Ten years after it produced its last vehicle, TVR has announced that it plans to locate a new factory producing 2,000 cars a year and creating 150 jobs next to the planned track in the Ebbw Vale enterprise zone north of Cardiff. The long-planned circuit is said to be weeks away from sign-off, with speculation of private sector backing from the likes of the Aviva pension fund.
The idea is that Ebbw Vale and south Wales in general become the base of a new wing of the revived UK car industry. Aston Martin said last month that it would build a plant to make the new DBX at St Athan near Cardiff.
TVR is being revived by Les Edgar, a computer games tycoon who is investing part of his fortune alongside Gordon Murray, the former Formula One designer, and Cosworth, the high-performance engine maker.
Mr Edgar plans to pit TVR’s sports car against McLaren, Ferrari and Porsche, pricing it aggressively to take on the Aston Martin Vantage or Jaguar F-Type.
“South Wales is becoming a major hub for automotive and motor sport technology and development and the area is a serious opportunity for business development and job creation,” Mr Edgar said.
