Currently reading: TVR sold back to Britain
Former owner tells Autocar that the rights for TVR parts and designs have been sold back to UK interests, sparking rumours of a comeback

Rights to make TVR cars and components, to use existing designs and manufacture components for existing cars, have been recently sold back to British interests located near London, according to their former owner, the Russian banker Nikolai Smolenski, now living in Vienna.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar earlier today, Smolenski said the deal was done “some weeks ago” but refused to reveal the price. The transaction is understood to involve a company fronted by a Mr Les Edgar, a Surrey-based entrepreneur.

In other intriguing moves, a private company called TVR Motor Cars Ltd was incorporated at the end of April and is currently described by Companies House as “active”. The same source reveals Leslie Edgar, of Dorking, as director of both TVR Manufacturing Ltd and TVR Automotive Ltd. Meanwhile TVR's website has for some time carried the comments “never say never” and "roaring back". TVR enthusiasts are convinced “something is up”.

Smolenski acquired TVR in 2004 from its previous long-time owner, Peter Wheeler, for a rumoured price of £15 million. He operated it with difficulty and announced that after several false starts, including building a new Cerbera in Austria powered by a BMW diesel, he had given up the idea of making sports cars and would use the famous three initials in a company he owned, manufacturing wind turbines.

Click here to see more of TVR through the ages.

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.

Join the debate

Comments
24
Add a comment…
Jobee6729 24 June 2014

To leave comment

Woahh.. Thanks for this site those cars a awesome!.. Keep the great job.

ipad mini cases

TBC 8 June 2013

competition

TVR died because it failed to move with the times, and by that, I mean that it tried to compete with mainstream manufacturers (although it wasn't TVR's fault, as previously the mainstream didn't produce cars in that market). If the new owners think that they can do better, then their endeavour will be very short lived.

So what might sell? Take at look at Noble, if they can produce a car with similar performance (max speed 200+ and similar acceleration) for around 130-150k, it will have very few direct competitors (price + performance) and the ones it will have will be fairly extreme drives.

owenmahamilton 8 June 2013

Top Gear Magazine

Have confirmed that Les Edgar is indeed the Les Edgar of Bullfrog Games