1965 TVR Griffith 400 Coupe
Chassis no. 400/5/059
289ci OHV Hi-Po Ford V8 Engine
Holley 4-Barrel Carburetor
271bhp at 5,900rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension - Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Disc Brakes
*The 59th example of just 59 ever produced
*Beautifully restored condition inside and out
*Striking TVR RED over Black
*Well-documented example with an abundance of records
THE TVR GRIFFITH
'The performance of a Griffith .....
was quite phenomenal by any standards. Certainly, in straight-line performance, if not in ultimate road behavior, the car was good enough to embarrass severely an E-Type Jaguar and many V12 Ferraris!' – Graham Robson, 'TVRs Volume 1'.
Founded in Blackpool in the late 1940s by Trevor Wilkinson, TVR began by making various 'specials' before introducing its first series production model – the TVR Sports Saloon – in 1954, most of which were sold in kit form. The car that really put TVR on the map though, was the Grantura. Launched in 1958, the Grantura used a multi-tubular spaceframe chassis with Volkswagen trailing-link independent suspension all round, which was clothed in very pretty fiberglass coachwork that set the pattern for TVRs for years to come. The generously proportioned engine bay could accommodate a wide variety of engines, those of Ford and BMC being the most popular, while Grantura owners intending to go racing, as many of them did, usually specified the 1.2-litre Coventry Climax FWE unit.
Perhaps inspired by Carroll Shelby's Cobra, which had resulted from dropping a Ford V8 engine into an AC Ace, American motor dealer Jack Griffith and close friend of Shelby performed the same trick on a MkIII Grantura. The prototype was shipped to the UK and the concept approved by the factory, with production of the new model commencing towards the end of 1962.
The Griffith 400 was designed by Mark Donohue (Graduate at Brown University in Mechanical Engineering) and David Hives of TVR. Mr. Donohue was hired by Mr. Griffith to develop the Griffith 400, including the suspension which was 'State of the Art', and featured unequal wishbones and coil springs in all four corners. Lightweight and compact, the Griffith afforded the prospect of some seriously exciting motoring.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
This powerful 1965 Griffith Series 400 is the 59th of just 59 examples produced by Jack Griffith at his Plainview, New York, facility and the last off the line.