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In recent years this car has been the subject of substantial restoration, repainted in ‘Old English White’, the seats reupholstered in their correct colour in high quality leather by a Jaguar Heritage craftsman, and much more. The engine, still the original Coventry Climax number 8409, has been boroscoped and confirmed as stage 3 in good condition.
The car runs and drives very well, we have spent many hours carefully recommissioning and bringing the car into a running condition.
It comes with a fascinating history file, original sales brochure, buff logbook showing 1 previous owner from new, Coventry Climax letters signed by Coventry Climax chief engineer Whalley Hassan confirming the provenance on the engine and built date, Coventry Climax letters discussing Stage 3 conversion of the engine (Completed in 1964) including receipts for all parts from Coventry Climax, numerous Smiths letters discussing the issues with the rev counter and a large collection of receipts for restoration and recommissioning.
A fantastic and very rare car.
Any inspection is well and encouraged
More images on our webiste
We are a small family run business with over 30 years experience in classic cars. We are passionate about all sports cars particularly convertibles. Over the years we have enjoyed meeting new people who are equally as fanatical about quirky cars as us!
We are mainly interested in British sports and saloon cars from the 1960s and 1970s, but can appreciate a good car from any era and often have a diverse range of stock.
Over the years we have enjoyed restoring cars which has given us a solid background and embedded us in a network of enthusiasts. In the last few years our direction has changed slightly towards hunting out classics, from barn finds to turn key beauties.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me
Delivery is no problem, nationwide or international. The car must be fully paid for before it leaves the premises. TVR Grantura
Believed to be the development vehicle fitted with the first Coventry Climax engine delivered to TVR
The car used by Keith Aitchinson and Bryan Hopton on the TVR press/ testing trip to Monza, ultimately resulting in them buying a controlling share in TVR
Believed to have competed in the Tulip Rally, as well as numerous races, testing and press events and now sympathetically restored, retaining its Coventry Climax engine, still the first delivered to TVR
One previous owner from when it was sold ‘new’ to 2019, and accompanied with an impressive history file
The first production model TVR in a long line of TVR cars, the Grantura debuted in 1958 and went through a series of developments leading to the MkI to Mark IV and 1800S models, with production ceasing in September 1967. Hand-built at the TVR factory in Blackpool with varying mechanical specifications, the Grantura was also offered in ‘kit form’. All cars featured a cocktail of Austin-Healey brakes, VW Beetle or Triumph suspension parts and BMC rear axles. The Grantura bodyshell was made from glass-reinforced plastic and made use of a variety of proprietary components, with a front-hinged bonnet. Buyers could choose from a range of powerplants which, depending on the model in question, included a choice of side or overhead valve engines from Ford, a Coventry Climax unit, the engine from the MGA and, ultimately, the 1798cc BMC B-series engine.
By the middle of 1960, the factory employed forty-three workers, the Grantura MkI production was ending (with a total of 100 cars produced), and the Mk2 body shell design was nearly ready. TVR had distributors selling cars in the UK, including David Buxton Ltd. in Derby and Bill Last in Woodbridge, Suffolk. In January 1961, Keith Aitchison and Bryan Hopton (of the Aitchison-Hopton Lotus/ TVR dealer in Chester) expressed interest in investing in TVR. During the summer, Bernard Williams attempted to cement their interest by offering a Climax-powered Grantura MkII to the two men for a drive to the Monza circuit in Italy. During the trip, a portion of the exhaust system fell off the car on two separate occasions, but the two men were nonetheless impressed with the car's performance.
This particular Grantura, sold in 2019 with little known history, as it turns out, may well be a rather historically important car. Now confirmed in writing by Keith Aitchison himself as the development vehicle taken to Monza on the press run with Hopton, as well as believed to be one of two cars to compete in the 1962 Tulip rally and further races and events in the uk as a development vehicle.
It is believed this particular Grantura started life as a MkI. In a letter from TVR director Bernard Williams to USA TVR agent Alex Saidel in April 1959, Williams states TVR had started to compete at a low level in order to gain some experience. They had purchased the first 1220 FEW engine to build a race car in approximately 3 months so to be ‘quick to mix with the big boys’. The first Coventry Climax engine, number 8409, would be delivered to TVR in May 1959, before being fitted to chassis number 7C 119 (the car offered for sale today) for use in testing and racing. This theory is clearly supported in TVR records, with the chassis number before and after 119 both being MkI Granturas, as well as the electrical parts on the car being dated 1958 and 1959.
From here, it is believed 119 was competed as a MkI under spoof registration numbers, before the first MkII body was created in May of 1950. Chassis 119 would then be rebodied as a MkII and registered under 880 ABM. However, telltale signs, including the front flashers being moved higher as per all future MkII’s, the 8, 000rpm rev counter as per all works cars and the 7 inline dial dash as per Climax spec on all future MkII’s, would remain. Now under 880 ABM, this Grantura would race as a works car at Oulton Park by Malcolm Wayne, with Wayne also setting the class record at Hudson Mills Sprint in August that year
In May the following year, 880 ABM would be driven to Monza on a press/ reliability run by Keith Aitchinson and Bernard Hopton as mentioned above and supported by correspondence with Aitchinson himself, and would be tested with Autocar Magazine with its now Stage 2 Climax engine before being prepared by the factory for the Tulip Rally. Here, a MkIII bonnet would be fitted, the car would be painted white, the bonnet and roof would receive spotlights, the engine would be changed for a B series engine with the rev counter changed to suit and a rear reverse light would be fitted. 880 ABM would be driven by Anne Hall and Val Dolmeo
