Highlights

With a mere two former owners and benefitting from dry storage in current ownership
Boasting a sensible original mileage equating to under 2,500 miles a year on average
Clearly a well-presented example representing a thrilling ownership prospect

The Appeal

The Chimaera was designed to be the long-distance tourer to its slightly harder core sibling, the Griffith. As such it was a longer car with a bigger cabin and a slightly softer personality. That’s not to suggest soft, however, as the Chimaera still packed a 4.0L V8 under that long bonnet and propelling the car to 60mph in about 5 seconds and 100mph in under 13 seconds.

This example is defined by three periods of long and sympathetic ownership and an attractive and popular colourway. It is highly original and unmodified, which is favoured by the purists, and has clearly benefitted from a well-cared for and cherished history. The car is currently SORN and just needs an MOT to be used and enjoyed this summer.

The History and Paperwork

A UK supplied Chimaera first registered in March 1999
The car was originally supplied by TVR dealer Christopher Neil
The first owner kept the car until 2003 and covered around 15,000 miles in that time
The second owner used and enjoyed the car until 2017
During that time around a further 35,000 miles was added to that total
The current owner then acquired the car in 2017
At that time, it was supplied by TVR specialists Amore Autos
The car comes with a variety of provenance providing paperwork
This includes the current V5 in the name of the owner
The car is currently registered as SORN and will require an MOT before use
A number of earlier MOTs are present in hard copy
The original TVR owner’s folder is included
This includes a partial service history up to around 32,000 miles in 2009
A Steve Heath Chimaera “bible” workshop manual is included
A handful of maintenance invoices are included
The 2017 Amore Autos sales invoice is also present
Two original keys are also included

The Interior

The interior of the Chimaera is finished in Magnolia leather
Factory fitted heated seats
Factory fitted power steering
The heavily bolstered sports seats are double stitched into vertical panels
The TVR logo has been stitched into each headrest
The seats are in a charmingly patinaed original condition
Other areas of stitched Magnolia leather grace the dash, centre console and door panels
The Aqua hued carpets are predominantly edge bound in Magnolia hide
These extend to the footwells, door cards and rear luggage shelf behind the seats
Some padded areas of contrasting green leather adorn the centre console and dash top
The dashboard was fitted with a new wood veneer front panel before purchase in 2017
The dashboard is populated with a generous set of black on white TVR gauges
Additional machined, alloy knobs and buttons also help to make this a special cabin
A three spoke, black finished, alloy and leather steering wheel is fitted
The owner reports the head unit as currently not functioning
A speaker cover is also noted as missing from the passenger door speaker
The deep boot is finished in its original, hard wearing grey carpet
The space saver spare wheel and tools are also stowed here
A Coverzone Storm Force all weather car cover is also included and stored here

The Exterior

The curvy TVR looks amazing in its appealing Ocean Haze paintwork
The condition appears to be excellent throughout
A deep and lustrous shine is evident in every area of the car’s exterior
The owner notes a few minor stone chips and a crack to the driver’s side wing mirror cover
Cabin glass and light lenses all appear to be in a fine, original condition
The Chimaera benefits from a flexible, two-part folding roof
A carbon fibre, fabric covered roof panel can be quickly removed
This leaves the fabric rear landau style hood in place
This can then be folded back as required for the full convertible experience
The roof panel and folding hood section are both in a very good condition
The car sits on its original 16-inch, five spoke TVR alloy wheels
These appear to be in a great condition with no dings or kerb rash noted
These are fitted with a matching set of Toyo Proxes in a staggered configuration
These are 205/55 at the front and 225/50 at the rear

The Mechanics

This Chimaera is fitted with a 4.0L, V8 engine
This is an enlarged version of the erstwhile Rover 3.5L V8
This 3,950cc unit was originally rated at 240bhp and 270 Ib-ft of torque
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission
In this configuration the Chimaera was good for 150mph and a 5 second 0-60mph time
In current ownership the car has had the clutch slave cylinder replaced
Various Leven accessories have reportedly been fitted
A brand-new alarm and replaced remote boot release have also been added
A new battery is present together with a spare Bosch item and trickle charger
The underside of the car looks to be in a good, straight and clean condition
The last MOT advised outriggers, but these do not appear to need immediate attention

Summary

TVRs enjoy an enthusiastic and loyal following with followers admiring the cars’ independent spirit, quirky and eye-catching design and impressive and raw (and roar!) performance credentials. The Chimaera is a slightly more civilised and useable example of the breed and, as such, is an ideal summer road trip car with style and individuality to spare.

This example is on just its third owner and has clearly enjoyed a history of light use, diligent storage and strong maintenance track record. The owner reports that he has found the car faultlessly reliable across his six-year ownership and that it runs and drives beautifully.

This is an example that offers the lucky new owner a great value entrée to the thrilling world of TVR ownership. Bid today to avoid missing out.

BEFORE YOU BUY

This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:

✓ If the seller is registered as a private seller, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. Car & Classic’s return policy applies.

✓ A non-refundable deposit will be payable if you are the winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for details.

✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is, Where Is’ basis and without warranty. A full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase and bidding is highly recommended. Photos and descriptions are for guidance purposes only.

✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.

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