The new TVR Griffith, which is decidedly a Good Car, has been hit with yet another delay. This is following previous delays, which involved some issues with the factory. Surprise—this most recent delay also has to do with the factory.
A newsletter written by current TVR head Les Edgar was apparently sent to prospective owners recently, as reported by Autocar, which viewed the newsletter. The report notes that the company is reassuring its buyers of the Griffith’s ongoing road to production, since things have reportedly “gone quiet” at the automaker’s Ebbw Vale factory.
From the story:
Edgar’s newsletter reveals that TVR has now road-registered the original 2017 show car, which is believed to be the only Griffith built so far. The car will hit the road in the coming months for testing and event participation.
Significant problems remain, though. Progress on the Ebbw Vale factory has been “slower than hoped” and the building is said to need a new roof. Edgar said TVR is working with the Welsh government to resolve these issues and get the work under way.
It’s unclear when the work will start up again.
As I said during reports of one of the previous delays, the Griffith is a car worth waiting for, longing for. It looks awesome and has a 500-horsepower V8 and a manual gearbox, for crying out loud. All of that’s coming from a low-volume, boutique automaker. You can’t really expect them to have everything airtight immediately. Indeed to some, that might even be part of the charm.
We first laid eyes on the new Griffith in person at the 2017 Goodwood Revival. It’s stunning in real life and a little wild to think that in two years, it is likely still the only Griffith that exists.
Originally, we were promised a delivery date of “early 2019.” Obviously, that didn’t happen. It’s now been pushed back to the beginning or middle of this year. Assuming, of course, the company can finally get production off the ground. Here’s to hoping.
We have reached out to TVR for comment and will update if we hear back.