Page 32 - June 2022

Wh at 's New in Br it is h

Mo t o r s po r t s

New Companies and New Models Revit alize Brit ain's St anding in t he
Aut omot ive World and Sean Connery's DB5 Goes on Sale

Fingers crossed-

New TVR Sport scar t o Debut in 2023?
Cat on Plans t o Build Updat ed Classic
According to TVR Chairman Les Edgar, the company
Brit ish Sport s Cars
expects its new factory to be completed in 2022,
Coventry based, new luxury brand Caton has although it will miss its anticipated first quarter date for
announced its first all new and all classic completion. Revealed five years ago that the TVR
sports car build will be a real Austin Healey Griffith project would produce a new two -seater sports
100. The Healey will be built new from the car demonstrating that the automotive fancy that the
ground up, with a few redesigned elements, niche manufacturer had something to show , the delay
made possible by modern technology all in building its Wales based factory has been
based on a donor car. A company news disappointing to TVR fans. Speaking recently with
release says that Caton will focus on "the various automotive journalists, Edgar is confident,
enhancement and reincarnation of iconic however, that the first all-new TVR Griffith, the first to
products, not just vehicles, sympathetically appear in 20 years, will be available to the public in the
updated for the modern age". last quarter of 2023. Edgar is also promising an EV
based on the Griffith in 2024.
Right : Caton's
old made new TVRs have not been available in the US market because
Sold for a record set t ing $13,425,000
Austin Healey. of safety feature issues, but with the NHTSA's 25 year

Image courtesy rule now in play, older models are available for import.
of Caton
The promise of a new TVR should be welcome news to
Jeremy Clarkson who has always had a love/hate
relationship with the iconoclastic British marque, once
"Caton?s ethos goes beyond merely that of
writing: " Some cars are girly, but not this one; it's a man,
reimagining. It is a case of purification and
and not a washboard-stomached male model either. This is
modernisation. ...Its ethos is one of
a big, hulking bouncer with a neck like a birthday cake and
reincarnation. It will take loved and cherished
a fondness for biting the heads off dogs."
cars and objects from the past and improve
upon them using new materials and Fans of the TVR are hoping that the new Griffith will
manufacturing processes," said a company have lost some of the previous quirks found in earlier
spokesperson. models, while retaining all of TVRs well-earned
reputation as a builder of beasts.
Only 25 of the Caton Austin Healeys will be
built. Each one starts at £395,000, which
includes the donor Austin-Healey. Taxes and
shipping are extra. The global debut of
Caton's Austin Healey took place in April at the
Salon Prive' London event held at the Royal
Hospital Chelsea. Production of the car begins
in the second quarter of 2022.
New Griffith image courtesy of TVR
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