight in May. Total production for the year was approximately 150 cars, and only about 20 of those were exported to the US, where Gerry Sagerman's business suffered as a result. that body production and final assembly for TVR would move to
Turin with only engine production remaining in the UK. In protest at this and to show support for the workers, a large number of TVR owners paraded through central London on 26 November 2006. Dubbed "London Thunder", it was also an attempt at the official world record for the biggest one-marque convoy on record. By December 2006, it emerged that Smolensky had split TVR into a number of different companies: the brand and intellectual property rights had been transferred to a core Smolensky company; TVR Motors held the licence to the brands and intellectual property in the UK, as well as sales and marketing of the brand; TVR Power, the automotive parts business, had been sold to outside investors; and Blackpool Automotive which held the factory and manufacturing assets. On 13 December 2006, Smolensky and production director Mike Penny resigned as directors of Blackpool Automotive, being replaced by Smolensky's UK personal assistant Roger Billinghurst and 25-year-old Austrian Angelco Stamenkov. By 24 December, Blackpool Automotive was in administration. On 22 February 2007, it was revealed that Smolensky was once again the owner of the company, having been the highest bidder. On 8 October 2007, it was reported that Smolensky was still in control of the company and was hoping to restart production, with a target of 2,000 cars to be sold in 2008. and on 11 July TVR announced the relaunching of the Sagaris as the Sagaris 2, at its new centre near
Wesham in Lancashire, though this did not happen and the company took no action for another two years. In June 2010, German manufacturer Gullwing, a specialist German firm which held a minority share in TVR, said they would start producing a new car from September 2010. Boss Juergen Mohr said "Having been a TVR owner, I think this will be the best TVR ever." He also confirmed the company was planning new models, possibly with alternative drivetrains. "I can imagine everything, even electric-powered cars," Mohr said.
Current ownership On 6 June 2013, it was reported that Nikolay Smolensky had sold his entire ownership of TVR to TVR Automotive Ltd, a UK company led by
Les Edgar and John Chasey. To coincide with the 2014 Classic Car Show, TVR announced a TVR Genuine Parts initiative to guarantee continuity of supply of parts for classic TVRs and the formation of a new company TVR Parts Ltd which is exclusively licensed to sell genuine parts worldwide, taking over the last stock remaining when the factory closed and the previous TVR parts business operations of Racing Green, Clever Trevor and
Multipart Solutions. This was augmented the following year with the purchase of the parts business of David Gerald/Classic World Racing who had held the licence for pre 1980's TVRs. On 3 June 2015, it was revealed that development of the new car had been underway for more than a year, with partners
Gordon Murray and
Cosworth, that would be launched in 2017, followed by additional models as part of a 10-year plan. The new car boasted an impressive specification, front engined, rear wheel drive, normally aspirated Cosworth V8 mated to a manual transmission, that caused it to be described as "God’s own sports car". Codenamed T37, deposits were taken in anticipation for delivery in 2017. Further details of the engine were revealed on 7 October 2015 as being based on the 5.0 L
Ford Coyote V8, with modifications by Cosworth including lighter flywheel,
dry sump lubrication and unique engine management, to generate from , depending on the variant. On 22 March 2016, the
First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones announced that TVR would build its factory in
Ebbw Vale adjacent to the
Circuit of Wales, creating 150 jobs, with TVR also receiving an undisclosed investment from the
Welsh Government. On 5 June 2017, it was announced the first public viewing and launch of the car would take place at the
Goodwood Revival on 8 September 2017, to coincide with the marque's 70th anniversary year. On 8 September 2017, at the Goodwood Revival, the TVR Griffith was unveiled, featuring designwork by
Gordon Murray, a 5.0 L Ford
Cosworth V8 engine, and a carbon fibre
ground effect chassis. It was announced in January 2018 that the
Welsh Government had previously acquired a minority 3% stake in TVR in early 2016, following independent and specialist due diligence, for the sum of £500,000. With this share purchase, it also provided a £2 million repayable commercial loan to the company, alongside a private sector lender, Fiduciam. According to the Welsh Government, the minority stake will "ensure the Welsh tax payer will benefit from the company's successes". In June 2020,
Autocar reported that TVR was owed more than £8.23 million from debtors, and has net assets slightly exceeding £2.1 million. TVR needed to pay off a £2 million loan from the Welsh government and a £3 million loan from financial firm Fiduciam. To fulfill its obligations and put the Griffith into production, TVR launched a £25m bond on
Euronext Dublin,
Ireland's main stock exchange, through Irish firm Audacia Capital. In January 2021, Fiduciam granted TVR a new £2 million loan through the UK's Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. In November 2021, TVR announced a joint venture with Ensorcia Metals, a
lithium mining company to both fund production on the Griffith and ensure the supply chain for TVR's future battery requirements. In April 2022, TVR announced that a multi-million pound investment by Ensorcia had taken place and it had repaid the debt owed to the Welsh Government. It was further announced TVR would become a sponsor for the
2021–22 Formula E rounds at Monaco and London to promote the forthcoming second generation of the Griffith.
Autocar revealed in July 2022 that with the support of investment from Ensorcia, in addition to a Griffith EV there were plans for TVR to produce an electric SUV and saloon. In December 2023, it was reported that TVR had lost exclusive rights to the Ebbw Vale factory. The Welsh Government subsequently offered the facility on the open market, stating that many different companies had shown interest in the facility. In November 2025, it was reported that England-based boutique carmaker Charge Holdings had purchased TVR, and was set to reinvigorate the brand. ==Model list==