TVR M Series
Encyclopedia
The TVR M Series is a series of sports car
s built by automaker TVR
between 1972 and 1979. The series replaced the outgoing TVR Vixen
and Tuscan
models, and is characterized by a common chassis
and shared body style. As with other TVR models before and since, the M Series cars used a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and body-on-frame
construction. The bodies themselves were built from glass-reinforced plastic
(GRP). The era of the M Series is commonly associated with Martin Lilley, who, together with his father, took ownership of the company on November 30, 1965.
The M Series was regarded by contemporary reviewers as being loud and fast, and having excellent roadholding. This came at the expense of unusual ergonomics, and heating and ventilation systems that were sometimes problematic.
The series includes the 1600M, 2500M, 3000M, 3000S, and Taimar, as well as turbocharged
versions of the 3000M, 3000S, and Taimar. A small number of 5.0L Ford
V8
-powered cars were finished or converted by the TVR North America importer; these were sold as the 5000M. A total of 2,465 M Series cars were built over the nine years of production. Because of the hand-built and low-volume nature of TVR production, there are many small and often-undocumented variations between cars of the same model that arise due to component availability and minor changes in the build process.
for the M Series cars was designed by automotive engineer and dealer Mike Bigland in 1971. Bigland had been hired by Lilley after demonstrating a number of suspension and steering improvements he had made to a 1967 TVR Tuscan SE owned by one John Burton. The chassis Bigland designed was of a central-backbone layout with perimeter tubes. Both round- and square-section 14-gauge and 16-gauge steel tube
was used in the construction, with the square sections used to allow easier joining of the frame to the body. To facilitate production of the new chassis, Lilley upgraded TVR's workshop with fixtures
that allowed two welders
to produce five units per week.
Unusual at the time, TVR offered a five-year guarantee against corrosion on the M Series chassis. Corrosion was prevented by leaving a film of oil from the manufacturing process on the metal, capping the ends of the tubes, and fastening components without driving fasteners through the tube walls.
The radiator selected for the M Series was shallow enough to allow locating the spare wheel in front of the engine; this improved luggage space behind the seats (where the spare wheel had been stored on pre-M-Series models) and also offered some additional crash protection for occupants. An M Series car was sent to the Motor Industry Research Association
in 1971 for crash testing, and it was the only vehicle that remained steerable after a 30 mi/h front-end collision with a concrete wall.
The car's suspension was via double wishbones
and coil springs front and rear. Although the wishbones and aluminum hub carriers were an original TVR design, many components on the cars were sourced from other manufacturers (such as the Triumph TR6
brake
assemblies). Steering on all cars was via rack-and-pinion
.
Because of production overlap between the M Series cars and earlier models, some earlier models were built with the pre-M bodywork over an M Series chassis. This includes the last series of the TVR 2500 (comprising ninety-six cars; not to be confused with the 2500M), all twenty-three Vixen S4s, and the final six TVR 1300s (which used the Triumph Spitfire
1296 cc engine.)
, and three coats of nitrocellulose
lacquer
paint. Partway through M Series production, the paint shop changed to a two-pack acrylic paint process.
Bigland styled the car's bonnet while Lilley styled the rear with the help of Joe Mleczek, who had been with the company since 1959 and who had experience in working GRP. Lilley also designed the interior and trim. Initially, all three of the 1600M, 2500M, and 3000M featured vents on the bonnet and front wings. By 1975, the 1600M and 3000M were being built without the vents but they were retained on the 2500M due to its tendency to run hot.
Many components were sourced from Ford models, including the Consul
windscreen that was used on all M Series variants apart from the 3000S. Multiple styles of alloy wheels were offered on the cars over the course of production, including a design by Wolfrace and TVR's own "T-slot". Chrome-plated
steel bumpers, adapted from those used on the Triumph 2000
, were used until around 1976, at which point they were replaced with black foam rubber
bumpers.
The corduroy
-covered seats used in the M Series were finished by Callow & Maddox Ltd., a car trimming and upholstering
company then located in Exhall
, Coventry
. The foam padding used in the seats has a tendency to crumble and disintegrate, which prompts some owners to find suitable replacement seats. Most aftermarket seats will not fit in the glassfiber tub; only unusually low and narrow seats (such as those from the 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero
) can accommodate the car's bodyshell. During M Series production, TVR was dealing with more than two hundred external suppliers, and stored approximately three months' worth of components to reduce sensitivity to outside production variation.
After production of the M Series ended, TVR sold the production rights and tooling for many M Series components (including GRP bodies) to David Gerald TVR Sportscars Ltd.
GT. The 1600M was discontinued in 1973, only to be revived for the 1975 model year to meet increased demand for fuel-efficient vehicles in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis
. In October 1972, it cost £
1980. A total of 148 were built by the time production finally ended in 1977.
was always an important market for TVR, the 2500M used the 2.5L straight-six engine from the Triumph TR6 due to that engine being ready for US emissions certification. Also borrowed from the TR6 were its gearbox, differential, and front suspension uprights.
The 2500M was only offered in the UK home market until 1973, after which point it was no longer sold there due to the availability of the 3000M, which featured significantly better performance. Later, with the introduction of the TR7
, Triumph stopped production of the 2.5L TR6 engine, and TVR discontinued the 2500M completely when supplies of the engine were exhausted in 1977.
In October 1972, the 2500M cost £2151. Between 1972 and 1977, 947 2500Ms were sold.
and cost £2278 in October 1972. Produced for only one year between 1973 and 1974, the 3000ML was a special luxury version of the 3000M that included a wooden fascia, leather trim, Wilton carpets, sunroof, and high-backed seats of a style different than that found in the standard cars. A total of 654 naturally aspirated 3000Ms were built.
The first major alteration to the M Series body was the hatchback
Taimar, introduced at the October 1976 London Motor Show and using the same mechanicals as the 3000M. The name was supposedly created from "Tailgate Martin". The opening hatchback alleviated the previous difficulty of maneuvering luggage over the seats to stow it in the cargo area, and the hatch itself was opened electrically via a solenoid
-actuated latch triggered by a button on the driver's door jamb. Over its three-year production, a total of 395 normally aspirated Taimars were built.
The final body style for the M Series, an open roadster, arrived in 1978 as the TVR 3000S (marketed in some places as the "Convertible", and referred to at least once as the "Taimar Roadster".) Like the Taimar, the 3000S was mechanically identical to the 3000M; the body, however, had undergone significant changes. Only the nose of the car was the same as the previous coupes, as the windscreen, doors, and rear end had all been reworked. The windscreen and convertible top had been adapted from those used on the Jensen-Healey
roadster, and the doors were cut down to better replicate a classic open-motoring experience. The redesign of the doors precluded the possibility of using wind-up windows, so sliding sidecurtains were instead fitted. These could be removed entirely and stowed in the trunk, which, for the first time on a TVR, was a separate compartment with its own lid. The trunk lid was operated electrically in a manner similar to the Taimar's hatch. The styling of the 3000S was revived in a somewhat modernized form later, with the 1987 introduction of the TVR S Series
(although the S Series shared almost no components with the M Series cars.)
One of the minor undocumented variations found on M Series cars is the presence of a map light built into the upper windscreen surround of the 3000S. It appears to have been included only on a very small number of cars built near the end of the production run.
When production of the 3000S ended (with 258 cars built), it cost £8,730. Reportedly, 67 of these cars were in a left-hand drive configuration, and 49 were exported to North America
.
In 1977, aware that supplies of the US-emissions-certified Triumph 2.5L engine would soon be exhausted, TVR had contracted Californian company Olson Engineering, Inc. to design modifications to the Essex V6 such that it could be EPA
-certified. They were successful in this regard, and Essex-engined M Series cars were imported the following year. An owner's handbook supplement for US Federal models indicates that the emissions control system used a catalytic converter
, exhaust gas recirculation
, and secondary air injection.
In 1980, twenty-five 3000Ss were impounded by the United States government because a new US importer had declared them emissions-compliant without the Olson Engineering emissions kit actually having been fit. This was not discovered until the cars were moved to dealers, ready to be sold, and one customer reported the violation to the government. The cars were eventually re-exported to the UK, but the short-term financial impact of the twenty-five unsalable cars (worth £287,500 in total) was damaging to the development of the M Series replacement, the Tasmin.
, to develop a turbocharging system for the Essex engine. The resultant 3000M Turbo prototype was unveiled at the 1975 British International Motor Show
at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
, and subsequently went into production. In lieu of fuel injection
, a carburettor was run inside a pressurized box atop the engine, and the turbocharger itself was mounted low and forward in the engine compartment, requiring the exhaust manifolds to exit forward. The compression ratio was lowered to reduce the engine's internal stresses. The turbocharged cars were fitted with Koni dampers and wider tires than on the naturally aspirated model. Ultimately, TVR also produced small numbers of the Taimar Turbo and 3000S Turbo.
Among all the Turbo cars, four were built with the "Special Equipment" (SE) specification, which included a leather interior, flared wheel arches, large Compomotive split-rim alloy wheels, and a limited-slip differential. Of these four cars, three were Taimar Turbo SEs and one was a 3000S Turbo SE. The single 3000S Turbo SE was used by Martin Lilley as his personal transport until he sold it on.
The chassis numbers for the turbocharged cars were within the number ranges used by their normally aspirated counterparts.
T-4 gearbox with a rear differential from the Chevrolet Corvette
, and the resultant "5000M" was shown at the 1975 Toronto International Auto Show.
Following the 1975 fire that damaged the TVR factory in Blackpool, TVR NA ordered and pre-paid six cars from the manufacturer. This gesture helped to secure future support from TVR for Wadman's V8 conversions: the factory eventually supplied five M Series coupes without engines or transmissions, specifically for the purpose of V8 installations. TVR NA also converted three cars that were originally equipped with the Ford Essex V6, but that arrived from the factory with cracks in the cylinder block
. In 1978, the factory built a car (painted white with a brown stripe) that was designated "5000M"; this was also shipped to Canada for a V8 installation. Since 1980, six Taimars have been converted to the Ford V8 as well.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s built by automaker TVR
TVR
thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller...
between 1972 and 1979. The series replaced the outgoing TVR Vixen
TVR Vixen
The TVR Vixen is a hand-built sports car which was designed and built by TVR in Blackpool, England from 1967 until 1973. Ford-engined, it succeeded the MGB-engined TVR Grantura 1800S.-Design:...
and Tuscan
TVR Tuscan (1967)
The TVR Tuscan was a front engine, rear wheel drive sports car built by TVR from 1967 to 1971 in the company's Blackpool, England factory. It was the second car developed by TVR during the Martin Lilley era of the automotive firm....
models, and is characterized by a common chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
and shared body style. As with other TVR models before and since, the M Series cars used a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and body-on-frame
Body-on-frame
Body-on-frame is an automobile construction method. Mounting a separate body to a rigid frame that supports the drivetrain was the original method of building automobiles, and its use continues to this day. The original frames were made of wood , but steel ladder frames became common in the 1930s...
construction. The bodies themselves were built from glass-reinforced plastic
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
(GRP). The era of the M Series is commonly associated with Martin Lilley, who, together with his father, took ownership of the company on November 30, 1965.
The M Series was regarded by contemporary reviewers as being loud and fast, and having excellent roadholding. This came at the expense of unusual ergonomics, and heating and ventilation systems that were sometimes problematic.
The series includes the 1600M, 2500M, 3000M, 3000S, and Taimar, as well as turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
versions of the 3000M, 3000S, and Taimar. A small number of 5.0L Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
-powered cars were finished or converted by the TVR North America importer; these were sold as the 5000M. A total of 2,465 M Series cars were built over the nine years of production. Because of the hand-built and low-volume nature of TVR production, there are many small and often-undocumented variations between cars of the same model that arise due to component availability and minor changes in the build process.
Chassis
The backbone chassisBackbone chassis
Backbone tube chassis is a type of an automobile construction chassis that is similar to the body-on-frame design. Instead of a two-dimensional ladder type structure, it consists of a strong tubular backbone that connects the front and rear suspension attachment areas...
for the M Series cars was designed by automotive engineer and dealer Mike Bigland in 1971. Bigland had been hired by Lilley after demonstrating a number of suspension and steering improvements he had made to a 1967 TVR Tuscan SE owned by one John Burton. The chassis Bigland designed was of a central-backbone layout with perimeter tubes. Both round- and square-section 14-gauge and 16-gauge steel tube
Hollow structural section
A hollow structural section is a type of metal profile with a hollow tubular cross section. In some countries they are referred to instead as a structural hollow section ....
was used in the construction, with the square sections used to allow easier joining of the frame to the body. To facilitate production of the new chassis, Lilley upgraded TVR's workshop with fixtures
Fixture (tool)
A fixture is a work-holding or support device used in the manufacturing industry. What makes a fixture unique is that each one is built to fit a particular part or shape. The main purpose of a fixture is to locate and in some cases hold a workpiece during either a machining operation or some...
that allowed two welders
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
to produce five units per week.
Unusual at the time, TVR offered a five-year guarantee against corrosion on the M Series chassis. Corrosion was prevented by leaving a film of oil from the manufacturing process on the metal, capping the ends of the tubes, and fastening components without driving fasteners through the tube walls.
The radiator selected for the M Series was shallow enough to allow locating the spare wheel in front of the engine; this improved luggage space behind the seats (where the spare wheel had been stored on pre-M-Series models) and also offered some additional crash protection for occupants. An M Series car was sent to the Motor Industry Research Association
Motor Industry Research Association
MIRA Ltd, formerly known as the Motor Industry Research Association, is a limited company based near Nuneaton in Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicestershire in the United Kingdom, which provides product engineering, research, testing, information and certification services to the automotive...
in 1971 for crash testing, and it was the only vehicle that remained steerable after a 30 mi/h front-end collision with a concrete wall.
The car's suspension was via double wishbones
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
and coil springs front and rear. Although the wishbones and aluminum hub carriers were an original TVR design, many components on the cars were sourced from other manufacturers (such as the Triumph TR6
Triumph TR6
The Triumph TR6 is a British six-cylinder sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended in July 1976. This record was then surpassed by the TR7...
brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
assemblies). Steering on all cars was via rack-and-pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
.
Because of production overlap between the M Series cars and earlier models, some earlier models were built with the pre-M bodywork over an M Series chassis. This includes the last series of the TVR 2500 (comprising ninety-six cars; not to be confused with the 2500M), all twenty-three Vixen S4s, and the final six TVR 1300s (which used the Triumph Spitfire
Triumph Spitfire
The Triumph Spitfire is a small English two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti...
1296 cc engine.)
Body and trim
The M Series body was an evolution of the outgoing Vixen/Tuscan body. The doors, roof, forward bulkhead, and front windscreen were kept the same, leaving the bonnet and rear end to be restyled. At the start of M Series production, the fiberglass sections were baked at 140 °F (60 °C) after being moulded, then given an etch coat, six coats of primerPrimer (paint)
A primer is a preparatory coating put on materials before painting. Priming ensures better adhesion of paint to the surface, increases paint durability, and provides additional protection for the material being painted.-When primers are used:...
, and three coats of nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
paint. Partway through M Series production, the paint shop changed to a two-pack acrylic paint process.
Bigland styled the car's bonnet while Lilley styled the rear with the help of Joe Mleczek, who had been with the company since 1959 and who had experience in working GRP. Lilley also designed the interior and trim. Initially, all three of the 1600M, 2500M, and 3000M featured vents on the bonnet and front wings. By 1975, the 1600M and 3000M were being built without the vents but they were retained on the 2500M due to its tendency to run hot.
Many components were sourced from Ford models, including the Consul
Ford Consul
The Ford Consul is a car manufactured by Ford in Britain.Between 1951 and 1962 the Consul was the four-cylinder base model of the three-model Ford Zephyr range, comprising Consul, Zephyr and Zephyr Zodiac...
windscreen that was used on all M Series variants apart from the 3000S. Multiple styles of alloy wheels were offered on the cars over the course of production, including a design by Wolfrace and TVR's own "T-slot". Chrome-plated
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
steel bumpers, adapted from those used on the Triumph 2000
Triumph 2000
The Triumph 2000 is a mid-sized, rear wheel drive automobile which was produced in Coventry by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. Larger-engined models, known as the Triumph 2.5 PI and Triumph 2500 were also produced.-Engine:...
, were used until around 1976, at which point they were replaced with black foam rubber
Foam rubber
Foam rubber refers to rubber that has been manufactured with a foaming agent to create an air-filled matrix structure. Commercial foam rubbers are generally either polyurethane foam or natural foam rubber latex. Latex foam rubber, used in mattresses, is well-known for its endurance.-See also:*...
bumpers.
The corduroy
Corduroy
Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel between the tufts...
-covered seats used in the M Series were finished by Callow & Maddox Ltd., a car trimming and upholstering
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
company then located in Exhall
Exhall
Exhall is a suburban settlement in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England.- Geography :Exhall is an area south of Bedworth located 4.3 miles north-north-east of Coventry and 3.8 miles south of Nuneaton...
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. The foam padding used in the seats has a tendency to crumble and disintegrate, which prompts some owners to find suitable replacement seats. Most aftermarket seats will not fit in the glassfiber tub; only unusually low and narrow seats (such as those from the 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac Fiero
The Pontiac Fiero is a mid-engined sports car that was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988. The Fiero—meaning "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish—was designed by George Milidrag and Hulki Aldikacti as a Pontiac sports car...
) can accommodate the car's bodyshell. During M Series production, TVR was dealing with more than two hundred external suppliers, and stored approximately three months' worth of components to reduce sensitivity to outside production variation.
After production of the M Series ended, TVR sold the production rights and tooling for many M Series components (including GRP bodies) to David Gerald TVR Sportscars Ltd.
1600M
The 1600M, introduced in 1972, used the 1.6L Ford Kent engine as found in the Ford CapriFord Capri
Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three different automobile models. The Ford Consul Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The Ford Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Europe from 1969 to 1986...
GT. The 1600M was discontinued in 1973, only to be revived for the 1975 model year to meet increased demand for fuel-efficient vehicles in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
. In October 1972, it cost £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1980. A total of 148 were built by the time production finally ended in 1977.
Specifications
- Top speed - 105 mi/h
- Acceleration:
- 0-60 mph: 10.4 sec
- 30-50 mph in top: 10.4 sec
- 50-70 mph in top: 9.5 sec
- Engine displacement - 1588cc (bore and stroke: 81 mm (3.2 in) x 77.6 mm (3.1 in))
- Engine type - Normally aspirated inline-four
- Compression ratio - 9.0:1
- Fueling - Twin-choke Weber carburetorWeber carburetorWeber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
- Peak power - 86 bhp @ 5500 rpm
- Peak torque - 92 lbft @ 4000 rpm
- Transmission - 4-speed
- Number built - 148
- Chassis numbers:
- 2288FM through 2623FM (1972-73)
- 3384FM through 3938FM (1975-77)
2500M
As the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was always an important market for TVR, the 2500M used the 2.5L straight-six engine from the Triumph TR6 due to that engine being ready for US emissions certification. Also borrowed from the TR6 were its gearbox, differential, and front suspension uprights.
The 2500M was only offered in the UK home market until 1973, after which point it was no longer sold there due to the availability of the 3000M, which featured significantly better performance. Later, with the introduction of the TR7
Triumph TR7
The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980...
, Triumph stopped production of the 2.5L TR6 engine, and TVR discontinued the 2500M completely when supplies of the engine were exhausted in 1977.
In October 1972, the 2500M cost £2151. Between 1972 and 1977, 947 2500Ms were sold.
Specifications
- Top speed - 109 mi/h
- Acceleration - 0-60 mph: 9.3 sec
- Engine displacement - 2498cc (bore and stroke: 74.7 mm (2.9 in) x 95 mm (3.7 in))
- Engine type - Normally aspirated straight six
- Compression ratio - 8.5:1
- Fueling - Twin Zenith CarburettersZenith CarburettersZenith Carburetters was a British company making carburettors. In 1955 they joined with their major pre-war rival Solex Carburettors and over time the Zenith brand name fell into disuse...
- Peak power - 106 bhp @ 4900 rpm
- Peak torque - 133 lbft @ 3000 rpm
- Transmission - 4-speed
- Number built - 947
- Chassis numbers:
- 2090T (prototype)
- 2240TM through 4094TM
3000M, Taimar, and 3000S
As a higher-performance alternative to the 1600M and 2500M, TVR offered the 3000M, which used the 3.0L Ford Essex V6Ford Essex V6 engine (UK)
The Ford Essex V6 engine was a 60° V6 engine built between 1966 and 1981 by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom at their engine plant in Dagenham, Essex, which gave the engine its name. It was produced in two main capacities, 2.5 L and 3.0 L, and was fitted to a wide range of...
and cost £2278 in October 1972. Produced for only one year between 1973 and 1974, the 3000ML was a special luxury version of the 3000M that included a wooden fascia, leather trim, Wilton carpets, sunroof, and high-backed seats of a style different than that found in the standard cars. A total of 654 naturally aspirated 3000Ms were built.
The first major alteration to the M Series body was the hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
Taimar, introduced at the October 1976 London Motor Show and using the same mechanicals as the 3000M. The name was supposedly created from "Tailgate Martin". The opening hatchback alleviated the previous difficulty of maneuvering luggage over the seats to stow it in the cargo area, and the hatch itself was opened electrically via a solenoid
Solenoid
A solenoid is a coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a long, thin loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create...
-actuated latch triggered by a button on the driver's door jamb. Over its three-year production, a total of 395 normally aspirated Taimars were built.
Jensen-Healey
The Jensen-Healey is a two-seater convertible sports car that was originally produced between 1972 and 1976 by Jensen Motors, Ltd. Roughly 10,000 were produced at West Bromwich, England. A related fastback, the Jensen GT was introduced in 1975.-Design:...
roadster, and the doors were cut down to better replicate a classic open-motoring experience. The redesign of the doors precluded the possibility of using wind-up windows, so sliding sidecurtains were instead fitted. These could be removed entirely and stowed in the trunk, which, for the first time on a TVR, was a separate compartment with its own lid. The trunk lid was operated electrically in a manner similar to the Taimar's hatch. The styling of the 3000S was revived in a somewhat modernized form later, with the 1987 introduction of the TVR S Series
TVR S Series
The TVR S Series was announced at the 1986 NEC motor show. Due to a massive positive response the car went into production in less than 12 months, with 250 pre-manufacture orders...
(although the S Series shared almost no components with the M Series cars.)
One of the minor undocumented variations found on M Series cars is the presence of a map light built into the upper windscreen surround of the 3000S. It appears to have been included only on a very small number of cars built near the end of the production run.
When production of the 3000S ended (with 258 cars built), it cost £8,730. Reportedly, 67 of these cars were in a left-hand drive configuration, and 49 were exported to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
In 1977, aware that supplies of the US-emissions-certified Triumph 2.5L engine would soon be exhausted, TVR had contracted Californian company Olson Engineering, Inc. to design modifications to the Essex V6 such that it could be EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
-certified. They were successful in this regard, and Essex-engined M Series cars were imported the following year. An owner's handbook supplement for US Federal models indicates that the emissions control system used a catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
, exhaust gas recirculation
Exhaust gas recirculation
In internal combustion engines, exhaust gas recirculation is a nitrogen oxide emissions reduction technique used in petrol/gasoline and diesel engines. EGR works by recirculating a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders. In a gasoline engine, this inert exhaust...
, and secondary air injection.
In 1980, twenty-five 3000Ss were impounded by the United States government because a new US importer had declared them emissions-compliant without the Olson Engineering emissions kit actually having been fit. This was not discovered until the cars were moved to dealers, ready to be sold, and one customer reported the violation to the government. The cars were eventually re-exported to the UK, but the short-term financial impact of the twenty-five unsalable cars (worth £287,500 in total) was damaging to the development of the M Series replacement, the Tasmin.
Specifications
- Top speed - 121 mi/h
- Acceleration:
- 0-60 mph: 7.7 sec
- 30-50 mph in top: 6.6 sec
- 50-70 mph in top: 6.1 sec
- Engine displacement - 2994cc (bore and stroke: 93.6 mm (3.7 in) x 72.4 mm (2.9 in))
- Engine type - Normally aspirated cast-iron V6V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
with pushrod-operated two-valve cast-iron headsCylinder headIn an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket... - Compression ratio - 8.9:1
- Fueling - Twin-choke Weber carburetter
- Peak power - 138 bhp @ 5000 rpm
- Peak torque - 174 lbft @ 3000 rpm
- Transmission - 4-speed
- Numbers built:
- 3000M: 654
- Taimar: 395
- 3000S: 258
- Chassis numbers:
- 3000M: 2410FM through 4940FM
- Taimar: 3838FM through 4966FM
- 3000S: 4286FM through 4968FM
Turbos
To further increase the performance of the 3000M, TVR contracted Ralph Broad's engine tuning company, BroadspeedBroadspeed
Broadspeed is a United Kingdom-based automotive group. Established in automotive engineering, it now acts as an internet based retailer.- Broadspeed in the 1960s :...
, to develop a turbocharging system for the Essex engine. The resultant 3000M Turbo prototype was unveiled at the 1975 British International Motor Show
British International Motor Show
The British International Motor Show is an automobile show held biennially in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles. The 2008 was the last event with no news of a return of the British International Motor Show...
at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
, and subsequently went into production. In lieu of fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, a carburettor was run inside a pressurized box atop the engine, and the turbocharger itself was mounted low and forward in the engine compartment, requiring the exhaust manifolds to exit forward. The compression ratio was lowered to reduce the engine's internal stresses. The turbocharged cars were fitted with Koni dampers and wider tires than on the naturally aspirated model. Ultimately, TVR also produced small numbers of the Taimar Turbo and 3000S Turbo.
Among all the Turbo cars, four were built with the "Special Equipment" (SE) specification, which included a leather interior, flared wheel arches, large Compomotive split-rim alloy wheels, and a limited-slip differential. Of these four cars, three were Taimar Turbo SEs and one was a 3000S Turbo SE. The single 3000S Turbo SE was used by Martin Lilley as his personal transport until he sold it on.
The chassis numbers for the turbocharged cars were within the number ranges used by their normally aspirated counterparts.
Specifications
- Top speed - 140 mi/h
- Acceleration:
- 0-60 mph: 5.7 sec
- 30-50 mph in top: 7.1 sec
- 50-70 mph in top: 6.4 sec
- Compression ratio - 8.0:1
- Fueling - Twin-choke Weber carburetter
- Peak power - 230 bhp @ 5500 rpm
- Peak torque - 273 lbft @ 3500 rpm
- Numbers built:
- 3000M Turbo: 20
- Taimar Turbo: 30
- 3000S Turbo: 13
5000M
In 1974, John Wadman (the president of the Canada-based import company TVR North America) began a project to replace the Triumph 2.5L engine in a silver 2500M with a Ford 302 cu in V8. Wadman handled the engineering of the conversion, which involved the use of different engine mounts, radiator, and springs. The Ford V8 was mated to a BorgWarnerBorgWarner
BorgWarner Inc. is a United States-based worldwide automotive industry components and parts supplier. It is primarily known for its powertrain products, which include manual and automatic transmissions and transmission components, , turbochargers, engine valve timing system...
T-4 gearbox with a rear differential from the Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
, and the resultant "5000M" was shown at the 1975 Toronto International Auto Show.
Following the 1975 fire that damaged the TVR factory in Blackpool, TVR NA ordered and pre-paid six cars from the manufacturer. This gesture helped to secure future support from TVR for Wadman's V8 conversions: the factory eventually supplied five M Series coupes without engines or transmissions, specifically for the purpose of V8 installations. TVR NA also converted three cars that were originally equipped with the Ford Essex V6, but that arrived from the factory with cracks in the cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...
. In 1978, the factory built a car (painted white with a brown stripe) that was designated "5000M"; this was also shipped to Canada for a V8 installation. Since 1980, six Taimars have been converted to the Ford V8 as well.