The TVR Vixen Series 1 Sports Car

A review of The TVR Vixen Series 1 Sports Car, covering development, important features, and technical data of this the tenth model in the TVR range.

In this Article, I offer a nostalgic look at the TVR Vixen Series 1, one of an elite group of classic cars, which was manufactured during the period 1967 to 1968.

Following the sale of TVR to Martin Lilley in 1965, the company focused its production facilities on the Vixen range of sports cars that were fitted with a variety of engines, including those from Ford, MG, and Triumph.

One of the most important assets that TVR inherited was the excellent chassis that was used in the Grantura Mark 3 of 1962.

The original chassis incorporated a tubular construction which used VW components to produce independent suspension all round.

The TVR Vixen Series 1 Sports Car

The downside was that this format produced a firm ride that was not to everyone's taste.

John Thurner's 1962 design made use of coil springs, which produced a slightly softer, but more compliant ride, and was the basis for chassis through to the 1970's.

Around this time, the majority of TVR's sold in the UK were in the form of a kit, which meant that the customer had only to fit the engine and gearbox in order to produce a fully assembled car.

The first Vixen, designated the Series 1, was very similar to the Grantura Mark 4 1800S, which had been in production since 1958, and which it was to succeed.

Following its launch at the London Motor Show in the Autumn of 1967, it was well received, and gained many provisional orders.

One of its features was that the rear section was in a Manx style, in which the glassfibre body ended sharply, just beyond the rear window.

The car's rear was fitted with the round tail lights from the Ford Cortina Mark 1 saloon.

Compared with the Tuscan V8, whose body was based on that of the Vixen, the Vixen's steering was lighter, its handling keener and, without the Tuscan's overheating problem, the cabin was far cooler.

The first 12 units were fitted with the 1.8 litre engine, as used in the MGB, in order to reduce costs.

However, this unit was then replaced by the 4-cylinder, 1600 GT, cross flow unit, together with a four speed, all synchromesh gearbox, as used in the Ford Cortina Mark 2 saloon, since Ford had offered a more attractive pricing structure.

The TVR Vixen Series 1 Sports Car

Furthermore, the Ford gearbox did not offer overdrive as did the BMC unit.

This engine was lighter than the BMC 1.8 litre unit from the MGB, as used in the Grantura Mark 4 1800S, which resulted in improved handling.

It was fitted with disc brakes at the front, and drums at the rear.

Since the car was lighter than most of its competitors, especially the MGB GT, this improved not only its relative performance, but also its fuel economy.

It developed 88 bhp at 5400 rpm, down from 98 bhp with the MGB unit, and 96 ft/lbs of torque at 3600 rpm.

However, neither the reduction in power nor the lack of an overdrive unit seemed to affect sales of the Vixen Series 1 which totaled 117 units, when production ended in late 1968, compared with 78 units of the Grantura Mark 4 1800S.