TVR 350i

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TVR
TVR 350i Convertible
TVR 350i Convertible
Tasmin 350i
350i
Sales designation: Tasmin 350i
350i
Production period: 1983-1990
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupé , roadster
Engines: Otto engine :
3.5 liters (147 kW)
Length: 4015 mm
Width: 1730 mm
Height: 1195 mm
Wheelbase : 2387 mm
Empty weight :

The TVR 350i (initially: TVR Tasmin 350i ) is a sports car from the British manufacturer TVR from Blackpool , which was produced from 1983 to 1990. It is a further development of the Tasmin 280i and, like it, belongs to the TVR wedge model family . In the second half of the 1980s, the 350i became the brand's volume model. Most of the 350i were roadsters , but some cars were also hatchback coupes. TVR derived various special models with performance-enhanced engines from the 350i.

Development history

After the Grantura , the Vixen and the M series , the fourth generation of TVR models debuted with the Tasmin introduced in 1979. The vehicles belonging to it are unofficially referred to as TVR Wedges . The series was developed from 1977 under the direction of Martin Lilley , who took over TVR in 1965. A new series had become necessary because many of the high-volume parts that TVR obtained for the M series from Ford of Britain and British Leyland were no longer produced in the second half of the 1970s. With the new models, Martin Lilley wanted to position TVR in a higher market niche. Potential competitors were Lotus and Porsche . The cost of development and preproduction totaled £ 550,000 by 1980. They overstrained the capabilities of the owners and ultimately led to the company being sold to Peter Wheeler in 1980. Over the years, Wheeler expanded the Wedge into a diverse family of models. The first variant of the Wedge family was the Tasmin 280i, which was later renamed the TVR 280i. It had a 2.8 liter six-cylinder Ford V-engine.

In search of more powerful variants, TVR began under Martin Lilley to develop a turbo version of the Tasmin 280i. TVR's new owner Peter Wheeler gave up the Tasmin Turbo, of which two prototypes had emerged, early on. Instead, the new top-of-the-range model was the 350i with an eight-cylinder Rover engine , which some other small-series manufacturers such as Morgan had been using for their sports cars since 1968 . In the literature there are indications that Wheeler's decision in favor of Rover engines was at least also due to political aspects: While cars with Ford components could only be sold poorly in the Arab region because of Ford's business relations with Israel , the British Rover, which was unencumbered in this respect, had -Motor enables the company to expand into Arab markets. The 350i was soon more successful than the cheaper 280i, whose production for the domestic market had been discontinued in 1986. It remained - most recently in the form of the special version 350SE - in the range until 1990.

On behalf of TVR, the tuner Andy Rouse and later the company NCK (North Coventry Kawasaki) developed engine versions with increased displacement - the range ranged from 3.9 liters to 4.5 liters - and an output of up to 235 kW (320 PS), which were built into the limited available special models 390SE , 400SE , 420SE , 450SE , 420SEAC and 450SEAC . They are known in enthusiastic circles as Big Bad Wedges .

Model name

The first examples of the eight-cylinder wedges were still called Tasmin 350i at the factory; At the beginning of 1984 - and thus before the 2.8-liter versions - the model name Tasmin was dropped. The eight-cylinder wedges were then sold as the TVR 350i until production ended in 1990.

Model description

As with all previous models, TVR combined a lightweight plastic body with a tubular frame and a reliable high-volume engine for the 350i.

3.5-liter eight-cylinder Rover engine
350i Fixed Head Coupe
Wedge shape: TVR 350i Convertible
One of the last 350i convertibles (1989)

Chassis and running gear

Following the design of earlier TVR models, the TVR 350i has a lattice frame . The Tasmin consists of round steel tubes welded together, each 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) in diameter. The frame is arranged in the middle of the car and has outriggers from and behind to accommodate the wheel suspensions. Seen from above, its shape corresponds to a Y. The motor is housed in the front splay. Metal plates are incorporated at individual points to increase strength. The frame is basically comparable to that of the Tasmon 280i, but more than 100 details had to be changed in the area of ​​the front end to accommodate the Rover eight-cylinder engine. Among other things, it was necessary to widen the front spread by 3.8 cm (1.5 inches).

All bikes are hung individually . The front double wishbone axle was purchased from Ford; it corresponds to the construction used in the Ford Cortina Mk IV . The rear suspension is TVR's own design. It is similar to that of the contemporary Jaguar XJ . The brakes come from the Ford Granada and are generally too weak in view of the high engine power.

Engine and power transmission

The TVR 350i is powered by an eight-cylinder V-engine that TVR purchased from Rover. It is used unchanged in the 350i. Its displacement is 3532 cm³. While the first two prototypes were still equipped with a carburettor version of the Rover engine, all production vehicles have the version with an electronically controlled fuel injection from Lucas , which Rover used in the Vitesse sedan. The engine output is 147 kW (200 hp).

The power is transmitted to the rear axle via a manual five-speed gearbox from Rover. Standard one is differential of Jaguar installed. An automatic three-speed gearbox was available on request and at an additional cost, although this was rarely ordered.

body

The body of the 350i made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic largely corresponds to that of the (Tasmin) 280i. It is a design by Oliver Winterbottom . Their smoothly designed wedge shape, which stands out from the rounded lines of its predecessors while maintaining the proportions in principle, gave the entire series the nickname Wedges . The front section tapers to a point and ends in plastic-clad bumpers. To ensure the prescribed minimum height of the front lighting, pop-up headlights are used. In the closed versions, the roof line slopes down to the rear end immediately behind the B-pillar. The rear window can be opened; it enables access to the cargo space. At the rear, above the taillights, there is a vertical glass pane that extends over the entire width of the car and is intended to make it easier to see to the rear. TVR took over many add-on parts from large-scale manufacturers. The door handles, for example, come from Ford. There are different specifications regarding the horizontal taillights of the early models. According to some sources they come from the Rover SD1 , according to others from the Ford Capri III. Instead, individual early vehicles had taillights from the Lucas range of accessories . The housing and the motor of the pop-up headlights come from the Triumph TR7 , as does the gearshift lever. The vehicle electrical system was at British Leyland bought, the seats are from the Triumph 2500 S .

The 350i was available in three body versions:

  • The two-seater Fixed Head Coupé has a hatchback with a large rear window. Stylistically it corresponds to the (Tasmin) 280i of the second series.
  • The 350 + 2 is a 2 + 2-seater variant of the Fixed Head Coupé . The body is identical to that of the two-seater, but there are two emergency seats in the interior, which, according to critics, are only suitable for small children; They can only be used if the driver and front passenger seats are pushed forward as far as possible.
  • A third variant is the two-seater convertible . The convertible top is constructed in two parts. The rear part including the roll bar can be folded back. A solid plastic cover is attached over the seats, which is attached to the frame of the windshield and the roll bar.

Facelift: Series 2 (1985–1990)

At the beginning of 1985, TVR revised the 350i in some details; the cars sold since February 1985 are referred to internally as Series 2. The stylistic changes affected the front spoiler, which is now larger, and the outer rear-view mirrors, which are now integrated into the doors. All convertibles manufactured from April 1985 onwards also have the rear lights of the Renault Fuego , which are installed rotated by 180 degrees. They're rare, so getting replacements is a bigger problem today.

Special models

TVR 350SE

TVR 350SE

The 350SE is a special model that TVR launched in 1989 when production of the 350i was imminent. The abbreviation SE stands for Special Edition . Although the car was nominally referred to as the 350, the drive technology in all examples comes from the 390SE. The 350SE has its 3.9 liter version of the Rover eight-cylinder engine that NCK had developed. The series comprises 25 vehicles, individually numbered from 1 to 12 and from 14 to 26. The respective number is written on the car.

TVR SX350

The SX350 was a special version of the 350i in which the 3.5-liter eight-cylinder engine was turbocharged. It increased the engine output to 201 kW (273 hp) and the top speed was 240 km / h. The cardan shaft and the brakes were taken over from the 420SE. The work did not undertake the revision itself; The manufacturer was rather the TVR dealer David Haughin from Barrow-in-Furness . Nine of these vehicles were built between 1987 and 1989.

Prices and Production

The 350i Convertible cost £ 14,800 in the UK in 1984, roughly on par with a Porsche 944 .

From 1983 to 1990, a total of 952 copies of the TVR 350i and 350SE were built. The production is distributed as follows:

TVR 350i production
figures
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 total
Fixed head coupe 10 11 9 11 11 52
350i + 2 5 1 6th
Convertible 50 88 143 218 151 92 103 24 869
350SE 13 12 25th

literature

  • Giles Chapman: TVR Tasmin 350i Convertible. In: Motorsport Magazine. Issue 5/1984, p. 96 ff.
  • Alastair Clements: Blackpool Peers. In: Classic & Sports Car. Issue, history of the TVR brand in 1/2007.
  • David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
  • Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 .
  • John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 .
  • Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1-78500-351-6 .
  • Oliver Winterbottom: A Life in Car Design: Jaguar, Lotus, TVR. Veloce Publishing, 2017, ISBN 978-1-78711-035-9 .

Web links

Commons : TVR350i  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1-78500-351-6 , p. 140.
  2. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 77.
  3. ^ Alastair Clements: Blackpool Peers. In: Classic & Sports Car. Issue, history of the TVR brand in 1/2007.
  4. ↑ Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 167.
  5. ↑ a b c d e Giles Chapman: TVR Tasmin 350i Convertible. In: Motorsport Magazine. Issue 5/1984, p. 96 ff.
  6. ↑ Mike Lawrence: A to Z of Sports Cars 1945–1990. Bay View Books, 1996, ISBN 1-870979-81-8 .
  7. ↑ Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 43.
  8. ↑ Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsburg 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 35.
  9. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 91.
  10. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1-78500-351-6 , p. 144.
  11. ↑ Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 34.
  12. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 92.
  13. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 77.
  14. ↑ a b Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era, The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 26.
  15. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1-78500-351-6 , p. 149.
  16. ↑ Oliver Winterbottom: A Life in Car Design: Jaguar, Lotus, TVR. Veloce Publishing, 2017, ISBN 978-1-78711-035-9 , p. 79.
  17. ^ A b John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 94.
  18. ↑ a b Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era. The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2015, ISBN 978-1-84797-997-1 , p. 40.
  19. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 83.
  20. ^ John Tipler: TVR. Sutton Publishing, Strout 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 95.
  21. ↑ Information follows the Internet presence of the TVR Car Club Deutschland (accessed on May 31, 2019).