I suppose prototype is doing this thing a little dis service this thing was, unlike most if not all prototypes, road registered in the UK in 1988. Not only that it was used by TVR Managing Director Peter Wheeler as his personal vehicle for two years which explains some of the features incorporated into the design. These included a cut out in behind the passenger seat that had a fitted dog basket for his gun dog, it also had a hidden compartment in the rear to house his shotguns and pheasants!!!!! Now that’s what you call keeping the boss happy.
Now for
the prototype link, let’s start with the modified SEAC race chassis under that
fibreglass body that hid the pre-prototype Holden 5.0ltr V8 Bathhurst race
engine. An engine that was good for 440bhp when mounted to the US spec Borg
Warner T5 World Series gearbox that has been originally supplied to TVR for
evaluation by Holden Special Vehicles. I suppose you could agree in this car it
was well and truly evaluated. If you know your TVR prototype you may have
noticed that the front end has been recycled form the previous 420 Sports
Saloon.
The car
was plucked from the TVR graveyard at the rear of the factory 10 days before
TVR was sold and subsequently closed down. It had a tree growing in it and no
rear window as well as a family of mice in the engine bay. Thankfully following
rescuing it was subject to a total nut and bolt restoration over the last 9
years to bring it back to its former glory and all credit to all the people involved
in preserving this piece of British car history.
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