Description
The Griffith is the car that propelled TVR to the ranks of the major sports car manufacturers when it was unveiled as a concept car at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1990. It marked the start of a very fruitful era under the leadership of the great Peter Wheeler. The Griffith was stunning with its muscular lines and blistering speed. The cabin was driver-focused, with innovative and tactile design elements, many machined from solid aluminium. More than 300 orders were taken at the show, and when the first cars were delivered to the press and public in 1992, the reception was even warmer; “ incredibly loud, unapologetic and politically incorrect, yet also unapologetically brilliant,” Autocar said. Built on a lightweight spaceframe chassis inspired by the one developed for the Tuscan racing car series, the first batch of cars used Rover V8 engines that had been reworked to develop either 240 bhp (4. 0 litres) or 280 bhp (4. 3 litres). Known as the “pre-cat” cars, they are the rawest and undoubtedly those with the most glorious soundtrack among the Griffiths, and are rightly rare and highly prized by collectors. With a torque of 420 Nm at hand, the Griffith 430 could nimbly weave through city traffic, yet also spin its rear tyres in a ferocious roar of tortured rubber when cruising in third gear, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/ h in just 4. 6 seconds to reach a top speed of 250 km/ h. The Griffith remained in production until 2002, with a total of 2, 582 units sold.
The model we are offering for sale is a 1993 Griffith 430, delivered new in Germany; it is therefore a genuine left-hand-drive example. The car was ordered in the spectacular and typically TVR “Ocean Haze” colour, which suits this 1990s supercar perfectly. It has been very well maintained during its time in Germany, and all service invoices are still available. In 2014, the Griff was sold to its second owner in Belgium, where it has been cherished like a little baby ever since. Under the bonnet, it has benefited from all necessary upgrades and the replacement of rust-prone components, and the engine was completely rebuilt in 2017 by TVR Powers Performance, the British TVR specialist in Coventry, at 129, 000 kilometres. Among other enhancements, it benefits from the installation of original black leather TVR Tuscan seats, as well as superb 16-inch Team Dynamics alloy wheels at the front and 17-inch at the rear. The original seven-spoke TVR Estoril wheels (15 inches at the front, 16 inches at the rear) are also still on the car. The first registration date is 8 October 1993, giving it classic car status this year in most European countries.
This Griffith is very well documented, with a full history file of invoices. Thanks to this continuous and complete service history, it still feels like a new TVR. It drives wonderfully and its powerful 4. 3-litre V8 makes you smile from the moment it wakes up. Left-hand-drive Griffiths in such excellent condition are increasingly rare, making this a unique opportunity for the discerning collector and sports car enthusiast. There is no car on the market with similar specifications, and prices are rising. So if you have long dreamt of owning a stunning Griffith, this one might be for you!
