Reborn TVR taking deposits on new supercar

The famously idiosyncratic British sports car manufacturer TVR recently announced its return to the car building game, complete with Cosworth V8 power and Gordon Murray on the design credits.

Thanks to unexpected demand following from the announcement, TVR has decided to open the order book for its new model, despite the fact it's not due on sale until 2017.

From July 7, TVR will be taking deposits for its latest sports car — the first to roll out of the TVR factory since the current management team took control of the entity in 2013. Interested parties can make a £5000 ($A10,200) deposit from this date.

“We’ve been totally blown away by the reaction to the new car,” said John Chasey, Operations Director of TVR.

“Our phone lines and online enquiry system went into meltdown when the news was announced, and we decided that we must begin to bring a structure to the enquiries and build a delivery pipeline well in advance of production.

“Volumes in year one will be limited as we ramp up production, so this allows us to reward those individuals prepared to make a financial commitment at this early stage.”

It is believed year one production will net comfortably less than 1000 units, increasing the value of early deposit slots.

Showing loyalty to TVR Car Club members in its 50th anniversary year, TVR has specifically set aside deposit slots for club members. Anyone who has been a member of the club for more than six months will be able to pay a £2500 deposit, with TVR also making a financial contribution to the club for each deposit paid by a member.

“We feel it is important to reward those people who have been such enthusiastic ambassadors for the TVR brand,” said Lee Edgar, TVR Chairman.

“The club is a wonderfully active and loyal community of people who simply love the cars, so it seems fitting that they should be offered a reduced deposit and a promise of some of the early production units.”

Specification details have not yet been finalised, but will be provided "at a later stage", says TVR. It may require a leap of faith – or blind belief in the Britishness of it all – to put your hard-earned quid on the line for a non-existent machine, but with key technical partnerships in place, long-suffering TVR fans may at last have something to celebrate.