Combining a sleek, lightweight body with proven mechanicals (borrowed from other automakers) is a winning combination for boutique carmakers. It allows them to focus on pure design while avoiding substantial powertrain development costs. Few independent carmakers mastered this formula as well as British TVR.
Founded in 1946, TVR gets its name from founder Trevor Wilkinson, an engineer who favored lightweight performance cars. The 1973 TVR 2500M, now available on eBay, weighs less than 2,000 pounds. The robust six-cylinder engine from a Triumph TR-6 provides the power and throaty engine note.
Fast Reflexes and Precise Steering
TVR designed the 2500M to be stiff yet light. The body is mounted on a rigid frame using a central backbone and steel perimeter tubing. With its proven Triumph six-cylinder engine, the hand-built 2500M offers the rarity of an exotic car with daily reliability. Moreover, there is a ready supply of Triumph parts.
Shop now for Triumph engine parts
TVR designed the suspension in-house. It’s an independent layout with double wishbones and coil springs front and rear. Combined with rack-and-pinion steering, the 2500M offers lightning-fast reflexes. Moreover, in an unusual move for a British carmaker at the time, TVR offered a five-year warranty against rust for the 2500M. The body is fiberglass, and an oil coating on the sealed steel-frame components.
This TVR 2500M is an exceptional example with only 50,000 miles on the odometer. It looks like it just left the factory. The look is finished in an elegant, menacing black gloss over a black interior.
The cozy cockpit is in mint condition, with no rips or tears, It presents with an upscale yet businesslike appearance, complete these features:
- Factory instrumentation
- A thick-rimmed steering wheel
- Padded surfaces on the dashboard and console
- Matching black carpeting
Desirable extras include an upgraded aftermarket stereo mounted in the dash and a factory sunroof for open-air motoring.
The Golden Age of British GTs
A tidy engine compartment houses the original 2.5-liter twin-carb Triumph six-cylinder engine. The engine was rated for 106 horsepower in 1973. That power fed through a four-speed manual transmission is sufficient to provide lively acceleration and plenty of smiles in such a lightweight car.
Hear the engine purr in this walk-around video:
TVR produced just 2,465 M-series cars built throughout a nine-year model run. So it is indeed a rare and unique model from the golden age of sporty British GTs.
The owner, a caring collector, says the only reason for selling is he has too many cars. Therefore, his lack of space is an opportunity for a discriminating buyer looking for a turnkey exotic.
