1997 TVR Chimaera

To give you some idea of how good this Chimaera is, and how much it’s cherished by our vendor, the seller has a small collection of cars and his own storage facility, yet only has one space at home in the garage - this is the car he chooses to store there.

Purchased in October 2024, this Chimaera has been given a full and extensive body-off restoration by the owner prior to our vendor, with works commencing in 2011. We currently have a few photographs of the work being carried out (see the ‘History’ section below) but there is a possibility more information will come to light. What we do know is the chassis was correctly split from the body, with any corrosion concerns dealt with before the chassis was painted. Gaz gold shock-absorbers were then fitted, along with upgraded cooling hoses and a plethora of other drivability upgrades.

One such upgrade that bares mentioning individually is the fitment of twin Odyssey race batteries in the boot. Our seller tells us "that the twin odyssey batteries work slightly differently - one as normal, the other works the remote isolator to allow for extended periods of storage." One battery controls the ignition, the other controls convenient aspects such as central locking, alarms, etc. This latter battery can be remotely de-activated by a fob on the keys, allowing the car to be securely left for an extended period of time (whilst the battery is deactivated, it is impossible to open the doors as they are on an electronic ‘popper’ system) and also without fear of the car draining itself - a common TVR trope. The seller reports that he has left the car over the holidays for up to five weeks in this manner, and upon re-activating the battery, fired the TVR up straight away and without issue.

In his ownership, this Chimaera has been a high-days and holidays car, used sparingly when the weather is good to make the most of Targa-style or full roadster-style roof. Garaged throughout the current ownership and given an oil service by the seller, this is a truly cherished and very ‘well screwed-together’ example of the Chimaera, and may just be the one you’ve been waiting for.

Fully resprayed into a wonderful shade of metallic burnt red as part of the aforementioned restoration, this Chimaera presents fantastically, with good shut lines, a well-kept roof and no signs of any impact damage that we could see.

Let’s start with the roof; it’s free of any cracks, large creases or clouding to the rear window, and the material is lovely and clean with only the lightest signs of use, whilst the mechanism is free and easy to use. One of the greatest assets of these TVRs is that they can be used as both a targa and a full convertible roof, with the hardtop panel fitting perfectly into the surprisingly capacious luggage area.

Working down the body shell, the paint is generally in excellent shape, though there are a few signs of life and enjoyment to be noted. The front end, mirror caps and arches exhibit the usual smattering of stone chips and gravel rash, whilst there are larger marks noted on the N/S/R wing, front bumper, rear bumper and some chips noted on the rear bumper. There is also what appears to be a paint run on the O/S corner of the bonnet, whilst there is some bubbling under the paintwork on the lower section of the N/S/R wing. Finally, we noted a large scuff visible on the door jamb on the passenger door (visible from the outside) whilst there is also rubbing marks on the nearside of the bonnet/windscreen scuttle, all of which are documented in the photo gallery.

The original five-spoke wheels have been replaced with the items that currently adorn the car, and it looks all the better for it in our view. Tyres are a mixture of Nankang Ultra Sport (front) and Nankang Noble Sport (rear) - whilst they aren’t matching, they are at least matched across the axles, which is a must for a performance car such as this.

On the inside, the good news continues unabated. Whilst there are a few signs of life, they are minor thanks to the cherished ownership this Chimaera has enjoyed, not to mention the limited miles covered since the restoration works.

The cream leather seats present very well indeed, with no rips, tears or damage to speak of. The same is true of the leather-covered central tunnel, with only a few scuffs to the lower regions to attest to use over the years.

Up above, the inner panel of the removable hard-top is free from any deep scratches or marks, whilst the inner lining of the folding rear roof section is in equally great shape.

Elsewhere, we noted that the high-traffic areas such as the door card pulls would benefit from a detailing to bring them back to their best, along with a few marks on the steering wheel, shifter and pedals, but nothing that wouldn’t be considered commensurate for the vehicle.

Looking closer, we have noted some damage to the wooden inlays on the dashboard, particularly around the stereo aperture, but this is largely hidden in day-to-day use. The stereo is an aftermarket item, no doubt offering connectivity and technology far beyond what Blackpool’s finest could imagine in the 1990s, with audio being sent through upgraded speakers in the doors.

Finally, there are some small scuffs to the carpets, marks on the lower sections of the doors (below the door cards) and some chips around the ignition barrel on the steering wheel, but nothing that would appear to be of any concern.

The seller states that the horn push is currently inoperative, but hopes to have this fixed by close of auction, but otherwise there are no known faults.

TVRs often have a reputation of being… well, not very well-built. Harsh, perhaps, but also quite true, with the market being awash with a plethora of models of varying quality.

Not this one, though. This is undoubtedly the best one our photographer has ever been out in, and has a general air of being well-built and giving the impression that it is in rude health.

The engine fires instantly from cold without so much as a stutter, and without any signs of smoke of any kind. Out on the road, the cabin is free from the usual excessive rattles, bangs or clonks that many TVR owners know all too well, whilst the engine note makes itself known without being too intrusive - perfect for long-distance drives.

In the engine bay itself, everything looks to be correct and in the right place, with no signs of any major fluid leaks or staining that we could see. Being super critical, we noted that the rocker cover has been hand-painted, but this has no detrimental effect on anything other than aesthetics. The seller - somewhat of a perfectionist - noted that the underside ‘could look better aesthetically’ but it hasn’t troubled the MoT tester one bit - in fact, it sailed through its last MoT with only an advisory for a slight oil leak, which was the FIRST ADVISORY SINCE 2011.

We told you this was a good one…

The seller states that the oil pressure sits around the 30psi mark hot or cold, the fans kick in correctly, and there are no known mechanical issues to be aware of.

Whilst there has clearly been plenty of work carried out on this Chimaera over the years, there isn’t a great tome of history to accompany it. The reason for this would appear to be that the previous owner-but-one kept a lot of the history when the car was sold, though our vendor is attempting to obtain this in time for the auction - watch this space.

What IS present, however, is the V5 in the seller’s name showing 7 former keepers, a number of restoration photos, plenty of old MoT certificates to authenticate the mileage, a guide to the TVR Chimaera, invoices for historic work and parts (such as fitment of the aforementioned GAZ dampers) and the original stamped service record.

Summer is on the horizon. Are you looking for a British sports car to enjoy the summer with? Well, look no further, dear reader - this is the one you’ve been waiting for.

Finished to a significantly higher standard than many TVRs we’ve seen, and having benefitted from a significant restoration in 2011 to address the typical issues that plague TVRs of a certain age, we’re confident that with little other than routine maintenance and regular enjoyment, this Chimaera should give plenty of years worth of stalwart (and more importantly, fun) service to its next owner.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £12,000 - £16,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Tiverton, Devon. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.