1989 TVR S2

This is a two-owner from new S2, with an apparently genuine 18,123 miles on the clock. The former is confirmed by the included V5 document (which also shows that it was first registered on August 7 1989), and the latter by an online MOT check and a quick scan through the invoices in its history file (please see History Highlights section, below).

That history is pretty darned comprehensive, and runs right back to when it was new. Another factor to note is that it’s only covered a minimal mileage since 2006, when the odometer read 17,771 miles; that shows that it’s been brought out and fettled for each subsequent MOT test (10 in total), before being run fairly sparingly in order to keep it ticking over.

Its most recent MOT indicates a couple of minor defects: with both nearside and offside upper front suspension ball joint covers perished (both a relatively painless fix). There are also three advisories: a minor leak from the exhaust system, a damaged nearside front indicator and a missing air filter (now replaced) – again, the minor nature of each means that none need be a deal-breaker.  

Okay, what colour is this car? That’s easy, it’s Red. Well, except for the fact that it’s burgundy. To be fair the Blackpool boys would pretty much paint your car whatever colour you wished and, aside from Ferrari Formula Red and Pure Red, most of its ‘Reds’ were of a burgundy hue.

This example’s paintwork remains in pretty nice condition with just a few stone chips and the odd blemish (most notably the lower nearside windscreen surround) here and there.

There’s a touch of scraping to the lower edge of the front valance, but the glass fibre body-shell is blessedly free of micro-cracks and buffs up well. A quick scooch around sees no obvious discernible signs of it having received any additional paint.

The bonnet opens and closes fine, but its hinges could do with a touch of adjustment. Door fit remains good, with little superior-inferior play and the doorsills are unmarked. As our eagle-eyed MOT tester noted the offside front indicator has a few issues and could do with replacement, and fitting of a new, correct rubber seal.

Up top, the roof is reasonable – although it could do with a good clean. The next owner may wish to have the targa panels re-covered, as the material is a bit threadbare in places, but it’s not serious.

It fits nicely, although after all the recent heavy rain we have noticed a touch of damp carpet inside the cabin. However, TVRs of this vintage aren’t overly renowned for being watertight and that’s also noted in a 1992 invoice – when the car was still in its infancy!

Tyres are good and it sports the correct eight-spoke TVR alloy wheels, all of which still look very smart. The windscreen is delaminating slightly at the outer edge, but not to the point where it affects visibility or visual presentation.

The interior is pretty good overall, with smart grey leather piped red. There’s a bit of wear to the driver’s seat outer bolster (mainly on that piping), and both sport a light patina. You’ll also find a touch of surface rust on the seat mounts and hinges.

The leather-padded dashboard remains nice with no shrinkage and all gauges present well. That three-spoke wooden steering wheel suits the cabin and provides a visual lift. This interior is much smarter than most of this era, adding extra credence to the mileage and care this vehicle has received.

Down below, the carpets are reasonably good and once lifted they reveal mark free glass fibre. The only area that lets it down a touch are the door cards, on both of which the wooden trim has cracked and, in places, fallen off entirely. The driver’s side is also missing its mesh speaker cover.

All electrics function – albeit slightly slowly in places (i.e. the windows). We put that down to a lack of use in recent years, and there’s nothing here that a bit of regular exercise and weekend TLC won’t help rectify.

The boot carpet is finished in a carpet that matches that in the cabin, and you’ll find a JVC multi-changer CD unit.

The underside appears nice and solid. The chassis’s paint has cracked in one or two places revealing some surface corrosion underneath, so this may be a good point for the next owner to have those specific areas cleaned up and re-protected. Chassis on these TVR’s are critical, we have not seen anything to scare us on the pics or in person, but please do arrange a visit to inspect for yourself.

Under the bonnet it’s never going to win ‘best in show’, but once again there’s plenty room for a bit of elbow grease to make a big difference. There are no immediately discernible leaks, and both battery and alternator look like relatively fresh additions.

As you’d expect that Ford Cologne V6 makes a bit of a din on start-up and continues to do so under throttle. This of course is a TVR’s raison d’être; top down, foot down and as television cook Delia Smith once said: ‘let’s be ‘avin you.’

It’s a raucous little performer, and everything functions just as it should. If you’re interested then we suggest hitting the ‘Contact Seller’ button above and arranging a visit to our Abingdon HQ, where you can test this throaty little British ragtop for yourself.

Within this car’s history file you’ll find a nice stack of invoices, the oldest of which dates back to 1991. In its early life these were issued from a number of London-based specialists (including Carrington’s, Clapham Motorworks, Hillside Motors, Forrest Garages Ltd).

Some of those mark a distinct societal change, being that they’re handwritten – which appears very quaint to the eye in this day and age. In the hands of its second owner, maintenance switched to several Surrey-based companies including Millstream and Station View Garage.

Most works appear to be of a preventative and reparative nature, with the usual TVR bits and bobs thrown in (seals, bonnet catches, gaskets, etc) through the years.

There are a number of invoices showing some serious recent professional repairs including a new alternator, clutch hydraulics, window switches, new tyres, and an oil/filter service.

You’ll also find a number of Heritage Classic Car Insurance Agreed Value Certificates (the last of which was issued in 2010 and gave a value of £8k), as well as a large number of previous MOT certificates.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very high level.

TVRs of this vintage were produced in fairly small numbers, certainly when compared with later models, so they remain a pretty rare sight on the road. Their later Griffiths et al brethren tend to hog the limelight somewhat, but that’s to do the S-Series cars a disservice.

Find a sorted example and it too will provide that same TVR essence, and one that teeters on the edge of asphalt hooligan. The good news is that you’ll pay a lot less for these cars, so we think between £8k and £11k will bag this example.

If you consider that the very last of those Heritage Classic Car Insurance Agreed Value Certificates valued this car at the lower estimate back in 2010, then today even at the upper estimate we think it’d represent a very decent buy.

Having only had two owners from new, and with relatively few miles on the clock, it looks to be a nice solid example of a V6 S-Series TVR. For us it’s definitely one to buy, fettle and use.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s headquarters in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.