TVR shutting with the loss of 260 jobs, and production moving to the continent according to the news today.

I guess that means that Britain's last major kit car manufacturer is gone.

Ridgeracer - how's that going to be for business, must be a bonus for you if the dealer networks reduce or collapse?

You will be suprised at the number of smaller car manufacturers left in the UK. There are quite a few. Not big ones though.

It's a shame of course, but the writing has been on the wall for years really. It's difficult to keep the interest of serious drivers while you produce cars that nobody in their right mind would buy unless they had another couple of reliable cars and the infinite patience of Jobe.

Lotus showed the way for usable volume on a small scale, and Noble showed how for keeping costs down while producing cars that worked.

What did TVR do? It produced ever more exotic looking vehicles in smaller and smaller numbers, and still couldn't see why they had to go around corners without having to get sideways all the time. 99% of people who spend big money on sports cars want something modern that works, whereas TVR's only made sense on a bedroom wall poster or a track with a support crew.

It does show how smart Peter Wheeler is though - keeping it going for years with the same glue and string that held the cars together and then selling it all to a Russian rich kid with more money than sense.

TVR shutting with the loss of 260 jobs, and production moving to the continent according to the news today.

I guess that means that Britain's last major kit car manufacturer is gone.

Ridgeracer - how's that going to be for business, must be a bonus for you if the dealer networks reduce or collapse?

Kit car indeed go wash your mouth out with soap Barty. the sad thing is that the intention of moving to the continent is a smoke screen. TVR is dead for now but it will be back of that you can be sure.

Noble'S are built abroad though. Theres only the engines built in the UK.

Noble'S are built abroad though. Theres only the engines built in the UK.
Really? What engine is in the Noble - a home-built one???

It's a Mondeo engine which has been tinkered with a little. The engines are shipped to a tuning place in Chesterfield called John Noble's (no connection to the name) where they do some magic and make a Mondeo engine go good.

It's a Mondeo engine which has been tinkered with a little. The engines are shipped to a tuning place in Chesterfield called John Noble's (no connection to the name) where they do some magic and make a Mondeo engine go good.

Interesting. I came across that name the otherday when I was looking at what rolling road facilities locally and wondered if there was a connection.

London Taxis International is the biggest manufacturer I believe. So if you want a British car buy a taxi :D

It's a Mondeo engine which has been tinkered with a little. The engines are shipped to a tuning place in Chesterfield called John Noble's (no connection to the name) where they do some magic and make a Mondeo engine go good.I thought John Noble had packed in years ago - his was the first rollng road I ever used, about 22 years ago.

I thought John Noble had packed in years ago - his was the first rollng road I ever used, about 22 years ago.

John Noble used to be on the industrial estate at New Whittington, had my Turbo Metro tuned there numerous times in the mid 90's and even by John Noble himself on one ocassion, they also did lots with the Caterham 7's and im sure they used to race them also.

Eventually I stopped going to John Nobles because as they got younger staff onboard, they became less familar with the Turbo Metro, as its not the run of the mill fuel injected and you cant connect a diagnostic computer to it either, so to some extent they were stumped by it which resulted in an expensive bill and no further conclusion.

TVR shutting with the loss of 260 jobs, and production moving to the continent according to the news today.

It is unlikely this will happen. And if it does, it will be the end of TVR. People don't buy TVRs because they are good cars, they buy them because they are quirky cars from Blackpool.

Eventually I stopped going to John Nobles because as they got younger staff onboard, they became less familar with the Turbo Metro, as its not the run of the mill fuel injected and you cant connect a diagnostic computer to it either, so to some extent they were stumped by it which resulted in an expensive bill and no further conclusion.

and I was just going to ask if they were good with SU Carbs, obviously not.

Well they're still going, off Chatsworth Road. I've had little bits on the TVR done there and had good service. There always seems to be a good selection of old and new performance stuff outside, including classics, so they may do SU carbs?

It is unlikely this will happen. And if it does, it will be the end of TVR. People don't buy TVRs because they are good cars, they buy them because they are quirky cars from Blackpool.

People buy TVRs because they blooming fast for the money, are great looking (subjective opinion) and have great interiors, with the added bonus that they were British built.

'Interesting' handling puts some people off buying, but not others (it does put you off going round corners as hard though,,) but the real one has always been the build quality (both real and preceived lack of). If the cars were as well put together as even Nobles, people wouldn't mind large portions being assembled outside Britain.
The last I read on Pistonheads was deals being done with Bertone in Italy.