Between 1996 and 2003, TVR manufactured the Cerbera sports car with assembly at their facility in Blackpool, UK. Named after Cerberus, the hound of Hades, the TVR Cerbera followed on from the successful Griffith and Chimaera but, unlike its predecessors, the Cerbera had a hard-top and was designed to carry 4 passengers in a “2+2” design.
The Cerbera model marked a change in the TVR strategy, with the company both designing and manufacturing the engine after previously sourcing engines from manufacturers including Rover, Ford and Triumph. The purchase of Rover by BMW was one of several reasons for the move.
The TVR design team focused on developing a V8 ‘race-engine’ with a 5-speed manual transmission. This was called the ‘Speed Eight’ (official designation AJP8). There were three different sizes of engine:
The Speed Eight was followed by the ‘Speed Six’, which had a 4.0-litre inline slant six engine. Acceleration was 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds with a maximum speed of 170 mph (274 km/hr).
The TVR Cerbera was well received by motoring enthusiasts. Despite the car’s startling power, the handling remained at one with the driver, being both light and responsive. The tight road holding and deft power steering was fantastic.
Whilst sitting inside the TVR Cerbera, the driver will immediately notice the unique arrangement of the instrumentation and gauges, spanning around the inside of the two-spar steering wheel.
There are five gauges in all which, in a clockwise direction are:
With this driver-friendly arrangement, visual inspection of each gauge means minimal time away from eyes on the road. The gauges in the photograph show a white clean face with the TVR logo, TVR were famous for matching their dial colours with the interior of the car all of which are still available.
As with previous TVR sports cars, all the gauges were manufactured by Caerbont Automotive Instruments in South Wales. Replacement TVR Cerbera gauges, built using the original drawings, continue to be built for TVR classic sports cars.
The TVR Cerbera marked a significant change in the history of one of the UK’s most iconic car manufacturers and remains a firm favourite of TVR and sports car enthusiasts. Over ten years, TVR produced 1,490 Cerbera sports cars.
For further information on replacement gauges for the TVR Cerbera, Griffith or Chimaera, or to discuss a specific requirement please contact us on:
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