Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 102
1976 TVR 2500M Coupe Chassis no. 3642TM Engine no. CF44489UE
Sold for US$20,160 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 102
1976 TVR 2500M Coupe
The Audrain Concours Auction|30 September 2022, 16:00 EDT|Newport, Rhode Island, International Tennis Hall of Fame
1976 TVR 2500M Coupe
Chassis no. 3642TM
Engine no. CF44489UE
Chassis no. 3642TM
Engine no. CF44489UE
2,500cc, SOHC 6-Cylinder Inline
Twin Stromberg Carburetors, 106bhp at 4,900 rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension, Live Rear Axle
Front Disc, Rear Drum Brakes
*Offered from The Chapel House Collection
*TVR's first inline six-cylinder model
*Recently displayed at the 2022 Lime Rock Park Gathering of Marques
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Founded in Blackpool in the late 1940s by Trevor Wilkinson, TVR began by making various 'specials' before introducing its first series production model – the TVR Sports Saloon – in 1954, most of which were sold in kit form. The car that really put TVR on the map though, was the Grantura. Launched in 1958, the Grantura used a multi-tubular spaceframe chassis with Volkswagen trailing-link independent suspension all round, which was clothed in very pretty glassfibre coachwork that set the pattern for TVRs for years to come. The generously proportioned engine bay could accommodate a wide variety of engines, those of Ford and BMC being the most popular, while Grantura owners intending to go racing, as many of them did, usually specified the 1.2-litre overhead-camshaft Coventry Climax FWE unit.
Introduced in 1970, the Triumph-powered 2500 was the first TVR sports car to have an inline six-cylinder engine. This new TVR had been born out of the need for a model that could meet the USA's emissions targets, which was something the existing Ford-powered Tuscan V6 could not do. One of the drawbacks of the 2500 was the fact that, even in the UK, it was only sold with the de-toxed US-specification engine, which produced a relatively modest 106bhp, rather than the fuel-injected 150bhp unit found in the TR5/TR6.
TVR Heritage have been able to confirm for the current owner that this car was originally supplied to TVR America on May 10, 1976. Its original destination is not known, but already by 1982 the TVR was in Pennsylvania and remained in this State for most of its life under family ownership, until it was acquired by the seller in Bedford, PA in 2016. During this tenure a dual cooling fan set up was fitted as well as front driving lights.
In the present ownership, the car has been used and maintained with specific items including a full service, replacement master cylinder and new uprated suspension in 2017 at D&J Car Care Center in Manchester, CT and latterly detail work to the interior by Griffin Motorsport of Stratford, CT. Over the course of the last 6 years demonstration highlights have included the Dream Ride Connecticut in 2018 where it received 1st Place British Sports Cars (All Years) and just recently it was driven to and shown at the Lime Rock Park Gathering of Marques on the Labor Day weekend.
Twin Stromberg Carburetors, 106bhp at 4,900 rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension, Live Rear Axle
Front Disc, Rear Drum Brakes
*Offered from The Chapel House Collection
*TVR's first inline six-cylinder model
*Recently displayed at the 2022 Lime Rock Park Gathering of Marques
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Founded in Blackpool in the late 1940s by Trevor Wilkinson, TVR began by making various 'specials' before introducing its first series production model – the TVR Sports Saloon – in 1954, most of which were sold in kit form. The car that really put TVR on the map though, was the Grantura. Launched in 1958, the Grantura used a multi-tubular spaceframe chassis with Volkswagen trailing-link independent suspension all round, which was clothed in very pretty glassfibre coachwork that set the pattern for TVRs for years to come. The generously proportioned engine bay could accommodate a wide variety of engines, those of Ford and BMC being the most popular, while Grantura owners intending to go racing, as many of them did, usually specified the 1.2-litre overhead-camshaft Coventry Climax FWE unit.
Introduced in 1970, the Triumph-powered 2500 was the first TVR sports car to have an inline six-cylinder engine. This new TVR had been born out of the need for a model that could meet the USA's emissions targets, which was something the existing Ford-powered Tuscan V6 could not do. One of the drawbacks of the 2500 was the fact that, even in the UK, it was only sold with the de-toxed US-specification engine, which produced a relatively modest 106bhp, rather than the fuel-injected 150bhp unit found in the TR5/TR6.
TVR Heritage have been able to confirm for the current owner that this car was originally supplied to TVR America on May 10, 1976. Its original destination is not known, but already by 1982 the TVR was in Pennsylvania and remained in this State for most of its life under family ownership, until it was acquired by the seller in Bedford, PA in 2016. During this tenure a dual cooling fan set up was fitted as well as front driving lights.
In the present ownership, the car has been used and maintained with specific items including a full service, replacement master cylinder and new uprated suspension in 2017 at D&J Car Care Center in Manchester, CT and latterly detail work to the interior by Griffin Motorsport of Stratford, CT. Over the course of the last 6 years demonstration highlights have included the Dream Ride Connecticut in 2018 where it received 1st Place British Sports Cars (All Years) and just recently it was driven to and shown at the Lime Rock Park Gathering of Marques on the Labor Day weekend.
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