TVR M series

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TVR
Various coupés from the M series
Various coupés from the M series
M series
Sales designation: 1600M
2500M
3000M
3000M Turbo
5000M
Taimar
Taimar Turbo
Production period: 1972-1979
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupé , station wagon coupé , convertible
Engines: Petrol engines : 1.6-5.0 liters
(63-186 kW)
Length: 3911-4064 mm
Width: 1626 mm
Height: 1143 mm
Wheelbase : 2286 mm
Empty weight : 760-960 kg
Previous model TVR Vixen
successor TVR Tasmin

The TVR M-Series is a family of two-seater sports coupes and convertibles that TVR produced in Blackpool ( England ) from 1972 to 1979 as the successor to the Vixen . The models of the M series were available with engines of varying strength from 1.6 to 3.0 liters displacement; individual dealers also installed US eight-cylinder engines with a displacement of 5.0 liters. From 1976 there were otherwise identical station wagons with a large tailgate under the name TVR Taimar . In 1978 the roadster version 3000S finally appeared .

History of origin

From 1959 to 1965, between 700 and 800 coupés of the Grantura series were built in Blackpool, UK, and were sold under the TVR brand. The only 3.4 m long sports cars had lattice frames made of steel tubes and bodies made of glass fiber reinforced plastic . They were powered by four-cylinder engines from BMC , Coventry Climax or Ford of Britain , which developed up to 98 bhp (73 kW). In addition, there were the externally identical Griffith 200 and 400 Ab models with US eight-cylinder engines from the Ford Windsor series . After TVR was taken over by Martin Lilley in November 1965 , some new models appeared, with which TVR turned away from the previous technology supplier BMC - later British Leyland - and turned to Ford of Britain for cost reasons . The Vixen with Ford technology, which was produced from 1967 and replaced the Grantura, appeared in four series until 1973; In addition, there were the special versions Vixen 2500 and Vixen 1300 with Triumph technology.

In 1971, TVR developed a new frame that became the basis of the M series. It went into series production in 1972. For a transitional period, the well-known Vixen bodies were placed on the new frames - this is how the Vixen S4 and the last 96 copies of the Vixen 2500 were created - before redesigned bodies were also available at the end of 1972. These models are grouped together as the TVR M series.

According to research by the British TVR Car Club, all variants taken together resulted in a total of around 2466 M-series vehicles. There are no clear information about the factories because large parts of the administrative and operational buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1975. The production of kits at TVR ends in the production time of the M series. Right from the start, the company offered its cars both as complete vehicles and as tax-privileged kits ( kit cars ). After the UK as a result of accession to the 1973 EEC the VAT ( Value Added Tax was introduced, VAT), the tax benefit was accounted for kit cars. From 1973 TVR only sold its models as complete vehicles.

In the second half of the 1970s it became apparent that the M-series, which used numerous technical components from Triumph and Ford, was obsolete. After production of the Triumph TR6 and Ford Consul Mark II parts dispensers had been discontinued, it was to be expected that TVR would no longer receive enough components in the medium term. In addition, stricter safety regulations came into force at this time, which would have required a revision of the M series. Martin Lilley therefore decided to develop a completely new car. The Tasmin , from which a whole model family known as TVR Wedges would develop over the years , replaced the M series at the end of 1980. The Peter Wheeler era began at TVR with the wedges .

Common design features

The M-Series continues the concept of the previous Grantura and Vixen models: like these, it combines a lightweight plastic body with a tubular frame and reliable engines from large-scale manufacturers.

technology

Engine compartment with Ford Essex V6 and front-mounted spare wheel

The chassis of the M series is a new design. Apart from the same wheelbase, it did not adopt any elements of its predecessor, which John Thurner had designed and which was first used in the Grantura Mark III in 1962. The M-chassis was designed by Mike Bigland, a TVR dealer in the English Midlands . Bigland had already stiffened the frames of some Tuscan V8s on behalf of customers since 1969 and now adopted the design features developed there for the chassis of the M series. The objective was to increase the strength of the chassis and at the same time to achieve the greatest possible flexibility with regard to the engines, gears and differentials to be installed. While Thurner's chassis consisted exclusively of tubes with a round or oval cross-section, Bigland used both round and square tubes of different thicknesses for the M series. In addition, reinforcement plates were added in some places. The chassis of the M-series was heavier than John Thurner's construction and could be produced more easily and cheaply. The position of the spare wheel, which was housed in front of the engine, was new. All the wheels were individually suspended from double wishbones of unequal length , plus coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers; two shock absorbers were provided at the rear.

Numerous technical components were purchased. The steering came from the British Leyland subsidiary Alford & Alder , the brakes and the differential from Girling and were also used in the Triumph TR6 . In the more powerful 3000M Turbo, the differential came differently from Salisbury.

body

"Greenhouse": rear panoramic window on all Coupés of the M series (here: 2500M)

All models in the M series have largely the same bodies. In terms of style, the coupés tie in with the bodies of the Vixen series. Another characteristic feature is the large rear panoramic window , which is why the rear section is also called a greenhouse in English-speaking countries . As with the previous models, the M-series coupés also lack a trunk lid. It was not until the Taimar, introduced in 1976, that the rear window could be opened. The doors of the M series are longer than those of the Vixen and allow easier entry. The front and rear overhangs are also longer. The design of the front section picks up on a draft that was first seen in individual wide-body specimens of the Tuscan V8 in 1971. The side vents in the front fenders, the trim of which comes from the Ford Zodiac Mark IV like on the Vixen , could be seen on all vehicles produced up to 1975; it was omitted in the younger models. The taillights came after TVR had used up the stock of taillights of the Ford Cortina in the first models of the M series , mostly from the Triumph TR6 , later they were supplier parts from Lucas , which can also be found in the Aston Martin V8 or the Reliant Scimitar . In 1976 the chrome-plated bumpers were replaced by black plastic bumpers.

The individual coupés

2500M

TVR 2500M

The first model in the M series was the 2500M . Production began in March 1972. It was the successor to the Vixen 2500. Like this one, the 2500M was primarily intended for the North American market. It was still available with the 2498 cc in-line six-cylinder engine from the Triumph TR6 in the exhaust-gas-cleaned version, which had two Stromberg carburettors instead of the Lucas petrol injection system offered in Europe . As in the Vixen 2500, the engine delivered around 106 bhp (79 kW) at 4950 rpm. It was mated to a Triumph four-speed manual gearbox that was equipped with an overdrive . In any case, the driving performance was perceived as disappointing in Europe: The top speed of 165 km / h was still below that of the smaller, but lighter 1600M, and values ​​of 8.9 seconds or 8.9 seconds for the acceleration from 9 to 96 km / h, depending on the source 9.3 seconds indicated.

Production of the 2500M ended in August 1977 after Triumph had discontinued the large TR6 and 2500 models and production of the inline six-cylinder engine had come to an end. The TVR 2500M was the most successful single model in the M series. A total of 947 vehicles were built from 1972 to 1977. With a few exceptions, they went to the USA.

1600M

TVR 1600M (1972)

Shortly after the 2500M, the most weakly motorized variant of the M series appeared with the 1600M. The 1600M replaced the Vixen S4. TVR took over the four-cylinder in-line engine from the Ford-Kent series, which was also used there, with a displacement of 1599 cm³, which produced 85 bhp (63 kW) at 5500 revolutions per minute. The engine was coupled with a four-speed gearbox from the first Ford Escort . The 1600M reached a top speed of 170 km / h and accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 10.4 seconds. The fuel consumption averaged 11.2 liters per 100 km. Externally, the 1600M differed from the more powerful models in that it had an exhaust system with one tailpipe, while the 2500M and 3000M had two tailpipes.

The TVR 1600M was manufactured in two tranches. TVR built a first series from June 1972 to April 1973. After that, the factory initially stopped manufacturing the smallest TVR Coupé because capacity was needed for the more powerful 2500M and 3000M models. With them, higher profits could be achieved than with the basic model. However, when the demand for inexpensive vehicles increased after the first oil crisis , TVR took the 1600M back into its range. The second batch of this model was produced between May 1975 and autumn 1976. The second series vehicles cost £ 2,896 in the fall of 1975. That was £ 260 below the TVR 3000M.

A total of 148 cars in this series were produced in both phases.

3000M

TVR 3000M (1974)

The most powerful variant of the M series until 1975 and the “mainstream model” of the brand was the 3000M, which took over the role of the Tuscan V6 . It was in the range throughout the production of the M-Series and was sold in the UK and Europe. An export to the USA was not an option because the engine did not meet the US emissions regulations.

Like the Tuscan V6, the 3000M was powered by the Ford Essex six-cylinder V-engine with 2994 cm³, which Ford used in the Capri, among others. TVR also obtained the four-speed gearbox for this version from Ford. Unlike the 2500M, no overdrive was available here. The Essex engine output was 136 bhp (101 kW) at 5000 rpm.

Two special versions were created on the basis of the 3000M:

  • In 1973 the high-quality version 3000ML was introduced, which included a dashboard paneled with wood and partially leather-covered seats.
  • On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the takeover by Martin Lilley, a small series was then published in 1976 with the name "Martin". The brown and gold painted cars were of high quality. They were numbered. Usually the scope of the series is given as ten vehicles; one source thinks it is possible that 12 cars were actually built.

From 1972 to 1979, including these special versions, 654 copies of the 3000M were built. In 1973 the car cost £ 2,464 in the UK and in 1975 the price was £ 3,265.

3000M turbo

In 1975 the most powerful model in the series, the 3000M Turbo , came out. In this version, the Ford Essex six-cylinder engine was turbocharged . The supercharged engine was a development by Broadspeed of Birmingham ; apart from TVR, it was also available for the Ford Capri and Granada models. The turbocharger came from Holset Engineering, a subsidiary of Cummins . Mixture preparation was done by two Weber carburettors . Numerous adjustments were necessary in the engine environment. The compression has been reduced from 8.9: 1 to 8.0: 1. In addition, the exhaust system and the differential were changed; the latter came from Salisbury on this model. In the turbo version, the engine made 230 bhp at 5500 revolutions per minute. The maximum speed of the 3000M Turbo was 233 km / h; the car needed 6.0 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 96 km / h. According to other sources, the acceleration value was 5.5 seconds.

The 3000M was produced from 1976 until the M-Series was discontinued in 1979. During this time 20 vehicles of the type 3000M were built. In addition, the turbo engine was also installed in the Taimar (30 units) and the Roadster 3000S (13 units) on request.

Taimar and Taimar Turbo

TVR Taimar

In 1976, the 3000M and 3000M Turbo station wagon coupés with a wide opening, glass tailgate were added to the side. The otherwise same vehicles were called Taimar and Taimar Turbo . They were around 20% more expensive than the corresponding M-series models. These vehicles were also built until 1979.

5000M

TVR 5000M

The TVR 5000M was the most powerful version of all M-series coupés. With it, the concept of the Griffith 200/400 and the TVR Tuscan V8 was revived: the combination of the regular TVR chassis with a large US eight-cylinder engine. The idea went back to the Canadian TVR importer John Wadman, who in 1975 equipped a 2500M with a 4988 cm³ (302 cubic inch) variant of the Ford Windsor eight-cylinder. Engines of this type had already been installed in the Griffith versions of the Grantura Coupé in the 1960s. Wadman changed the M-Series chassis in some areas in his workshop in Toronto and also modified the suspension. The car received a manual four-speed transmission from BorgWarner and a differential from the Chevrolet Corvette .

After Wadman had successfully shown the first converted car in Canada and the USA, a small series of eight to ten vehicles was created, which were named 5000M with a view to the displacement of the engine. TVR delivered five brand new M-series coupes without engine and transmission to Canada; Wadman then installed the eight-cylinder engines and the Ford transmission in Canada. At least three more 5000Ms were built by converting cars that had originally left the TVR factory in Blackpool as the 3000M (with a Ford Essex six-cylinder). In 1978 TVR in Great Britain built one or more 5000Ms based on Wadman's design. Some sources report that from 1980 onwards, six Taimar coupés were also retrofitted with Ford Windsor eight-cylinders. Over the years, further renovations were made on private initiative. In 2009, the former TVR owner Peter Wheeler had a 5000M replica built by John Wadman.

There is disagreement in the brand scene over the question of whether the 5000M should be counted among the real TVR models or should be viewed as factory-supported conversions.

The Roadster 3000S

TVR 3000S (1979)

In 1978, TVR added a two-seater roadster to the M series, which at that time consisted of the 3000M and Taimar. The car was technically largely the same as the 3000M: It uses the Ford Essex six-cylinder with 3.0 liters displacement, which, like the coupé, could be equipped with a turbocharger. The gearbox also comes from Ford, the suspension and the differential from the Triumph TR6. The chassis of the M series has been reinforced. The plastic body of the roadster corresponds to that of the closed model up to the windshield. The doors and the rear fenders, however, have been redesigned. In contrast to the coupé, the lines are curved. A special feature are the side panels, which were already out of date at that time. The 3000S was a big earner for TVR : 258 vehicles were built in two years, 13 of them with turbo engines.

Overview

model Construction period Engine type Displacement power power
1600M 1972-1973
1975-1977 		4-cylinder row 4-stroke 1599 cc 86 bhp 64 kW
2500M 1972-1977 6-cylinder in-line 4-stroke 2498 cc 106 bhp 79 kW
3000M 1972-1979 6-cylinder V 4-stroke 2994 cc 136-142 bhp 101-106 kW
3000M turbo 1975-1979 6-cylinder V 4-stroke 2994 cc 230 bhp 171 kW
Taimar 1976-1979 6-cylinder V 4-stroke 2994 cc 136-142 bhp 101-106 kW
Taimar Turbo 1976-1979 6-cylinder V 4-stroke 2994 cc 230 bhp 171 kW
5000M 1978 8-cylinder V 4-stroke 4942 cc 250 SAE PS 186 kW

Web links

Commons : TVR M-series  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

  • David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. Veloce Publishing plc., Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
  • Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era , The Crowood Press, Ramsburg 2015, ISBN 978-1847979971
  • John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., 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 978-1785003516

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mark Hughes: TVR Grantura, Griffith, Vixen & Tuscan . Classic & Sportscar, issue 1271989, p. 43.
  2. ↑ Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era , The Crowood Press, Ramsburg 2015, ISBN 978-1847979971 , p. 15.
  3. ^ John Tipler: TVR, Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 54.
  4. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 81.
  5. ↑ a b c History of the TVR M-Series on the UK TVR Car Club website (accessed April 30, 2019).
  6. ↑ Steve Hole: AZ of Kit Cars. The definite encyclopaedia of the UK's kit car industry since 1949 , Haynes Publishing, Sparkford 2012, ISBN 9781844256778 .
  7. ↑ a b Hartmut Lehbrink, Frank Oleski, in Hein Gericke (editor): Hundert Jahre Sportwagen , Verlag 100 Jahre Sportwagen, ISBN 9783938118009 , p. 303.
  8. ↑ a b c d e C.R .: The TVR 3000M Road Test . Motorsport Magazine, September 1973, p. 1066 ff.
  9. ↑ a b Rainer W. Schlegelmilch, Hartmut Lehbrink: Englische Sportwagen , Könemann, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8290-7449-2 , SS 394.
  10. ^ John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 78.
  11. ↑ a b Ralph Dodds: TVR. Cars Of The Peter Wheeler Era , The Crowood Press, Ramsburg 2015, ISBN 978-1847979971 , p. 16.
  12. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 115.
  13. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 116.
  14. ↑ a b c d C.R .: Driving the new TVR 1600M . Motorsport Magazine October 1975, pp. 1165-1167.
  15. ↑ Mark Hughes: TVR Grantura, Griffith, Vixen & Tuscan. Classic & Sportscar, issue 12/1989, p. 45.
  16. ^ John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 56.
  17. ^ A b John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 51.
  18. ^ A b c Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 121.
  19. ^ A b c d Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 109.
  20. ^ John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 54 f.
  21. ^ Rainer W. Schlegelmilch, Hartmut Lehbrink: Englische Sportwagen , Könemann, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8290-7449-2 , p. 395.
  22. ^ John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 54.
  23. ^ A b John Tipler: TVR , Sutton Publishing Ltd., Strout, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1766-0 , p. 69.
  24. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 127.
  25. ↑ History of the TVR M series on the website of the TVR Car Club Germany (accessed on May 7, 2019).
  26. ↑ a b c d e Norm Mort: Anglo-American Cars: From the 1930s to the 1970s , Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84584-233-8 , p. 77.
  27. ↑ Report on a TVR 5000M (1978) at Pistonheads.com (English)
  28. ↑ History of TVR 5000M on the website of the TVR Car Club Germany (accessed on 30 April 2019).
  29. ^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946−1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , pp. 131 ff.