1980 TVR Tuscan Challenge

Highlights

• Rare, road-registered TVR Tuscan Challenge racing car
• Owned and raced originally by the legendary driver, engineer and team owner Colin Blower
• Race-spec 4,441cc Rover V8 developed by TVR
• A reported comprehensive restoration in 2008
• One of just 43 Tuscan Challenge cars believed to have been produced

Overview

Oi oi Trevor! How about this, then? Now, if you’re a TVR fan you will know about the Tuscan Challenge one-make racing series. You may even have memories of being at trackside, seeing not only the company boss at the time, Peter Wheeler, racing against many of the dealers he enthusiastically encouraged to participate in the series, but also some of the guest stars who made appearances. Drivers such as the legendary Colin McRae, plus a host of touring car aces like Andy Wallace, Tim Harvey, Anthony Reid, Tiff Needell and John Cleland. From the series’ initiation in 1989, the championship became an instant success, with action aplenty up and down the field. Indeed, the race series was so successful that the Tuscan road cars, which were planned off the back of the racing cars, never came to be. There just weren’t the resources to build road-going versions alongside the racing cars and the crop of modern TVRs that were due to be launched – namely the Griffith and Chimera. All of which makes this road-registered TVR Tuscan a rarity. It was an expensive process converting the racing cars to road use. From the small-scale additions, such as a speedometer and road-legal lights, the work stretched to more involved challenges. Like powder-coating the tubular chassis and relocating the fuel tank to enable a passenger seat to be added. The tank was moved to the back of the car, with some thought needed to protect it if you got rear-ended. This car was originally purchased by racing driver, engineer and team owner Colin Blower to race in the Tuscan Challenge. During the early part of the 1990 season results were mixed, but with continuous development over the races it ended up winning the final round at Oulton Park, claiming fastest lap in the process. After that it was retired from racing and used by Blower as a body-off development car, fine-tuning the set-up of his subsequent Tuscan racers. And it worked. The team won the championship in 1992 and were runners-up in ‘93 and ‘94. In 2008 it’s believed to have gone through a full ground up restoration. It’s fitted with a Quaife gearbox and diff, yet retains the original 4,441cc Rover V8, which, of course, had been redeveloped extensively by TVR. At some point it was converted to full road spec, so it’s a little piece of racing history that you can enjoy on the road today.

Documentation

• Road-registered on 01.07.1980, then turned into a racecar in 1988. It then went back to being road-registered in 2000
• V5 registration document included
• MOT exempt
• HPI clear
• In its current ownership for the last three years
• Prior to current ownership, the car was in the hands of a private collector for 20 years – a well-known historic racer we are told
• Reportedly just serviced by TVRmonster
• Supplied with one key fob
• A photograph believed to be of the car in period with Colin Blower
• A letter signed by Geoff Williams in 2000 detailing the car’s history since being raced by Blower in 1990
• Believed to have competed in 14 races before becoming a body-off development car for the Blower team to fine-tune the set-up of its later Tuscan racing cars
• The Williams letter also details the extensive work to the car’s suspension set-up, including its ‘mad camber angles’ and the fitment of a Quaife diff and gearbox

Exterior

• It’s understood that the striking purple paint is in homage to the car’s association with Royal Purple Oils – it was used at events to advertise the company
• From the pictures, the bodywork looks to be in excellent condition overall bar some light damage – including a scratch on the nearside door and some light damage to the fibreglass above the nearside side-exiting exhaust
• The only other issues, reported to us by the vendor, are the crack in the gelcoat of the bonnet under the roundel, and the nearside-rear wing repair – this was done before being painted and you can see a blemish under the paint
• Light lenses are clear, indicating that the car has been protected from the elements over the years
• The 16-inch OZ Racing split-rims appear to be in fine fettle, with the polished rims and black centres showing few signs of wear and tear
• Underneath, the tubular chassis has been powder-coated green and has no serious-looking scuffs or corrosion
• It all looks dry underneath, with no sign of oil leaks from the engine, gearbox or diff

Interior

• Despite its road-legal status, this Tuscan still feels every bit the stripped-bare racing car inside – just how we like it
• The complete suite of dials includes Stack speedo and rev counter – a period RPM logger and GPS speedo
• The interior appears to be in great condition for its year, with just the right amount of patination that you’d expect to find on a historic racer
• This Tuscan comes complete with a tonneau cover and, apart from the seats, there’s plenty of vinyl trim to keep it weatherproof
• Standard TVR Tuscan Challenge roll cage
• Three-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel displays the kind of wear that comes only from proper action in the racing field
• Kill switch and integrated fire extinguisher
• Simple rocker switches for all the electricals – lights, wipers, indicators, ignition etc
• Driver’s racing bucket seat with Securon harness
• Passenger seat with Willians harness and aluminium passenger footrest

Mechanical

• 4,441cc Rover V8 developed by TVR – rated at the time up to 400hp
• The engine is in full race spec and fuelled by four Dell’Orto carburettors
• Recent work includes a new GPS Speedo, new battery, new ball joints, new high-torque starter motor, new rear LEDs, new hydraulic pressure switch
• The owner says that the car starts easily and idles ‘keenly’ on its race cams
• Quaife gearbox
• Quaife differential
• Rose-jointed suspension
• Koni coilovers
• Suspension developed and set up for road use by Colin Blower using custom wishbones, spring rates and anti-roll bars
• AP Racing brake calipers
• Stainless steel side-exiting exhaust
• Comes on a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres that are all showing plenty of tread
• The owner says that, having owned several road-legal Tuscans, this one is the ‘best by far’

Summary

The TVR Tuscan Challenge was literally and metaphorically a spectacle of high-octane fun. The racing was close and manic, which is what you’d expect with a bunch of competitive teams and drivers of varying levels of talent. They ranged from club racers to rated professionals making guest appearances due to the huge success and high profile the championship achieved. And this car has genuine pedigree – a winning pedigree if what’s written about it historically is to be believed. But its history goes beyond those competition days, becoming a testbed for the future Tuscan development that helped Colin Blower win the championship, then later being converted to become one of the rare road-legal Tuscans. Next to that history, the fact that it looks so fantastic, as all Tuscans did, and is presented in such wonderful condition, almost seems like a happy bonus. As said at the start: it’s a little piece of racing history that you can enjoy on the road today. To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Clevedon, North Somerset.