This is a precious classic TVR that you can't miss.

*This is a translation done by a machine.

TVR started anew in 2013, developing a new Griffith, the third generation of the It was announced in 2017, but deliveries haven't started yet. However, the car itself seems to be quite advanced in development, with a prototype with a license plate The video of the scene in the city of the Cosworth's tuned-up 5-liter V8 was released, and Cosworth's tuned-up 5-liter V8 You can hear the unit's pleasing sound. It has a 1.2 ton body and 486 ps rear wheel drive. I have high expectations that it will become a car like TVR.

Light chassis, big power and FR...that's what the TVR is all about, but it's not been that way since the beginning. Founder Trevor Wilkinson's first car was more of a It was a car that should have fallen into the category of light-weight sports car. The first Griffith was a model that packed a 4.7-liter V8 unit into its body, and that was the first generation Griffith. It is the source of the current image of TVR.

In the early days of TVR engineering, which began with one-off production and only produced models in extremely small quantities, it was in 1958 that the company introduced a car that could be called a production model. The name is Grantura. It had a tubular frame and FRP body, with a long nose and short deck. The basic origins of the models of the late Peter Wheeler era, such as the Sagaris and T350, are It was inherited until production ended in 2006, but It was completed at this time.

The Grantura can be roughly divided into four generations, but the suspension of the 1958-1960 Mk1 and 1960-1961 Mk2 was based on parts from the Volkswagen Beetle with trailing arms that showed a very agile maneuverability due to the extremely short wheelbase in terms of to tread ratio.

The engines of the Mk1 era were prepared the 1.1 liters and 1.2 liters of the Coventry Climax and , a Ford 100E and a 1.5 litre BMC B-Type, and in the Mk2 era, the Coventry Climax 1.2 liters and the Ford Kent The 105E's 1 liters and 109E's 1.4 liters and the BMC B-type's 1.5 liters and 1.6 liters.

Then in 1962, the Grantura evolved into the Mk3. The front grille was mounted a little higher, the trims were changed, and the facelift was also received. But the biggest change is the extension of the wheelbase by 50mm and the new suspension The design would have been changed to a double wishbone to improve the handling. Still, it seems to have been much more agile and responsive than the average car. The basic engines are the 1.6 and 1.8 liter BMC B-type engines, but the earlier I could have opted for a Ford or Coventry Climax.

By 1964, the rear of the boat would be tweaked this time. From the previous style of dropping the center of the rear end into the center of the rear and having gentle fins on either side. It's been changed to a square-back shape that we can call a camtail, and the Ford Cortina's signature The tail lights have been mounted. The rear-view impression has changed drastically, partly because the rear glass that goes around to the side has been made larger. The model was named the 1800S. The engine is only 1.8 liters of BMC B type.

In 1965, production of Grantura was discontinued. However, when the management changed from Trevor Wilkinson to Martin Lilley, The 1800S was suddenly revived as the Mk4 in 1966. It differed from the 1800S in that it had slightly more substantial trim and a larger capacity fuel tank. In 1967, the engine was replaced by a Ford Kent unit 1.6 litre and the car was named It was made until it was changed to Vixen.

I'm going to introduce you to that Mk4. TVR is a brand with surprisingly little documentation left over, so it is a mixed guess, but the same BMC B-type engine as the MG B is described in the owner's manual as a 98 bhp (=99.4 hp) at 5400 rpm and 110 Ib.ft (=15.2 kgm) Since it is marked as 3000 rpm, it is safe to assume that the engine was diverted almost directly. However, the vehicle weight on the vehicle inspection certificate is only 840 kg and the total weight is 950 kg. It's easy to predict that you will be able to enjoy enough performance as a lightweight sports car.

By the way, the number of production is said to be about 100 for the Mk1, about 400 for the Mk2, and about 300 for the Mk3, 1800S, and Mk4, and it is estimated that 78 for the Mk4. How many of those Grantura's are still in existence? There are only a few in Japan, but other than this one, the Mk4 has not been confirmed at the TVR meeting. In any case, it can be said to be a very precious one.


Tomoyuki Shimada's Highlights!

This individual was found by the current owner on a British TVR website and personally imported to Japan in 2004. It was imported by a private individual. Therefore, in Japan, This car is a one-owner, but in the UK, the former owner has been doing the restoration to reassemble the space frame, and there are a lot of pictures of the work. Almost all of the records of maintenance since came to Japan are still in existence.

Once the car arrived in Japan, the hardest part was the heat management. Through trial and error with skilled mechanics, called specialists in these cars, we were able to find the usual electric in addition to the conventional electric fan, a forced electric fan and a heat shield plate are installed, and the fuel pump is moved from the engine room to the rear, it can now be run in the summer as a matter of course.

Also, very little air gets into and out of the car's cabin, and the smell from the engine compartment. So he drilled a less obvious mesh hole in the rear luggage area. And in the lower right hand corner of the dashboard is a plate for mounting the forced fan and other switches. The key cylinder has a structural flaw in the key cylinder that can cause the whole stay to go around and break the cord inside. Therefore, the starter button is also newly installed on the same plate.

The installation of high-mounted stop lights as a safety measure and the addition of a diffuser to reduce agility, albeit not as agile as on the Mk1 or Mk2, is unusual, but it's a testament to the mechanics' taste that such a part has been installed in a very natural and discreet way.

This is how the Grantura is ready to run normally, but the current owner has little time to ride it and just kept it in garage storage. Even so, he does not miss regular maintenance, and now he runs almost no trains other than out of service for maintenance and car inspection. The numbers aren't clear because the odometer isn't reliable at all, but the current owner estimates that he's driven at most 10,000 km, probably 5000 km.

I can tell you that the car is in pretty beautiful condition, just because it's in a covered garage. There are some fine cracks in the paint that can only be seen in the FRP body, and the right side of the You can also find very small paint flakes on the front and rear fenders, but it's a desperate attempt to find the rough spots. The result of this is the result of doing so. Overall, I think it's a pretty good one.

The only noticeable parts are the cracks on the right inner fender that you can see when you open the engine hood and the scratches on the right inner door caused by the interference of the window regulator. All of these parts can be taken care of if you want to keep the car in competition conditions. There are some paint peeling off because of the interference between the door and the receiving end, but the original body and door are still in good condition. This is the condition of the restorations, so considering the nature of the structure and materials, it's inevitable You might say.

All four tires are almost new, and they haven't run 100 km since they were replaced. The wheels are 14-inch with 8 spokes, but the original 15-inch spokes He has a complete set of 5 wheels, including spares. He is said that a spinner will be added.

Notably, there is an owner's manual from that time. Of course, they will put together the photos of the times of restoration and the records after coming to Japan.

According to the owner, this car the best condition since it came to Japan, and it's been driving out of the house as a matter of course. This is a very rare classic TVR, and it's a Mk4 that's probably the only one in Japan. The condition is pretty good. If you miss this chance, you may never meet again.

Vehicle Specifications

Model Year1967
Year of Purchase2004
Engine Capacity1,798cc
Mileage
Transmission4MT
Steering WheelRight
ColorRed
Chassis No.10005
Engine No.67253
InspectionJuly 2021
AreaTokyo, Japan
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