Lot 114 - 1996 TVR Griffith 500

The Griffith was the car that catapulted TVR into the big league of performance car manufacturers when it was unveiled as a concept at the 1990 Motor Show. Quite apart from being incredibly fast, it also looked stunning. Over 300 orders were taken at the show and, when the first cars were delivered to the press and public in 1992, the reception was even better; “Shockingly loud, unapologetically politically incorrect but unapologetically great too”, said Autocar. Based on the spaceframe chassis developed for the Tuscan race car, the first run of cars used Rover V8s reworked to give either 240bhp (4.0-litre) or 280bhp (4.3-litre), but things got even better in 1994 with the launch of the 340bhp (5.0-litre) Griffith 500 which could reach 60mph in just 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 167mph. To cope with the uprated performance, the 500 also came with better brakes, Koni dampers and stiffer chassis settings.

This superb example is presented in metallic Spectrum green with Olive green leather interior, both of which are in good condition and it has a black hood. Its walnut facia is enhanced by its striking dials with a turquoise hue to them and its factory sports steering wheel sits prominently away from the dash, providing the ultimate the driving position for this exhilaratingly quick British sports car. The car comes with a good history and two keys. The noise of this 5.0 V8 on full song is music to anybody’s ears, let alone the driver themselves – great design, quick and in exceptional all round condition, this is the one to have and in the words of many racing drivers,  “go fast slowly”!