TVR unveils the new Griffith

The eagerly anticipated TVR Griffith is back. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because this is the British carmaker’s third iteration of the Griffith since the early 1960s. The new version, which was introduced on Friday at the Goodwood Revival, takes car’s best features, modernizes them, and adds power.

“Today’s unveiling is the culmination of nearly three years of tireless work by the team, and we’re all proud to be able to show the new TVR Griffith to the world,” said TVR boss Les Edgar, who bought the company in 2013. “This is unmistakably a TVR, a British muscle car that’s as awesome and brutal as it is charismatic and refined. Importantly, the new TVR offers levels of technical sophistication, comfort, reliability and practicality never seen by the brand before.”

TVR went dormant in the mid-2000s under the ownership of Russian businessman Nikolay Smolenski. The new Griffith is the work of TVR Automotive Ltd, which bought the brand rights in 2013.

Brian Rabold, Hagerty Vice President of Valuation Services, said the curvaceous Griffith checks all the right boxes. “Throughout its history, TVR has always catered to drivers and excelled at delivering pure performance. This latest Griffith certainly seems a worthy namesake to the earlier models, which bodes well for future collectability.”

The carbon fibre-bodied, aerodynamic design features deep air intakes, generating high levels of downforce and cooling. Underneath is a chassis system formulated by McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray. The combination of carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel promises to be light, safe, and easy to manufacture. With the 5.0-liter Ford Mustang Coyote engine tuned by Cosworth to 500-horsepower, the 2,755-pounds Griffith can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. Top speed: 200 mph.

TVR’s first serial production car was the fastback Grantura in 1958, but the automaker is best known for the Griffith. The 1963–64 Griffith 200 and 1964–67 Griffith 400 were named for American tuner Jack Griffith, who came up with the idea to install a Ford V-8 engine into a TVR chassis for racing. Early Griffiths are easily the most desirable TVR production cars, with the 1965 Griffith 400 valued at $151,000 in No. 1 condition. The company later paid homage to the originals by producing the TVR Griffith in the early 1990s.

The new TVR Griffith, which includes full leather interior, custom alloy wheels, “Launch Edition” paint options, and a personalized infotainment system, will go into production in late 2018. Prices begin at £90,000, or nearly $120,000.