NOSTALGIA

TVR Tuscan // £15,000–£50,000 Power, noise, lots of man points Every corner a potential fireball

Chances are this is what you think of when you think of a TVR. Bulbous styling, a ‘vivid’ colour palette and a reputation for being happier to pirouette in the rain than Gene Kelly. The Tuscan was the backbone of Blackpool’s infamous fbreglass wonders in the early Noughties, spawning the Sagaris and T350C and remaining the fnal model standing when the company shut up shop in 2006.

Now Peter Wheeler’s brainchild has been reborn in the form of a new Gordon Murrayengineered Grifth, it might’ve reignited your desire for a slice of the lairy old days.

All Tuscans were powered by various versions of TVR’s Speed Six straight-six engine, displacing 3.6 litres in the entry-level version (still good for 350bhp) and 4.0 in most cars, with power outputs between 360 and 400bhp. In a canoebodied machine weighing just 1,100kg, it gave Porsche GT3 levels of performance. And thanks to the total omission of traction control, ABS, airbags or crumple zones, you were also commander of Seventies Le Mans-car levels of danger. If a Tuscan has dodgy panel ft or signs of rewelded spaceframe sections underneath, don’t presume it’s poor build quality from the factory. Disrespected Tuscans have been in more hedgerows than Kate Humble.

Although these are mechanically simple beasts, being UK sports cars, there are plenty of characterful, endearing, er, faws to watch out for. The chassis can be prone to corrosion if road salt is allowed to attack it (the powder coat fakes of with age and exhaust heat), and TVR’s brave ploy to build its own motor has given it a slightly unfair reputation as a timebomb. Make sure it’s allowed to warm thoroughly before using the revs. Thankfully, with a loyal enthusiast following, specialists can iron out gremlins and keep these modern classics bellowing their uniquely brutal sixcylinder thunder.

One we found... £29k: new interior and engine. What could go wrong?