Not since the 1971 motor show had TVR seen such public excitement caused by a curvaceous body, only this time it wasn’t the naked women draped over one of its cars, it was actually the car itself that was causing a commotion.

At the 1990 British motor show the press went wild, making it obvious that TVR could sell the new TVR Griffith on its looks alone.  The fact that it also happened to have a big V8 just made it even more desirable.  Such was the enthusiasm surrounding the exhibited prototype of the new model, TVR collected 330 firm orders for the car almost straight away.

However, it wasn't long before the British economy had deteriorated and the country fell into deep recession, but TVR found that having a long and enthusiastic waiting list of customers keen to receive their orders for its specialised products, the company was able to ride out the storm with out too much financial pain.  Had it not been for all the orders for the Griffith it is likely that TVR would have found themselves in difficulty in much the same way as the many other companies of around that time.

In 1992 the Griffith was finally launched in production form, replacing the V8S.  The new car had a new chassis that had been developed using the knowledge and experience gained from developing racing cars used in the TVR Tuscan Challenge.  In addition to the 240bhp 4.0-litre engine, as fitted to the V8 S-series, the option of a 275bhp 4.3 litre unit was soon made available, making it one of the most sought after TVR’s of all time. With its interior of leather and wood, and a unique style in cockpit controls that have since become a distinct TVR trademark, the Griffith established TVR as one of the masters of car interior design.

In 1993 the Griffith was joined by a close stable mate, the TVR Chimaera, a car that shared the same chassis, same engine and running gear, but with a slightly longer body and softer looks.  The two cars ran together in production through into the New Millennium, and without doubt, represented the honeymoon years of TVR car production.

In 1994 the Griffith gained an even bigger engine, a 5-litre, and the car became known as the TVR Griffith 500.  This was a car with truly awesome performance, and at the time, Autocar magazine even accused it of having too much power, labelling it as a potential killer.

Despite much protest coming from the buying public, this model was sadly axed in 2000, production ending with a special edition car, of which only 100 were built.  These versions, as well as those which appeared before them, will no doubt live on as a very much sought-after classic.