Ever hear of the Griffith? It was a TVR that received a Ford small-block transplant and performed like a Shelby Cobra. The Long Island-based operation handled the conversion of British-built TVR Granturas from 1964-67 until a dock strike crippled importation and, hence, the business. Yet so remarkable was the endeavor that TVR called a subsequent, Rover V8-powered model “Griffith.”
Today, we can mark the moment where both the manufacturer and the model will be making another stab at returning to the market, as Car and Driver reports that an infusion of cash from Charge Holdings is the impetus needed to bring the V8-powered TVR Griffith to production. Though the company (in one of several iterations) has not built a car since 2006, it most certainly had tried—in 2017, the TVR Griffith was unveiled at the Goodwood Revival, powered by a Ford Cosworth 5.0-liter V8.
If 2017 seems like a long time ago, you wouldn’t be alone. Past . . . well, current plans call for a 500-horsepower Ford V8, though it’s worth noting that Charge Holdings used to own Charge Cars, a company that turned 1967 Mustangs into EV restomods (with blessing from Ford, no less).
If TVR can get itself off the ground, can we see an EV in TVR’s future? That seems to be the trend for future-thinking boutique manufacturers. However, oweHHhthis is not TVR’s first rodeo, so we expect the basics to fall into place first. For now, let’s celebrate the fact that a V8-based sports car may be what this world really needs.
