[ TVR Tuscan V8 SWB ]
Diminutive it may have been, but the Tuscan V8 SWB packed a lot of muscle. The last of the Grantura-era hot TVRs, this car enjoyed a successful in-period competition career, but has now been rebuilt for the road
Words IVAN OSTROFF Photography TONY BAKER
I open the door and lower myself into the driver’s seat. The thick roll cage is unobtrusive, and the seat itself is comfortable but very low. I feel like a child peeping over the steering wheel, and with the door closed and the high transmission tunnel to my left, I am held snug.
The Hurst shifter is purposefully cranked back so the gearknob falls near my left hand as it drops off the aluminium-spoked and leather-bound steering wheel. The logo on the boss confirms I am in a Grantura by TVR of England. I secure the TRS full harness and survey the dashboard instruments – amps to the left, water and oil temperature, oil pressure, the all-important 8000rpm rev counter, and the 160mph speedometer. The aluminium panel below the main dash has clearly marked race warning lights and toggle switches. I twist the red main electric feed to the left, flick the ignition on and press the starter button.
A cruiser and a brusier: dual-purpose interior
The engine churns and the exhaust thunders as the 4.9-litre V8 explodes into life. The noise is the most unbelievable cacophony of sound, as the stadium-deep football clacker-clacking soprano erupts. As you might expect with a big, tuned V8 engine like this the clutch requires a hefty shove from a strong left leg. The accelerator pedal is far down on the right, whereas the brake pedal sits high when not in use, meaning any heel and toeing is out of the question. I expected the gearshift to be rather heavy and baulky but it’s not, and double de-clutching makes the change even smoother. The four-speed manual gearbox is lovely to use for normal road driving, which is now this car’s main purpose. But that hasn’t always been the case.
Pausing for moment, I have time to reflect on this particular TVR Tuscan V8 SWB. Sitting very low, it has a bold and aggressive appearance. The flared wheelarches only just cover the chunky eight-spoke replica Minilites wrapped in big Michelin tyres. From the front, elegant tiny quarter bumpers frame a simple radiator grille decorated with twin horizontal chrome strips. Above that are three GTO-like intake ducts, and a large bonnet bulge built to cover the choke tubes of the four huge gas-gulping, Weber 48IDA carburettors. On either side of that bulge are cooling louvres that work with the double chrome straked ducts on the wings to get all that hot air out of the engine bay. At the rear, a vast rear screen assures excellent visibility.
V8’s position in bay so far back – near 50/50 weight split aids handling
Chassis number 200/014 was the very last short-wheelbase Tuscan V8 built and has led a chequered life. It was first registered to Hillary van Gijs in 1967 with the number 3MKT, transferred from her Lotus Elan. At the time she was the girlfriend of then-TVR managing director Martin Lilley.
During her ownership, the car was stolen in London, recovered, and eventually returned to the factory. The engine and gearbox were removed and fitted into a long-wheelbase Tuscan that had been bought by van Gijs. Sold in 1968, this Tuscan’s focus then switched from road car to motorsport machine. New owner Tony Bancroft bought the engine from Roy Pierpoint’s 1965 BTCC championship-winning Ford Falcon for the Tuscan, now wearing the registration number VWF 917F.
Competition-spec engine has milder camshaft for road use
Bancroft hillclimbed the car remarkably successfully, winning 42 awards from 1968-1971. Crowned the Shell Leaders Hill Climb champion in that final year, Bancroft held records at Shelsey Walsh and eight other courses. His family didn’t want him to race, so he would compete under the pseudonym of ‘Spotty Smith’, and quite often become inebriated the night before an event, but still manage to come second or first in class!
In 1972 the Tuscan passed to drag racer Bill Marshall, who campaigned it at Santa Pod. In 1973, the race instructor Don Manley of Brighton bought the TVR, and in 1977 it changed hands again. Formula 5000 racer and restaurateur Phil Prince ran the Tuscan in sprint events. He held the British Automobile Racing Club’s (BARC) sprint record at Oulton Park, Blackpool, the Isle of Man and Elvington, where sadly, the engine blew up.
‘The mesmerising accelerative exhaust noise is thundering and utterly addictive’
‘Fastest road car in Europe’ as tested by Hot Car in Seventies
Hold on tight! Tuscan has ferocious pace
In 1982, the Tuscan was taken over by circuit racer Nicholas Crocker, but he didn’t keep the car for long before selling it on to Richard Scantlebury who raced it in the 1983 Modsports series. Scantlebury took pole position at the Silverstone Roadgoing Modified Sports event but suffered a puncture during the race.
Journalist and historic racer Gordon Bruce became the Tuscan’s seventh owner in March 1984, racing it in the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) Classic Sports Car Championship. Achieving several class A wins, Bruce finished the 1984 season a creditable second in class behind a Lotus 30. In 1985, even more victories followed. The car’s current owner Nick Godridge bought the Tuscan with the aim of it being enjoyed as an extremely high-performance road car once more.
Race TRS harnesses try to offer some reassurance…
‘I like V8s. I also have a Morgan Plus 8 and an AC Cobra. I wanted another toy and scanning through Motoring News one day, I spotted this car. It was advertised by Tony Bancroft, as the ex-Spotty Smith Hillclimb Champion car with a great list of first place racing results. At the time it had a Mathwall-built engine, but when I called the vendor, I had missed it by a week.’
Nick went looking for something similar and bought a Griffith from Maurice Gates. ‘I zoomed around in that for a couple of years and then bought Gates’s other Griffith, which had a full-race Holman and Moody-built engine. When I sold it, I immediately regretted it. In the meantime, sometime between buying the two Griffiths, I got wind of Gordon Bruce putting up this Tuscan for sale, so that time I grabbed it.’
BorgWarner T10B racing gearbox is strengthened
‘The car was in a pretty sorry state because it had been stored in a barn for some time after Gordon Bruce had stopped racing, but I knew that it had been reputed to be the fastest road car in Europe when tested by Hot Car magazine in the Seventies. I bought it in February 1989, but at that time the car was without its period correct engine or differential because the V8 was being refreshed by Competition Engine Services Ltd of Aylesbury which had originally built the motor for Bruce.
‘There was also no gearbox with the car, even though the deal was that one would be included, but it unfortunately never materialised. However, I managed to find a correct BorgWarner T10B unit, which is actually a strengthened racing gearbox. It has a set of GM nickel alloy internal gears, and the change is very good. The ratios also suit the car very well.
Big power for a very small car – V8 has 290bhp
‘The Salisbury limited slip differential was also missing, but I found one advertised. When I took it to a gearbox specialist to have it checked over, I’d been done. It was not a limited slip at all, but fortunately, it was able to be rebuilt as one.’ A full body-off, cosmetic and mechanical rebuild was also undertaken, with new suspension, fuel and brake lines, and wiring harness.
Out on the road, the steering is heavy at low speeds, hardly surprising considering the size of the front Michelin 18/60 R15 tyres. Trundling around the countryside, if I maintain a reasonable speed, the steering lightens up, and the Triumph rack feels accurate and taut. With its current gearing and limit of 7000rpm, the car tops out at 140mph, but its acceleration in the lower gears is mind-blowing. The competition-spec small-block engine was rebuilt by Greg Margetts and is slightly detuned with a milder camshaft so that it’s suitable for road use. But even with these restrictions, the eight-cylinder engine is producing 290bhp and 300lb ft of torque, all at the rear wheels.
Despite 18/60 front tyres, TVR is a good communicator
With my foot planted on the throttle, the car feels immensely stable as I am shoved back hard against my seat through all three lower gears. There is the most amazing flow of power and torque from the 302ci V8 – 0-60mph, achievable in first gear, takes just 4.2 seconds. I yank the shifter back into second, keep the throttle floored, and as the rear wheels spin, the car streaks past 100mph in just under 11 seconds. I grab the lever again and shove it across the gate into third. The car still pulls hard, almost screaming for more. This engine loves to rev, and the way the tachometer needle spins up is just astonishing. If the grip were any more forceful, I think the earth would flip into reverse.
Though this engine is tuned, you don’t need to use buckets of throttle all the time. You can slip it back into top, and unless you drop below 20mph, you can keep it there all day long. It’s perhaps not the best way to drive it, but this is one tolerant engine. I back off and force myself to concentrate on the handling. With a wheel perfectly placed at each corner, the Tuscan V8 SWB has such incredible grip. Some cars feel they always want to slide, but not so here. It’s a challenge to get the rear end to breakaway on all but the trickiest of corners, but once it does go, it can be a considerable embarrassment.
Roll cage and console switches point to competition past
Though there is a lot of rubber up front, the Triumph Spitfire rack telegraphs detailed messages back to your hands, and the merest input is rewarded by an immediate response. Going through a corner quicker than I intended, I am fearful of backing off at the wrong time and the car driving straight on. But even though the heavy Ford ‘Windsor’ V8 is up front, it’s mounted so well back in the frame, so the Tuscan enjoys an almost 50/50 weight split. This alleviates my fears, and although there is little sensation of leaning in on a front wheel as I accelerate out of corners, the car feels completely planted.
Even on a slightly damp surface, when you flick the wheel to provoke a tail yaw, a small slide results in no winding on and off, just a mild snap and the car returns to its chosen line. On fast corners or a tight hairpin, the Michelins provide excellent grip. On one fast left hander, the car hits a bump and skitters sideways for a split second, but does not change its direction, gathering itself together without incident. There is no breakaway without warning, but you can sense through the seat of your pants that there could come a point where the TVR will do its own thing and bite hard if you fail to respect the immense power on tap. The rear independent suspension with its twin coil-over dampers works well, but I can imagine the earliest cars with leaf springs and a live axle may be a handful.
Catch it if you can… Clues to TVR’s race career
Nick warned me that the brakes would require a hearty shove, but once they are warmed up, they work well. On the road, the combination of the AP Racing front discs and Alfin rear drums is responsive. And while the Tuscan is an extremely powerful car, it is also very manageable in slower traffic, and the mesmerising, accelerative noise from the exhaust is utterly addictive.
Ever since its inception in 1947 – originally named Trevcar Motors by its founder Trevor Wilkinson – series-built TVRs have followed the basic concept of a front engine mated to rear-wheel drive, with a GRP body mounted on a steel tubular chassis. A good power-to-weight ratio has also been key.
Current owner Nick Godridge (left) is a V8 fan
Wilkinson departed in 1962, and in November 1965 Arthur Lilley and his son Martin took over, renaming the company TVR Engineering. Responsible for the key Grantura/Griffithderived Vixen and Tuscan models, the pair also introduced the Broadspeed turbocharged versions of the 3000M – the UK’s first production turbocharged car – as well as the Taimar and 3000S convertible derivatives. The angular Oliver Winterbottom-styled Tasmin arrived in 1980 and soon became a mainstay but by 1981 the Lilley reign had finished, when chemical engineer and TVR Taimar Turbo owner Peter Wheeler took over.
The longer I spend with this historic Tuscan, the better it gets, and the more at ease I feel. I realise that, despite its appearance and previous part-competition focus, it really is a friendly car to drive. Its dual personality is beguiling, and whether on racetracks or the road, this TVR feels like a winner.
Diminutive, but Tuscan is a true giant-killer
1967 TVR Tuscan V8 SWB
Engine 4942cc Ford V8
Power and torque 290bhp @6000rpm; 300lb ft @3800rpm
Transmission BorgWarner T10, four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, limited slip differential
Steering Rack and pinion
Suspension Independent all round: fully adjustable double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers
Brakes Front: AP racing discs. Rear: Alfin finned drums
Performance Top speed: 143-160mph (depending on axle ratio); 0-60mph: 4.2sec
Weight 1030kg (2270lb)
Cost new £1797 (TVR Tuscan V8)/£2364 (TVR Tuscan V8 SE)
Current value £70,000-£90,000
OWNING A TUSCAN V8
‘A protracted 10-year body off restoration followed the gearbox and limited slip differential fitment,’ says Nick Godridge. ‘The chassis wasn’t too bad, and I wanted to keep the car as original as possible, so I had it restored rather than replaced by Richard Thorne at RT Racing. Eventually I got a running car back which I then had trimmed before fitting the original front windscreen. I also fitted a new rear screen because the old one had a split.
‘Early in 2020 I was finally able to drive the car and the sense of satisfaction after such a long time was terrific, even though the Weber 48IDA carbs were not tuned correctly. I took the car to Steve Stanton Motorsport near Hungerford, who finally sorted it. It is tractable and quite easy to drive, feeling similar to a quick Griffith, but more like a factory-built motor car, even though both cars share the same chassis. The steering is good, the suspension is reasonably compliant, the V8 engine is beautifully torquey, and the gear ratios really do suit the car.
‘It is relatively easy to maintain, but the front suspension needs regular attention with a grease gun to keep the Triumph trunnions lubricated. Once set up properly, a Tuscan V8 needs nothing more than regular oil and filter changes, and a constant eye on the coolant level, particularly as it can overheat in traffic. However, this car does have a big radiator and a good electric fan which helps.’
CLIMBING TO THE TOP
Eyes on the prize: Tuscan successful on both hills and circuits
During its motorsport career, TVR Tuscan chassis 200/014 has been a multiple class winner in hillclimb and circuit events.
Owner: Tony Bancroft
1969 15 hillclimb series events, winner of 7 awards.
1970 21 hillclimb series events, winner of 15 awards.
1971 23 hillclimb series events, winner of 20 awards including Shell RAC British Leaders Hillclimb Championship. Multiple hillclimb records.
Owner: Phil Prince
1977 British Automobile Racing Club sprint records at Blackpool, Elvington and Oulton Park.
Owner: Gordon Bruce
1984 HSCC Sportscar Championship, class A wins at Donington and Snetterton.
1985 HSCC Sportscar Championship, class A win at Silverstone, class victory at Wiscombe Park hillclimb. Second place in HSCC Sportscar Championship Class A for two consecutive years.
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