TVR 3000S

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The TVR 3000S was an open sports car created and produced by TVR in Blackpool, England in 1978. The model was later revived in 1986 as the TVR V8S.

The design was company boss Martin Lilley's final car before Peter Wheeler superseded him in 1981. The resulting 3000S followed the manufacturer's traditional sports car formula: a glassfibre body mounted on a separate chassis with a Ford V6 motor and a luxurious interior.

The car itself was very similar to an earlier one-off roadster and components were largely from the fixed-head TVR 3000M Taimar. Most notably, the new car used the same chassis and internals as the earlier car. However, the body disguised this, with it being mounted lower with new doors being added and a reworked tail to accommodate a boot lid. The sleeker scuttle line dictated the repositioning of the car's instruments, with the rev counter now facing the passenger. Removable glass side-screens were another feature included, much like the traditional sports cars from the days of yore.

The car was available with either the stock 142hp V6 or a turbocharged variant, producing up to 265hp driven through a four-speed manual gearbox. Top speeds ranged from 133mph (212.8km/h) up to 150mph (240km/h). Final displacement for both models was 2994cc.

1979 saw a new model range arrive, by which time the 3000S had obtained a collectible status, with the favourite model being the 3000S Turbo. 258 units were made in total, with only 13 units turbocharged. In 1986, the design was revived as the slightly modified V8S.