TVR Grantura – Blackpool Rocks

Think of a TVR and it’s only natural to jump to a place in your mind filled with that most pleasant of noises – a V8 at full chat. Yes, you think TVR and you think V8, the two go hand in hand like butter on toast. But that wasn’t always the way. TVR’s beginnings were centred around whatever engine was available, and back in the 1950s, not many of them had more than four cylinders. As such, Trevor Wilkinson, the company’s founder, has to satisfy his internal combustion cravings with smaller offerings from Ford, or the Coventry Climax range. This was no bad thing though. Their cars were lighter than a student’s wallet, so a throbbing great V8 wasn’t really needed. In fact, as we look at this beautiful 1960 Mk1 TVR Grantura (arguably the best name for a car, ever) we’re satisfied that anything more than four cylinders would have been considerable overkill.

So, what is the Grantura? In a nutshell, this car represents mainstream genesis for TVR. Prior to this, there had been the TVR No.1, which was a collection of car parts and a crude home-made body, built solely to satisfy Trevor Wilkinson’s need to have a ‘sports’ car. Sadly, this car was crashed by Wilkinson’s cousin within a year, after which it was broken for parts. Its follow-up was another one-off, the imaginatively named TVR No.2 and No.3 was built after the sale of No.2.

Those first three cars sowed the seed for Wilkinson, who was keen to move into full-on vehicle production. In 1953, he introduced the Sports Saloon, but only sold it in kit form and without running gear, though it was built to accept that of an Austin A40. The cars weren’t initially offered with a body though, and in fact, only three kits were sold with one – a body built by specialist builder, Richard G Shattock.

As things progressed, so did the reach of the TVR name. It got the attention of Ray Saidel, a racing driver based in America. He wanted a new chassis with which to compete, complete with Coventry Climax engine. TVR was at the time working on a new, more advanced chassis, one with a lower centre of gravity. It was a semi-spaceframe design with a central backbone, it also had outriggers and a steel bulkhead with uprights for door hinges – something that had been notably absent on previous TVRs. This meant it was infinitely easier to body the cars. Saidel ordered a chassis and had a bespoke aluminium body fitted to it, as well as the Coventry Climax FWA engine.

Saidel developed the chassis via motorsport, where it was highly competitive. So smitten was he with the car, he ordered more chassis and sold them in America as the Jomar, which carried the TVR name. However, these first cars were either coupe or open coupes. The Grantura came about after Saidel suggested to TVR that their next car be a fastback.

The Grantura, then, was the first car that TVR would offer as a complete car (though customers could buy it in kit form, too). However, this was not the car that would create a rosy start for the company. In fact, it was the car that very nearly killed TVR, though strangely, it was because the car was too popular! The factory simply couldn’t keep up with orders, the staff weren’t skilled, there were considerable financial troubles and Trevor Wilkinson’s relationship with the business was being pushed to breaking point. An engineer, not a businessman, he found it near impossible to keep up with the administrative side of the company, to such an extent that he was voted out by the board in 1962, though as we know he would still work with the company that carried his name for decades to come.

The Grantura was a car the success of which nobody could have predicted. Though that didn’t stop TVR’s new management from being greedy. They pressured Saidel to order fifty cars per year – twice as many as originally planned – and it was a ‘deal’ that saw Saidel go the way of Wilkinson. But yet it did not spell the end for TVR. Instead, the business was restructured, more training was implemented and, in the end, the Grantura orders were met. TVR had exploded, but it had only just survived the blast.

So, what of the car itself? Low, wide and squat, the Grantura was and still is an odd-looking little thing. But not in a bad way. It’s also deeply unusual in its functionality and ergonomics. The huge 17-inch steering wheel, the tiny door openings and the fact the ‘boot’ could only be accessed from inside the cabin meant it was not a practical car in any sense of the word. For example, to get the spare wheel out, it had to come out of the front doors! But none of that mattered, because once the owner had contorted themselves in such a way to allow ingress, they were besotted. The cabin was light an airy once you were in it, and once you fired up the engine – whatever engine it may have been – drivers were quickly rewarded with a chassis that handled like nothing else. Some publications of time said the Grantura was equal, if not better to the contemporary offerings of Lotus.

The car featured here belongs to Paul Murphy and is a 1960 Mk1 model. Unusually, this one is fitted with a 1340cc Ford pre-crossflow engine, rather than the smaller 1,172cc Ford engine (or 1,098cc Coventry Climax FWA). While it may be lacking 50% of its more modern cousin’s engine capacity, don’t assume this is a quiet and shy car. The centre exit exhaust proudly shouts with a deep bark, as well as the occasional pop and bang. This is a car with some admiral poke, even by today’s standards.

Paul’s car has been subject to a full restoration after having been left neglected for some time. Body, mechanicals and paint have all been addressed, along with trim, wheels, suspension and brakes. Nothing has been left untouched, meaning this little car is about as pure a representation of what TVR had to offer in 1960 as you’ll ever find.

Looking at Paul’s Grantura, you can see where latter-day TVRs came from, the DNA is there, the brave lines and the focus on an immersive driving experience, including the need to be ragdoll-flexible in order to get into it. You can also see the TVR focus. There’s no frill or fancy here, the Grantura is made of the parts it needs, and nothing more. There’s no added ‘fluff’. The quarter bumpers are as small as they can possibly be, the lighting is basic but functional, the interior boasts a set of comprehensive gauges and a steering wheel, that’s about it. The Grantura is built to move, not to stand still. And it by its design, it reminds the driver of that fact regularly. 

It’s perhaps ironic then, that TVR today is now a company that is showing no movement at all. Yes, there have been rumours of a new car, but so far, they have yet to come to any fruition. If you ask us, it’s probably not going to happen. But, to employ the old adage, it’s better to have loved and lost. And the Grantura was most definitely a car that was loved, despite the turbulence it caused during its inception. For all its trouble, the Grantura was the car that properly lit a fire under TVR, and for that alone it’s worth admiring.

If you’re taken by the story and by the car, you may be interested to know that Paul’s stunning Grantura is for sale for a very reasonable £25,500.