After pledging that it would continue to build cars in England earlier this year, TVR announced yesterday that it would be packing up production to outsource it somewhere else in Europe. Since the company’s takeover by Russian Nikolai Smolenski in 2004, the small British sports car firm has been hit by hard times. Instead of meeting its initial promise of doubling sales by 2009, and making the brand’s vehicles “more British”, it had to lay off somewhere between 75 and 150 people. TVR was also supposed to relocate to a new production facility in Lancashire, England, but the move from its current home in Blackpool did not happen.
While production of the 2007 Tuscan, Tuscan Convertible and Sagaris – bodies, interiors, suspensions, etc. – are slated to be produced in Europe (where in Europe, we don’t yet know), the powertrains of the vehicles will still be built in England. No word on the ‘Baby’ TVRs, the Tamora roadster and T350 coupe. Well, it could be worse. They could be facing bankruptcy.
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