CarBrandLogos archive · TVR · 1967

TVRVixen

Ford power, Blackpool glassfibre, and just enough sales to keep the lights on.

Photo: Steve Knight · CC BY 2.0

The story

A defining chapter in TVR history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the TVR Vixen, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Martin Lilley bought TVR out of trouble in 1965, and the Vixen of 1967 was the first car to carry the company forward under his ownership. It replaced the Grantura and looked much like it, but the engine bay was rationalised around more readily available units — most were fitted with the 1599 cc Ford Kent four from the Cortina GT, with a smaller Triumph four and, later, the 2498 cc Triumph straight six also offered.

TVR Vixen S3 · Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, EnglandCropped, plates blurred by uploader Mr.choppers · CC BY 2.0

Design and engineering

The underlying changes mattered more than the specification sheet. From the second series the wheelbase grew, the body was bonded to the chassis rather than bolted, and the later cars adopted the chassis design that would carry the M Series into the 1970s. Build quality and consistency improved to the point where TVR could be discussed as a manufacturer rather than a kit-car concern.

I971 TVR 1300 · Sharpezero4 · CC BY-SA 4.0

In production

A little over a thousand were built between 1967 and 1973 — modest, but roughly a third more than the Grantura managed, and the trajectory the company needed.

1970 TVR Vixen · Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1967–1973

Units built

1029

Engine

1296&nbsp

Body

Coupe

Technical specification

The Vixen, in detail.

Production: 1967–1973; 1029 produced
Class: Sports car
Body style: Coupe
Engine: 1296 cc Triumph Motor Company; Triumph Straight-four engine; I4 ; 1599 cc Ford Kent engine; Ford Kent I4 ; 2498 cc Triumph I6; Triumph 2.5 Straight-six engine; I6
Transmission: Ford 4-speed all-synchromesh manual
Assembly: United Kingdom: Blackpool, England
Manufacturer: TVR