Motorsport Showroom - 1972 TVR Vixen V8 – Upgraded To Tuscan Specification

The iconic ‘Tuscan’ was introduced in 1967 and produced at TVR’s modest factory at Bristol Lane, Blackpool. Essentially a successor to the Griffith – a popular car, but one that was sadly plagued with a reputation for unreliability. The ethos of TVR was to create small-scale, hand-built sports cars with the emphasis on performance and simplicity. The new Tuscan model came in two guises – A V6 catered for more practical everyday road use, whilst the V8 was focused on high performance motoring, and soon became the car to beat at the race track. In TVR terms, this new car was relatively popular, with 173 examples leaving the production line in total. Original, unmolested examples are therefore now extremely sought-after (and valuable!). Capable of an impressive 150mph in a straight line and fitted as standard with disc brakes all round; just 73 V8-engined Tuscans were produced and primarily sold into the USA market. However, due to their scarcity and contemporary demand, many smaller-engined (and often younger) TVRs have since morphed into these desirable early models. The Vixen S2/3/4 is the most common donor vehicle of choice, as it utilises the same style of bodywork and chassis configuration.

The car proudly offered here by Adam Sykes & Co began life as an entry-level S4 Vixen, utilising the stronger M-Series chassis (reputedly only fitted to the last six production cars). Later upgraded to 2-litre Ford power, photographs in the car’s history file depict it competing on track in that guise many decades ago. Still fitted with its 2-litre, four cylinder engine when acquired by our enthusiastic vendor and prolific racer; he saw the perfect candidate for a versatile, V8-engined road-rocket, equally suited for fast road work and endurance rallies, yet also that could be used in anger on a circuit, sprints and hill-climbs. Project Heaven, the Peterborough-based Classic and Sports Car Restoration Specialists were selected to undertake the transformation and created something rather special in the process!

Boasting an impressive specification and built with a total disregard for cost; work carried out included a fully documented strip down to the bare chassis, fitment of a top-specification 289ci V8 engine incorporating a new steel crankshaft and con-rods, forged pistons, big-valve alloy cylinder heads, sports camshafts, alloy water pump, lightweight flywheel, new alloy radiator, new Super T10 gearbox, rebuilt Salisbury 4HU diff, new Bailey Morris upgraded driveshafts, new rear uprights, new coil-overs all round, new vented brake discs and calipers operated by twin adjustable-bias master cylinders, custom made roll cage, Sparco competition seats and Sabelt harnesses, GPS speedo, new wiring loom, bespoke alloy dashboard to accommodate the wider transmission tunnel and the competition type gauges and switches. Riding on Turrino polished alloy-rim tubeless wire wheels, Project Heaven have confirmed that the current cost to replicate this amazing TVR would be well in excess of £150,000!

Offered with a comprehensive and sizeable history file, comprising literally hundreds of photographs documenting the restoration, plus invoices, receipts and sundry paperwork detailing just about everything else. The specification can only be described as phenomenal! ‘KLG 116L’ sits nicely somewhere between an ultra-fast road car and an all-out fire-breathing track monster. The TVR doesn’t have FIA papers but, in terms of eligibility would be welcomed with open arms to CSCC Swinging Sixties, HSCC Historic Roadsports, 1970s Road Sports, Equipè GTS and a plethora of others with only minor fettling/changes. Achieving FIA papers shouldn’t be difficult if a higher tier of motorsport is the aim and we feel this car is the perfect candidate to fill your display cabinet with silverware!

Behaving faultlessly on our recent photography session (and sounding absolutely magnificent), this striking example finished in Jet black, really does stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. UK-registered on a current V5c document, and offered for sale at a fraction of its build cost, ‘KLG 116L’ is absolutely ready to be used and enjoyed.