TVR and Blackpool: Britain's seaside rebel

Blackpool belongs in a conversation about British sports cars. Trevor Wilkinson's workshop is a good place to begin.

An old wheelwright's workshop is a promising address for a car company. There would at least have been some sympathy for the idea of making things roll.

TVR traces its beginnings to just such a workshop in Blackpool, where Trevor Wilkinson established Trevcar Motors for general engineering work. The first TVR chassis followed in 1949, bringing together a Morris Eight rear axle, a Ford side-valve engine and an aluminium body painted British Racing Green. The car was later crashed and broken up for parts. A neat museum ending would have to wait. TVR's early history

That beginning makes Blackpool an appealing place to think about the marque. The name on a car can become so familiar that its home town drops out of the conversation. Put it back in, and there is somewhere to go when you've finished looking at the photographs.

Start with the shape

You don't need a list of engine sizes to find a way into TVR. Try looking at the cars side by side. An angular Tasmin and a curving Chimaera make a useful pair: the change in outline is plain enough without opening either bonnet.

TVR's history dates the Tasmin's arrival to 1980 and describes its styling as a dramatic departure. The later Griffith and Chimaera brought curves back into the picture, with Rover V8 power. The business also went through financial difficulties and changes of ownership. Those interruptions belong in the story alongside the cars. TVR's model and ownership history

In the photograph accompanying this article, a Chimaera sits at a car show in Yate, near Bristol. Look at its low nose and the way the body rises around the cabin. You can spend a while deciding whether the shape works for you before worrying about what it might do on a clear road.

At a show, that is quite enough to start a conversation. Ask an owner what they like looking at, what they find awkward, or where they put the weekend bags. A useful answer may tell you more about living with the car than a performance figure.

Make room for Blackpool

For a day in the town, we'd give the motoring story a modest share of the timetable. Read a little about Wilkinson over breakfast, then head out for a walk along the seafront. Leave room for lunch and whatever catches the passengers' attention. The day doesn't need a car-related stop every hour.

If you want a quieter change of scene, Stanley Park has Italian gardens, a boating lake and a bandstand. It opened in 1926, before Wilkinson's venture, and offers another way to spend an afternoon in Blackpool. Check the park's visitor information for facilities and access.

This is a suggestion for enjoying the town, rather than a factory trail. TVR's connection with Blackpool doesn't establish that a former production site is open to visitors. If seeing cars in person is essential, find a publicly advertised show or club event and confirm its arrangements separately.

Otherwise, let the photograph do the motoring work. You can admire a Chimaera over breakfast and still spend the afternoon arguing quite happily about where to buy lunch.